The Irish standard., 1891-01-17
R |lrl THEIRS FOR FINERY.
They Are in Greater Demand Than
Ever Before.
che Various Uses to Which They Are Put
and the Process by Which They
Arc Prepared for the
Market.


and the Process by Which They
Arc Prepared for the
~. Market.
The present trade in ostrich feathers
ss almost unprecedented. For num-
Der Of years the demand was so small
shat the raising of the ostrich decreased
10 the extent of forty per cent, and
feather workers had to turn their
attention to other channels of industry.
But now the demand for skilled labor
Far exceeds the supply. During the
spring and summer manufacturers. were
seriously embarrassed by the lack Of
competent help.
A glance at women's toilets just
now, says the New York Sun, is suf-
dcient to explain the unusual demand.
Hats are piled with feathers. One
shown in a Broadway jobbing house
supported forty-two tips. Bonnets are
edged with bands and trimmed with
clusters of various size; boas and COLA
rettes of every length, thickness and col
orare shown in all the millinery, dress
making, and dry-goods houses, and re-
cent importations of costumes disclose
the fact that not only are cloaks, wraps
and Jackets trimmed with feathers, but
gowns also. Carriage cloaks have huge
yolxes, collars and cuffs of feathers, sup
plelnented with wide bands Of the same
bordering the front and lower edge.
Frequently they are faced inside, some
distance from the front edge, with os-
trich feathers, the fronts being rolled
back from a tight-ftting vest. In
Guided in the decoration Of Jackets and
gowns is the wide Medici collar, COW
cred with feathers Even in ball dresses
the delicate fabrics are festoohed around
the feet and fastened to other parts OF
the skirt with punches of tips; long
plunes are coiled about the upper part
of the arm to take the place OF a sleeve,
while others garnish the corsage.
Perhaps more than one-half Of the
feathers used in America are imported
in the natural state and prepared here.
South Africa is the principal breeding
place of the ostrich. Ostrich farms have
been started in Australia and San Diego
County, Cal, but the supply of feathers
from these sources sent to the New
York market is scarcely preceptible.
The great distributing market is Lon
don, where auction sales are held every
other month, and are attended by buy
ers from all parts Of the world. Feathers
sell from fifteen to one hundred
and fifty dollars pound, the highest
price representing "blood primes
feathers taken from the wings and tail
of the male bird when four or five years
old. The plumage of the female bird
is considered less choice than that of
the male. At the present time values
In ell grades are fifty per cent. in ex-
cess of those prevailing for several
years.
The past season was so prosperous
that many manufacturers in this city
employed between four and five hun
dred hands most of the time since last
April. A feather mandatory is not
very inviting place, with great watts,
sloppy floors, intense heat, and steam,
heroic measures necessary to evolve
from the feather in it's natural state the
dainty thing of beauty. In the natural
state most Of the feathers are Of a dirty
gray Color shading to black, and are OF
all lengths--from three to perhaps
twelve or more inches. The quill is
thick, and the flew (the curly part)
straight and lustreless. The darker
shades are sorted for black feathers,
and the lighter for those of colored
tints, tied in punches of about a couple
of dozen, and strung few inches apart
in sections about one and one-half yards
in length. To remove the natural oil
the feathers are soaked for several
hours in strong solution of soda and
soap, and then scrubbed and thoroughly
rinsed. Those for light ,colors are
bleached with chemicals before being
dyed, but those for black are only sub
jected to triple dip in Jet dye. Shaded
Feathers are made by inclosing parts in
rubber shields after the solid color has
been acquired, and dipping them in a
contrasting dye and combing while wet
They are dried out Of doors and in the
sun if possible, and in room where the
thermometer registers $50 degrees.
After the starching and another drying,
each string of feathers is beaten against
wooden tables, or partitions, to remove
superfuous starch. So violent is this
process that one expects to see the
plumes fall apart in a hundred or more
pieces. The only effect, however, of
the rough usage is to make them look
clearer and dufier than ever. At this
point the work, which thus far has been
done by men, is turned over to women,
who, in another part of the factory, be-
gin the more delicate operations.
Feathers of all hues, in different stages
of development, are scattered over long
tables. The punches are separated, and
the quill of each feather is scraped
thin by bit of glass. Afterward they
are sewed together to form the various
designs, steamed over boilers having
numerous spouts, and curled with an
implement like the blade of an ordinary
jackknife. Although apparently sim
pie the task requires considerable skill
to avoid breaking the flew. Long
plunes, boas and collarettes are only
slightly curled, the ordinary tip more
SO, while those called Princess and