The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-02-09
COMFORT IN PLUMES.
According to This Cruelty to Fashionable
Birds Is a Faiacy.


Here is bit Of news that is delight
ful. The new woman, who is nothing
if not humanitarian, viii especially vel
! come it. There is not the slightest de-
mand at the present moment, either in
this country or abroad, for little birds.
One great merchant, in fact, who hap
| pens to have few cases, in which he
speculated about a year ago of para
| keets, grassfinches and other lovely lit
| tie futtering gems, finds them abso-
| lutely unsaleable in face of present and
| probable fashion. The real bird Of
paradise is exceedingly costly, and nine
| tenths of what are termed paradise
plumes" are limitations, as clever and ex-
act as electric rabbit" is of true seal
skin. But it is over the osprey and
egret that women have been most rated
for barbarity and thoughtlessness and
weird stories of the hen-bird ruthless
ly slaughtered on her nest are brought
up at meetings and in pamphlets, and
tales of complete determination are
told. Yet the birds which produce the
plumes of this type-the crane and
heron orders-are almost universally
scattered over the world, and alike from
the BraZils, Venezuela, Burma and
South India, from Florida and South
and West Africa, from Turkey in Eu-
rope and southern Russia, supplies are
drawn. Here is letter of broker of
worldwide dealings, who says: Il have
made special inquiries of some of our
agents and buyers, some of whom have
been actually in the West Indies, and
seen the birds, and the conditions of
capture. They all agree that the idea
of cruelty is a fallacy, or, at any rate,
a very gross exaggeration. For in
stance, in the case of osprey feathers, we
would especially bring TO your notice
a point of which the opponents of their
wear make much capital, and that is the
killing of the female bird on her nest.
Common sense, if nothing else, should
point out the stupidity of such pro-
ceeding, as, II such were the case, the
bird would have been pretty well ex-
terminated by now. The proof that it
is not done is afforded by the increasing
amount that is coming into the market
from all points in obedience to larger
demand, and shows that the bird is
instead fostered by the hunters, who,
knowing their value, would certainly
not wish to kill the goose that laid the
golden egg"
The pretty mounts" now so cheap,
so effective and so fashionable involve
no hunting for, or slaughter of, rare
birds. AS fact, the humble barnyard
fowl, in its course through the market,
contributes very appreciabls basis of
this cleverly-made fnery. At the pres
eut moment the cock feathers, so large
ly worn, are being mostly furnished by
Russia, which supplies ps with thou
sands of crates of frozen chickens. The
quilts Of geese and swan wings are
dyed, and, perhaps, sprinkled with a
little gold or silver leaf, and the pea
cocks feathers chemically treated so as
to remove all soft fluff, provides the imi-
tation osprey If these inexpensive or
naments. Inferior ostrich feathers are
very cunningly manipulated to produce |
little clusters OF tips, or, with the help |
of a drop or two of gum, can be turned
into charming pompons. Sometimes
a number of different feathers will be
used in conjunction, and there will be |
perhaps, three tiny tips, couple Of
quills and some fancifully-cut short |
feathers busted with glitteriug paillettes. |
The plumes of young ostriches on their |
first moult have a very poor and thin |
end, which appears perfectly useless.
Yet from these very good counter !
felt presentment of the infinitely more
precious bird of paradise tail can he
eyolved.-CincinnatiE Enquirer.