The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-04-07
BILL ARP'S WEEKLY LETTER
BARLOW MAN VISITS AN OSTRICH
FARM IN JACKSONVILLE.
He LEARNS MUCH OF THE BIRD.
Enlightens the Children Regarding the
Habits and Demesnor Of the
Interesting Creatures.

While in Jacksonville, Fla, recently
"Bill Arp" visited the ostrich farm in
the suburbs of that city and writes as
follows:
This ostrich farm was planted here
on last Thanksgiving day 1t is q
branch of the one at Galveston. A few
years ago these enterprising men
gathered and bought fifty-two young
birds in Africa. They chartered a
vessel and landed thirty-nine of them
safely in Galveston. The others died.
Last fall Mr.. Pearson, who is Mis-
sissippian, brought over here q num-
ber of adult birds and also pair of
those that came from Africa. He has
here now about thirty which are grown
and married and has number Of
chicks from two days to four months
old There is large inclosure, where
the males and females of manageable
age are turned in and kept until the
male makes his choice. The female
acquiesces without any coquetry. The
pair are then transferred to a smaller
inclosure, where the male at once be-
gins the process of subjugaton. He
treats her most shamefully-strikes
her, bites her, pursues her and gives
the poor thing no rest. | saw him at
it, and wanted to take big suck and
maui him. Complete subjugation is
his animus and after he gets that aud
she humbles herself to the ground and
pleads for mercy his whole manner is
,I, Ia fol tn G., o,>l
treats her with the greatest considera-
tian and kindness the rest of their
married life.
Very many Of these birds have mated
and every pair has n separate enclos-
ure, say about 50x1O0 feet, where they
raise their young. The hen lays from
twelve to twenty cggs-lays them on
the ground in n saucerlike place, where
the sand has been scooped out. The
eggs are in full view and have no pro-
lection. When the litter is all laid the
male bird begins the incubation and
sets upon them every day from p M
until o'clock next morning. The fe-
male then promptly takes her place
and sets from 8 a. m. until p. IN. !,
but always takes few minutes off
about noon to Iartake Of her dinner,
which the keeper provides and con-
ssts of chopped cabbage and clover
hay and small stones and oyster shells
! forgot to mention that the hen lays
nm egg every other day and the time
Of incubation is forty days. My son,
who was with me. remarked 10 the old
Englishmen that our common hens
laid an egg every day and on Sunday
they laid two. 'Is that So" said he.
81 was not aware of that. 1t is indeed
very wonderful, and how does the hen
know when Sunday cames?"
"Oh," said my son, "they hear the
church bells ring
"Wonderful, wonderful" said the
old man with the simplest credulity.
So devoted is the male bird to his
first love, his tiancee, that he cannot
by force or persuasion be induced to
take another. We saw poor. mser-
able, laceratcd hen in hospital quar-
trrs. She had all the skin torn from
her breast and Mr.. Pearson said the
keeper made n mistake when he trans
frrred n pair and placed the wrong
female in the inclOsure and the male
tried to kill her Immediately and liked
To have succeeded. She was not his
bride and he knew it.
As soon as the chicks break the eggs
and come forth they eat nothing for
two or three days. The mother takes
them mp gently with her bill and
warns them under her wings or hovers
over them in the sand suppose
that is where the expression came
from-''under the shadow of thy
wings" 7 saw but one new born
chick. 1t was only two days old.
There We're quite number of half
grown birds and they are ungraceful.
unseemly and almost hideous. Indeed,
the adult birds are not much better
after their plumes have been pulled
ont. Every nine months they have to
submit to this degradation, for the
plumes bring in the revenue. Each
male bird gives hut II black plumes Mt
n picking, and these are worth from S4
TO 81 each. They are exquisitely beau
tifnl and if I had been rich 7 would
have purchased n pair for my bride.
The females are light color Of brown
and white and furnish from 60 to 100
pinmes in season, but they do not
bring half so much.
Mr.. Pearson says that ostriches well
kept live to be seventy-fve years old
and il does not cost much to keep
them-not half rs much as it does to
keep horse or COW.
Old Grover Cleveland is the largest
and finest bird on the farm. He
stands, when erect, about eleven feet
in his stockings and his mate. Frances,
is the finest female bird. They have
raised one brood and have begun on
another. The Prince of Wales and
his wife, bllfy Lanptry, are the next