The times., 1898-02-13
LIVE GEESE FEATHERS.
The Process of PIucking the Birds.
Fewer Feathers Used Now.
(From the New York SUM

tFrom the New York SUM
The feathers aren't alive, but the
geese they We're plucked from were,"
said a dealer in live geese feathers.
And the geese they were plucked from
never once squawked nor squeaked
during the operation. Not because it
didn't hurt the geese. though. 1t hurts
goose like the mischief to pull its
feathers. out, but the reason a goose
doesn't hoiler and make fuss over it
is that it doesn't seem to know enough
A goose will squawk and clatter and
Cackle as if ii were suffering more ag-
ony than a horse with the collie just at
the sight OF person, but if you cover
1t up and pelt it with stones it seems to
forget that ii has voice and will take
all the punishment you give it without
uttering bit of protest. There is much
to study about goose. Just observe
flock of geese some day when you are
out visiting on a, farm. They'll give
you amusement by the hour.
"A goose hasn't the slightest idea of
breadth or depth. The assertion that
every goose that passes through an
open barn door ducks its head, no mat
ter If the opening be 20 feet high, is as
true as can be. And, while a goose
can't be made TO believe that there is
no danger to its head as it passes over
the sill OF barn door, it is equally pos
tive that 1t can creep through a 2-Inch
augur hole or a knot hole in a fence
just as easily az it can go through
20foot door, and with more safety to
its person. ] have laughed myself sore
more times than a few at the persist
ence of some old goose in trying to en-
ter an inciosure through hole in the
fence hardly big enough to get it's head
through, while a gate big enough for
team of horses to pass through was
wide open within three feet of the hole.
Never saw goose -plucking, Ell?
Well, it isn't a sight that would give
you much pleasure. On the day set
for stripping the geese of their feath-
ers they are enticed into some air.
tight clubhouse. The pickers who are
always women or girls, go among the
geese with their heads and faces en-
tirely covered with hoods fastened
around their neck with a shirr string.
There are holes for the eyes. and also
little holes at the nose for fresh air.
From the neck down the picker is
covered with glazed muslin garment,
to which no feathers or down will ad-
here. The pickers sit on low stools
around-d large and perfectly dry tub.
There is generally man or boy in the
neighborhOod who is an expert at get
ting the geese ready for picking. Every
body can't do that The wings of the
goose have to be locked together by
peculiar arrangement of them near the
shoulders, and while the wings are not
tied or fastened in any other way the
lock is such that no goose can open it.
The fowls feet are tied together with
broad bands of soft muslin or flannel
When a goose is thus made helpless it
is taken upon the picker's lap and she
plucks the feathers rapidly, but with
such skill that she seldom breaks the
skin or causes blood to flow. Feath-
ers fill-fhe air during the process of
plucking, but all settle gradually down
into the tub at last. Before beginning
on goose the pickers brush the feath-
ers the wrong way, exposing the skin.
An expert can tell at a glance by the
color of the skin whether she must
exercise more than ordinary care in
plucking it, or whether it is not better
to let the goose go without plucking at
that time. In every case the picker
must be careful and not pluck the
feathers too close under the wings. II
a goose has been improperly picked in
that respect the wings will droop and
drag on the ground. All through this
process of yanking the feathers out OF
a goose's body not sound of COM
plant or a cry of pain is heard from
the goose. 1t submits to the torture
with a silent solemnity that would be
laughable if it were not for the evil
dent fortitude Of the fowl that goes
with it.
'It is necessary that the feathers
should be taken from live geese. that
is, if the comfort and pleasure of peo-
pie who must have feather beds and
pillows are to be studied. Dead feath-
ers are no better than husks. and are
unwholesome. But there isn't one
pound of feathers used today where
fifty pounds We're some years ago.
AsthmaH and hay fever have done a
great aeal sto1 lessen the demand for
feather beds and pillows. for it was
discovered few years ago that feath-
er beds and asthma loved to consort,
and that nothing would start an asth-
matte TO wheeling so quickly and pos