The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-10-15
MONEY IN REARING GEESE.
Residents of Washington State Taking Up
a New Industry--On Losing Venture.

Anew Industry.--One Losing Venture.
Goose farming is now the popular
fad in Washington. Men are awaken
ING from their slumbers to realize that
hcrding geese may be more profitable
than selling liquor to Indians in some
back county, stalking out mining
claims or raising NO, l wheat. The
only wonder is that nyen have been so
long discovering the nntcld wealth OF
down" and goslings. Fhis, the latest
of Washington's industries, bids fair
to eclipse all efforts heretofore tried OF
amassing q fortune in few years
from quarter section of laad. Among
the fist to take advantage OF the new
discovery was honest Ebene2er Parker
of that section. Ebenezer hHG' listened
to the arguments of lawyers and the
decisions of courts all spring. for he
has been. worthy juryman in the ST.
perior court panel, but ct last he has
left the Jury boz, behind and Eas be-
taken himself to the green fields of
northern Oregon, to equip and main
tam goose ranch, preparatory to-
establishing another on his Washington
ranch. According to- the story Of the
expert whose mellow talk caught Far
mer Parker, there's hnrre!s of money
in keeping a goose raAacb- Before IL
man makes venture. however, a cap
ital of 81 900 is necessary. This being
secured. the Intending goose farmer
goes to Kansas or some Ofiltr state
where goslings are plentiful &nd makes
his purchase of, say 1909 geese. For
these he pays $400. To ss&e Che trans
portation of this number Of fowls to
Washington his next move CwoAld be to
a harnessmakcr to have the geese shod.
The shoeing of geese is accomplished
by placing miniature coverings of thin
leather over the web feet of: the fowl;
then the geese are prepared' tor stand
the Journey on foot. The Shoclng OF
1,OOJ geese will cost 800, according to
the expert.
One thousand geese, according to
the law of progeny in the goose family,
will rear six goslings each a. year.
Geese can be picked twice 3 y1eaE. A
pound of "down" sells for 81 and a
pound of coarse feathers at 65,eents.
Each goose is warranted to yield a
half pound of each annually, nesting
thereby to its owner in round figures
the sum of 81. 1t would take but
short time to reach the wealth of
Crgsus with prosperous goose ranch
at ones back.
Barney Quinn, court bailiff at Hell
ena, Mont, has demonstrated the
theories to be facts by practical expert
ence, aIBd had it not been for circum-
stances over which he had no control,
would to-day be owner of mvriads of
these feathered treasures, but, as it
was, they met with an accident and
died, which Barney related to a re-
porter for the Independent as follows:
"Sevsral Years ago | yentured into
the goOse-raising business in Colorado.
l. purchased 1,OJD geese IN Kansas, had
them ShOd and drove them all the way
TO northern Colorado. | was happy
with my lot until the cold weather set
in, aud one by one my gOoselets faded.
| had lost about fifty of them when a
friend suggested that | blanket them.
This | did. Each goose had little
coveriet made for it which | encased it
in-jHst as you see poodle dogs now
adays.. I'll never forget what a beau
tiful sight it was to gaze from my cab
in window moonlight nights and look
upon my sea of gooselets with their
little red coverings. 1t was grand
sight, sir, but the cold weather WAS
too much for them and lost nearly
300. Then | made up my mind to 90
to New Mexico with my flock, where
it was warMer. ! had their shoes put
on and off started. Through the en-
tire length of the state of Colorado |
trudged, my feathered tribe and l.. It
was tedious Journey, but the sightof
my herd nerved me and dreamed of
golden success when | reached New
Mexico. Then | came to the Rio
Grande river. In plunged my flock of
geese into the stream to make for the
opposite bank, but, alas! before ] real
ized it they were all drowned, with the
exception Of five, which I saved; l had
forgotten to take Off their shoes, and
they couldn't swim"