Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-27
women on the heights in Brooklyn.
The farm is located near Baldwin's,
Long Island.
A TROUBLESOME TAME OSTRICH.
A Pet That Generally Makes Itself q
Terrible Nuisance to Everybody.


Terrible Nuisance to Everybody.
When, as sometimes happens, soli-
tary ostrich chick is reared at the house
it becomes inconveniently tame. We
had one called Jackie, and it was often
a terrible nuisance. All the little darkies
about the place had a lively dread of
him. AS they sat on the ground at
meals with plates of boiled pumpkin
and rice in their laps Jackie would como
up and, stretching his snakelike neck
over their heads or under their arms,
would coolly help himself to the con-
tents of one plate after another. Occa-
sionally he would make for the unhappy
youngsters in SO menacing a manner as
to frighten them into dropping their
plates altogether; then, while his VIC
tins ran away crying, he would squat
on his heels and regale his enormous ap-
petite at leisure.
But one day retribution came. Being
free to run into the kitchen-simply be.
cause no one could keep him out-he was
not long in observing that the pumpkin
and rice always came from one particu-
lar pot, and the idea suddenly occurring
to him that he could do no better than
to go straight to the fountain head for
his favorite dish, he walked up, full of
joyful anticipation, to the fire where
this pot was boiling. The cook-who,
children, did not love Jackie-offered
no friendly interference to save him
from his fate, and plunging his bill into
the pot, he greedily scooped up, and
with the lightninglike rapidity of os-
triches, tossed down his throat a big
mouthful of the boiling rice.
Then there was what boys would call a
"circus." Jackie began dancing around
the kitchen, writhing with agony, shak-
ing his head nearly off and twisting his
neck as if bent on tying it in knot.
Finally he dashed wildly from the house,
and the last seen of him was little cloud
of white dust vanishing on the horizon.
He returned sadder and wiser bird,
and it was long before he would venture
again inside the kitchen.
When about year old Jackie was sold
to farmer that had long coveted him.
No doubt he soon repented Of his pur-
chase. The bird was now now strong
enough to give good hard kick-that is
the way ostriches fght-and being a
more daring freebooter than ever, and
no respecter Of persons, he would march
up and attack any one he saw carrying
what he thought might be food, endeav-
oring, by well aimed blow, to strike it
out of their hands; and he was gener-
oil
At last his master, tired of hearing
complaints about his conduct and impa-
tient of his perpetual intrusion indoors,
tried putting him into camp inclosed
by a wire fence. There, however, he
obstinately refused to remain. AS soon
as he was put in he would squat down,
laying his head and neck on the ground;
then, making himself as fat as possible,
he would squirm out under the lowest
wire of the fence.
But jackie soon ceased from troubling.
His end, as may be imagined, was
brought about by no other cause than his
own moral obliquity. One day he wan
dered down to the river where some KAT
fir women were washing clothes, their
children, group of little animated nude
bronzes, playing near them. One little
fellow, who was eating, was of course
instantly spied out by the greedy and
covetous Jackie. The marauder, how
ever, this time paid the penalty of his
lawlessness. for in rushing to kick the
little darky and thus capture the food,
he fell down the rocky bank of the river
and broke his leg. Then Jackie, like all
other broken legged ostriches, had to be
killed. Times.