The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-02-02
7he Ostrich Feather Enjoys; p M } G*z
II Greater Vogue Than EUer

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The wise and daring investors who
transplanted ostrich farming from: AT.
RIGA to the United States, are, con graf.
ulating themselves now.
+ They are reaping a harvest this
winter, such as perhaps they never
dreamed of, for the. plumes of the
gawky bird are at the; top wave of
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 beau:
tiful and costly, her dress may be pur:-
est silk, her fingers blaze with dia-
monds, her coat be precious fur, but
she is not happy unless the whole be
surrounded by picture hat, with two.
three or perhaps four superb ostrich
plumes.
1t is almost impossible for milliners
to meet the demand for high grade
feathers, 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 Pasadena, Jacksonville and
Phoenix have flourished and the big
bird has proved himself such -four
ishing American, that a large part OF
the supply is now home product: q
The ostrich feather is the basis or
the hats of this year. Take off the
plume, and what remained would be
hopeless, but with the plumes almost
any shape looks well.
But like every good thing the plume
sends the price soaring. Fifty dollars
is no uncommon cost for a hat trim
med with very modest feathers, and
the particular costumer, who seeks for
the example, plume say twenty-four
inches long, must not be surprised if
called upon to pay $50 for the feathers
alone, without taking into account the
cost of the other materials and the
making
The worlds total supply of ostriches
is now said to be about 100000 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. will
drop off themselves if not re moved,
and there is nothing painful about the
latter operation, though the vanity" of
the bird in being robbed of it's chief
ornament makes him resent the pro-
cess.
The ostrich is too valuable bird to
be ill-used, for on an average they are
worth $500 per pair. and each one will
produce some $50 worth of feathers
every year.. Hence -, it will be seen
that the owner has the strongest mo-
tives Of selfinterest to- take care OF
the birds. The feathers are never
plucked: until they are ripe. , -: J..
But the beauty of feather and it's
cost depend more on it's width, On the
length and thickness of it's flue +or
strands than on the length of it's quill:
To some extent every feather: is
made, even to the handsomest being
fortified with two, additional feathers
underneath, making three layers III
all; and five or six layers are some-
times needed to give the tip the very
thick, luxuriant effect so much ad:
mired. ::
A single ostrich feather is very seanr
and slim, indeed, and no woman would
look twice at one. Preparing the feath-
er is everything.
From first to last an ostrich feather
passes through nearly one\ hundred
different hands before being delivered
to the retailers.
African merchants estimate that the
industry brings into Africa every
year some $15,00O,000, hence it is hard
ly to be wondered at that they oppose
shipping of the birds to the farms OF
the United States. In fact, when the
first experiment was made by an Eng
lishman in California, he had to pay
as high as $1,000 a pair for his birds.
Along the Salt river valley in. Ari-
iona the development Of the ostrich
industry is steady and prosperous. The
average compare favorably with those
shipped from Africa.
Ostriches need hot, dry climate,
and alfalfa is the best food. though the