The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-05-02
FEATHERED FINERY,
Plumage for Millinery Now Artif-
cially Produced.
The Humble BaTnynrd Fowl Vow
Furnishes the Masssrisf for a Great
Deal Of the New Hat
Trimming.

The demand for feathers for mill
iinery purposes has caused an inventor
% experiment in this field. and be has
succeeded so well that many Of our
nest fashionable bird plumages and
feathers are artiiciaIly manufactured
The trade in feathers amounts to mill
ions CT dollars annually, and the sup
ply of the birds furnishing them is
decreasing so rapidly that it is quite
essential that substitutes should be
found. How many women who wear
the beautiful ostrich tips and plumes
know whether they are the genuine
article or artificial feathers? The work
IF raising cgtriches in California has
certainly brought the cost Of these
feathers down TO a reasonable figure.
but hardly TO the ridicuiously low
prices that are sometimes asked for
them in stores. The artificial ostrich
feathers have their quills made of eel
uloid. and the baEbS of silk waste.
Then when dyed and skiIifully curled
would take an expert TO detect them
from the genuine article.
Various other expensive feathers and
plumes are manufactured out of silk
and cotton waste. and inventors are
constantly deyising new methods by
which they can supply the demands of
fashion at little cost to the public and
1T great profit TO the manufacturers.
The utilization OF poultry feathers for
millinery purposes is subject of i'm
Pcrtance. There has been an unex-
pected demand for the feathers of
chickens. ducks and geese this year.
Farmers have really found that their
poultry was profitable. Some Of the
special breeds of farmyard ducks and
geese have remarkably beautiful feath-
srs, shimmering with gold. green and
blue. and tinged with a metallic luster
Of unusual beauty. All of these have a
value aside from the meat ard eggs
they furnish. But even the common
tarnyard poultry is made to furnish
material for the market. BY dyeine
me feathers they can be made to jmi-
tate the brightest plumes that ever
gFaeed the back or topknot of a trop-
cal bird. Tie plumes are artfulIy
made up by hand. each individual feath-
IT being colored beforehand. and then
worked into an exquisite design. Some
Of these Elumes are so gorgeous that
they are more in demand than the gen.
nine rlumes Of wild birds.
4 remarkable machine is in use for
piuclsing the feathers from dead poul-
Try. uad by its use the feather in
iustry has been greatly simplifed and
expanded. The dead bird is placed
- = tabIs. and the picker strips it OF
al feathers in just half a minute
Then the plucked feathers are passed
RAPIDLY along to another small room
Nhere a current Of air sorts the very
fine from the heavy ones. The very
ightest and softest feathers are used
for pillows. but all the Others find some
use in TIE millinery trade. 1t is be
soTnirg the fashion now to have cIoaks
lrd nantes made out of the feathers
md some handsome pieces of wearing
apparel have been made in this way
such a feather cloak is more expensive
I than sable or seal. In the National mu
/ scum at Washington there is such Z
sloak that is said TO be valued BIZ the
authorities al million dollars. 1t va.
made of the feathers Of an extinct birC
for one CT the old kings OF the Hawaiian
Stands. and contains probably severa
I million feathers.-N. Y. Times