The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-06

every day # he can get it, and he is
incapable of bearing 2 burden for more
than few miles. He will run bike the
wind for twelve or fifteen miles and
then fail exhausted, maybe 10 die, His
great legs are brittle as porcelain. and
most OF the birds IN captivity come TO
their end by breaking their legs in the
fences. When a leg is broken there is
nothing 10 do but kill the bird
Most of the ostrichcs in American
farms are hatched IN iucubators. This
is not now, for tho Egyptians did it
some three thousand years ago. If the
eggs are taken from the nest the hen
Will lay as many as thirty Nearly all
or them are fertle and hatch out an
ostrich chick, which is worth hundred
dollars when he is six months old and
is past the age Of baby diseases An
ostrich egg is five inches in diameter
and seven inches long. In South Africa
they are highly esteemed as an article
for human food. A single egg viii make
an omelot as\ large as one containing
two dozen hen eggs. In the United
States they arc too valuable to eat
and there is very little market for them
for that use.
Man pets the ostrich solely for his
plumes sake. The most ungainly Of
all birds. his wing and fail feathers are
the most beautiful Unlike all other
with wing feathers in which the quill
exactly divides the feather in the cen
ter. In other birds the quill is always
slightly to one side. The ancient Egvp-
tians noticed this and therefore select
ed the ostrich feather as the sacred
emblem of truth and justice. In mod
eru Europe, the ostrich feather Is a
feature of the court dress in nearly
every country The United States
bought all of its feathers from England
until 1880. when it began direct i'm
portation from South Africa, The pop
ularity of the pumes in this country
has increased steadily. until now IL is
the chief market, consuming all the
home production and the greater part
of the African output.
The first American ostrich farm was
established al san Diego, Cal, by w.
II. Bentley, in 1883 The first South
A frican farm had been started by Ar
thur Douglass in 1867. Before that the
supply of feathers had depended upon
the native hunters. Argentina took up
the business also. and the consequence
was that the price of ostrich plumes
dropped rapidly, Then the great Amer
lean demand came along and prices
were restored in part, but the fabulous
prices of sixty years ago VIII never be
reached again.
The ostriches are plucked every eight
months. 4 total of $50 feathers is
taken from each bird, including the
twentv-six long black or gray plumes
from the wings The larger feathers
are clipped off with scissors and the
smaller ones pulled out. After few
weeks. the stumps Of the cut quills he,
come ''ripe.' and are easily pulled out
TO make way for the new feathers. An
average ostrich will furnish one and
half pounds of feathers year, worth
from 81 to $3.50 a pound. The birds,
are worth about $500 a pair when full
grown and mated,
There are now many farms in Cali
fornia. where the business has. proved
a profitable one, and others arc being
established in various Southwestern
States. The Salt River, Arizona, os.
trich farm has nearly 1000 birds and
markets over $4,000 worth of feath'
ers a wear The Jacksonville, Florida,
farms and the Arkansas farms, are
RAPIDLY increasing their stocks Of birds,
and ii is the testimony of the farmers
that each year solves difficulties which
have stood in the way of rapid develop
mcnt The ostrich farmers predict that
within ten years the American output
will be large enough TO supply the home
market with all the feathers and plumes
it requires.
The ostrich is a timid bird, easily
frightened and easily excited. When
excited or angered, he is a dangerous
ontagonist, because he is strong enough
to Kill man with one kick of hls
powerful leg. Fortunately. he can kick
buf one way, forward. and man di
rectly behind him is safe. When they
arc plucked, n hood is thrown over
their heads, they are led INTO a pluck,
iug~box which confines them 10 a small
space. and the plucker stands directly
behind them,
Birds that have come from an incu-
hator and have been raised where men
and women are constantly among them,
become quite amenablc. IT is such
birds that arc taken TO zooIoglcal gar
dens and trained 10 draw SuIiues or
carry passengers "bird back. y Two
ostriches hitched 10 a sulky will carry
II along AT q wonderful rate of speed,
and NAV be guided with some degree of
certainty, When going nj full speed
the ostrich takes a stride of from TWEEN
ty-two 10 twenty.eighu feet. Tho inn
print Of his two toes is hard TO see I'm.
tbis reason birds escaping from kraal
arc very hard to track,
Even the best friends OF the ostrich
ad mit that he has very little Intelli-
gence. His head is SO little. and fat
Tbat there is no room for his brains
II is said that he never appears 10 be
intelligent. except for few weeks after
he is first Matched. He will cat any
thing on earth and nd ne tba likes s TO Waitz
tcrest in him lies in the fact that he
;s Individually The most valuable Of
birds, and his feathers arc the most
bcautifnl and precious known TO man.
.sorigin of Popular Hymns will be
the +itle of Mr.. Hashin S letter In The