Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-05-31

The Wise and daring investors who
transplanted ostrich farming from At
rlca TO the United States are congratu-
lating themselves now. They are reap
Ing a harvest now, such as perhaps
they never dreamed Of, for the plumes
Of the gawky bird are at the top wave
Of popularity that has lasted ever since
the days when Gainsborough painted
his world famous beauties with huge
hats covered with ostrich feathers.
Since that day, If not before it, in
fact, the ostrich plume has lain very
close to the feminine heart, but its
vogue this year surpasses all records.
The fair votary Of Dame Fashion
may array herself in all that is beauti-
full and costly, her dress may be purest
silk, her fingers blaze with diamonds,
her coat be precious fur, but she is not
happy unless the whole be surmounted
BY a picture hat, with two, three, or
perhaps four superb ostrich plumes. Il
Is almost impossible for milliners to
meet the demand for high-grade feath-
ers, and if they were dependent solely
on the stock imported from Africa, It
would be quite out of the question, but
the American ostrich farms at Pasa-
dena, Jacksonville and Phoenix have
hourlshed, and the big bird has proved
himself such a fourishing American
that large part of the supply is now
home product.
The modern society woman spends
more money on her hats than ever be-
fore, for the reason that with shopping,
calling, driving and lunching, she has
her hat on most OF the day, and natur-
ally must make 1t the browning glory
Of her costume. Fifty dollars is no un-
common cost for hat trimmed with
only modest feathers, and the particu-
lar customer, who seeks, for example
plume, say twenty -four inches long
must not be surprised if called upon
to pay $50 for the feathers alone. with
out taking into account the cost of the
other materials and the making
But 1t is not alone the member of the
four hundred who dons the feather Of
the ostrich. Women in more moderate
circumstances can get a very luxurious
effect from a feather that costs less
than so. In fact a milliner will say
that there Is no form of headwear in
which such good results can be obtain
ed as from ostrich feathers.
The worlds total supply of ostriches
is now said to be about $4,000 birds
All but 10000 of these are in Africa,
the native country of the biggest birds
The stock is not decreasing, for it is
one Of the good fortunes Of the ostrich
that to take his feathers does not cause
his death. The feathers would drop
off themselves if not removed, and
there is nothing painful about the lat
ter operation, though the vanity of the
bird that IS being robbed Of its chief
ornament makes him resent the pro-
cess. The ostrich is too valuable 4 bird
to be i'll used, for on the average they
are worth $500 per pair, and each one
will produce some sixty dollars worth
of feathers every year. Hence it will
be seen that the owner has the strong
est motives of self-interest to take care
of the birds. The feathers are never
plucked till they are ripe.
1t is only a little more than two
decades ago since the first ostriches
were brought into the United States
with the serious purpose Of attempting
their culture here. Before that time