The Washington times., 1901-09-29
A NOVEL OPERATION.
Surgeons Have n Hard Time Trent
ing n Big Ostrich.

car load of ostriches came into In
dianapolis by freight the other day. Their
presence was made known by an impa-
tient ring at the telephone of DIR. Gar
stang local surgeon of the Big Four. The
doctor answered:
Can you treat ostriches?" a voice
asked
Il might" said the doctor. thinking
some wag friend was talking. "Or 1
| might treat parrots or humming birds,
but don't make speciality of it
I'm not Kidding" the voice continued,
as he explained that he was the Bright
| WOOD station agent, and that car load
of ostriches was hung up there. He
-ther explained that one of the birds
had accidentally cut its neck. and there
was fear that it was seriously injured.
DR.. Garstang at once communicated
with DIR. Craig, veterinarian. Both leap
ed into the buggies and hurried to the
Massachusetts Avenue station, to which
point the car containing the ostriches was
! taken from Brightwood. DIR. Craig was
accompanied by Maurice Lynch, his driv-
er wherein he was lucky, as Maurice is a
wrestler and boxer OF no little conse-
quence.
When the doctors entered the car they
found it full of ostriches, whose long
necks were as high as the roof and as low
as the floor. DIR. Craig. who is almost as
big as an ostrich himself. faced the larg-
est group, containing nine. A big black
ostrich darted out his head and tried to
seize the doctors Scottish Rite pin. An
other cIeverly pulled OFF a suspender
buckle from an enquiring iaborer. who
had intruded into the car. He fed. The
injured ostrich was bleeding from long
wound in its neck.
DR.. Craig understood at a glance what
was to be done. The wound must be treat
ed with autiseptics and sewed up The
sewing, he said, would be like sewing
bootleg. But how to do this was a ques-
tion. He appealed to the two men who
had charge of the ostriches. Carl Kirk
ham, the keeper, said the only way was to
get men enough to hold the ostrich.
There was himself and his assistant. Fred
White. They were about half enough
The doctor turned to Lynch.
Here's you star engagement on the
mat he said.
Lynch said naught, but rolled up his
sleeves. The box car was pulled along
side an empty car and a gangway con-
structed. Across this the ostrich was
forced with some difficulty. The chief
danger, Kirkbam explained, was that in
jury makes an ostrich ferocious, and a
blow from his foot is Ike the knockout
blow OF mule. The keepers got the bird
by its mighty wirgs and Lynch got a
hammerlock hold.
There was a struggle. much grunting
and a few expletives not usually printed,
and then down went the ostrich. Lynch
changed his hold and got a half-N Nelson
and foothold. The big bird tried vainly
to rise again. but Lynch and the keepers
had him foul
septics and took twenty stitches on each
side. The injury was probably caused by
a splinter and may be fatal. The neck
was not bandaged, but was plastered with
antiseptic dressing Then the ostrich was
allowed to rise and Lynch took a long
breath.
''shake" he said. Il have no hard feel
ings."
The big bird wheeled and lifted up its
foot 1t set it down alongside Lynchs left
leg. and under 1t half Of Lynchs trousers
leg went. too. His leg was also scratched,
but not seriously. Lynch received a new
pair, with the compliments of the Big
Four.
A. Cockaburn, OF Hot Springs, Ark They
have been exhibited in the East and were
reshipped to MIR. Cockaburn's Arkansas
ostrich farm from Long Branch N J.
They valued at 81 800 each. Several
present got real ostrich feathers while
the wrestling match between Lynch and
the bird was in progress.-Indianapo
News