Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-02-11

smaller pens Tor CHICKS ana nan grown
birds. Here some fifty birds Of all
ages promenade and do the cakewalk
for the amusement of visitors. From
ten to fifty men are constantly en-
ployed in the care Of the birds and
feathers.
The farm Is a straight business In
vestment, the industry being aided by
the high import duty on feathers and
by the export tax imposed at South
African ports of $500 bird. 1t is i'm
possible to obtain birds in large guam
titles now from South Africa. When
they are exported they are furnished
ed in only pair at time and colo
NAL authorities require an assurance
that they are intended for geological
parks!
The owner Of the farm believes that
he can do better here than In Africa
with the birds. He already has a cor
ner on the industry in this country,
having bought up all the ostriches IN
the United States except about
100 at Pasadena, CAL, San Antonio,
Tex, and Jacksonville, Fla, which are
kept for show. The nucleus Of the
Phoenix colony came from Africa, and
are the blue-legged and necked var
iety. They were started on their jour
ney thirteen strong, and notwithstand-
ing the unlucky number crossed ocean
and continent, reaching Phoenix In
safety. Here luck changed.
Put into large van to be driven to
the farm, a free fight was precipitated,
in which all but two of the thirteen
lost their lives. The male bird who
proved himself fittest on that occa-
sion still survives, though SCARED from
encounters on many field. This year
the owner has succeeded in getting a
small number Of Nubian birds for the
purpose of instilling new blood into
his stock. The legs and necks Of these
birds are white instead Of blue. Ne
gotiations for them extended over two
years. The contract was made for
forty birds, but only twenty chicks
were secured. These were shipped
first to Hamburg, next to New York,
and then to Phoenix. Thirteen Of the
original twenty arrived in good condi-
ton, though their first feathers were
badly worn. They Immediately made
themselves as home, finding no diff
Guilty in becoming acclimated.
The Nubian ostrich is fast becoming
an extinct species, and though the
birds secured cost large sum OF mon
ey, the investment is deemed a good
one. They have just passed through
their first plucking, process that will
be continued hereafter twice year.
While the birds do not enjoy the
plucking, which is really clipping, 1t
is by no means q severely painful pro-
cess. The birds, few at a time, are
driven by the keepers into the clip
ping box, whose limited quarters pre-
vents them from using their feet to
strike. Two Of the keepers then enter
and with clippers cut the feathers.
leaving two or three inches Of quill
behind. In the course Of month these
dry up and fall out, when the new
plumes begin to grow.
The handsomest feathers come from
the male birds, whose plumage excels
in brilliancy that Of the female. Near
ly all ostrich feathers have to be dyed.
In each wing are two dozen long,
handsome white feathers-the rest be-
ing black, black and white, or. a gray
ish brown.
After the plucking the feathers are
sorted and tied. In South Africa 1t Is
usually necessary to wash the plumes
before sending to market, as the birds
there are infested with vermin. In the
clean alfalfa fields there is no such ne
cessity, the giant birds keeping their
plumage in good order with the ordi-
nary pruning.
The plumes sell readily in eastern
cities at from SIS to $25 pound. The
largest feather preparing establish
ment in the country is in New York
city-although California has big fac
tories where hundreds Of women are
employed at dressing the feathers.
Most of the feather workers are
French women, whose dexterous fin-
gers stand them in good stead at this
occupation. They wash, dye, steam'
piece and curl the feathers.
The ostrich is peculiar b1rd'
naughty, phlegmatic, as curious as a
woman is credited with being, not
brilliant, but capable Of playing occa-
sional tricks that border on brillian-
cy. While the spectotor peers curl
ously through the palings that separ-
ate the birds from a too intimate ac-
ouaintance with the world at large,
the ostriches draw closer and closer to
their would-be interviewer, until, tax
ing him quite off his guard, one OF
them swings a flexible neck around
and-scrunch! at one fell swoop goes a
cherished stud or society pin.
For his felonious assault there Is no
redress. All Is grist that goes lhto
the ostrich's capacious crop, and his
digestion is proverbial.
While the birds require constant and
intelligent oversight on account of
their fighting proclivities, they are
subject to no distemper here-a con-
trast to the African birds, who fire.
uuently are carried off in fiocks. They
are able, in large measure, to find for
themselves in the succulent alfalfa
settings in which their lot is cast.
Utterly destitute Of affection, the os7
trich never becomes domesticated.
The chicks will follow whoever carries
the pan of seed, for the fluffy ostrich
babies need coddling the first month";
hnt tboy navor show the slightest in