The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-03-17
AN OSTRICH FARM
ONE OF THE SIGHTS OF JACKSON
WILLIE

WILL.
Correspondence of The Journal
MAGNOLIA SPRINGS, FLA, February
p. Leaving Charleston on Clyde line
steamer in the evening we passed out
by Fort Sumter and the 'keyes" form
ing Charleston harbor, and were soon
at sea with nothing but water in view.
The big steamer pushed rapidly along,
having discharged a good part of her
cargo and taken on few more passen-
gers. The run down the coast occupies
about twelve or fifteen hours. Then we
sight land and soon ''speak the pilot"
who comes alongside in small skiff
from his schooner, and when he is
On board the engines are again started.
AS we enter the St. Johns river, one of
the noblest in the South, we have COM
pleted the 500 miles from New York,
and on crossing the bar begin river
voyage of 25 miles to the city Of Jack
sonville. The river is narrow at times
and then broadens out, with surprising
changes. Along the white, sandy shores
are the little huts of fishermen, who may
be seen casting their nets behind the
steamer. There are palm trees on the
banks and live oaks bearing their long
festoons of Spanish moss, and now and
then we see the winter home of some
northerner The sun is warm, the breeze
soft and balmy, and the time passes
quickly. We are soon landed in the
enterprising Southern city of Jackson
vile, which has been largely rebuilt
since the disastrous fire of few years
ago. The old wooden buildings have
been replaced with modern stone and
brick structures and business is boom
ing. During the past few years Jack
sonville has made remarkable progress
and it is now one of the foremost South
cru resorts. Its large hotels are filled
and the city continues to grow in the
love of its visitors.
After visiting many sections of the
city, we enjoyed a trolley ride through
suburban district to the Florida Os-
trich Farm, where we saw Oliver w., the
celebrated pacing ostrich, who hasa time
record of 2.22 when hooked in payne
racing wagon" This is one of the
few ostrich farms in the United States
and has proved a success. The farm
was opened during the winter of $685.
80 and contains more than two hundred
fine, healthy birds. These birds range
from seven to ten feet in height and
weigh from 250 to 400 pounds each,
down to the little chicks which are just
out of the shell. These birds have care
full grooming and bear little resemb-
lance to the solitary specimens seen in
the travelling shows. They have plenty
of room to move about in and are the
largest living bird in existence today
They do not mate until four years old,
and if from any cause they lose their
mate they never mate again. Each
pair of mated birds is kept in separate
corral for breeding purposes and when
the eggs have been laid both birds al
ternate in sitting on them until they are
hatched In this division of labor the
male sits on tile nest, which is only
hole in the sand about four feet in di-
ameter and one foot deep, from four
o'clock in the afternoon until nine
O'Clock the following morning, when
the female takes his place for the day.
The male, however, relieves her for an
hour in the middle o: the day while she
seeks her dinner. This program is car
ried out with the greatest regularity
for a period of forty days, when hatch
ing begins. Instead of the chick in the
egg breaking the shell itself, the moth
er often presses the shell with her
breast bone to assist the chick in re-
leasing himself from his captivity and
when the shell still remains she takes
him by the head and neck while the
shell is shaken from the body.
Ostrich eggs weigh from three and
half to four pounds and are equal in
bulk to about thirty good sized hens
eggs. The nest is made by resting the
breast bone on the sand and kicking
out the sand behind until a small de-
preston is created. In this the hen
lays an egg every other day until
twelve or fifteen have been deposited,
and then scatters light sprinkling of
sand over them to protect them from
the rays of the sun.
Nearly all the older birds are named,
and in pairs. They have such titles as
President Mckinley and Queen Vic
toria, while other mates are Prince of
Wales and Lillian Langtry, Admiral
Dewey and Miss Manila.
When we landed in Jacksonville on
the morning of the 9th the thermometer
registered so in the shade and we act
ually suffered from the heat. We were
informed, however, that the preceding
day had made record of SO in the
shade, which was the hottest day in
Jacksonville recorded during the Win
ter months in fifteen years. Every
thing had summer-ike appearance.
Bows were selling yiOletS on the streets