The Prescott daily news., 1908-05-15

VI COulSt, ucdI II iihc tO oCS SOu make five millions"
 "Well. I'm going to make a million for sure. I've struck something richer than the richest gold mine in the world
 "I'm sincerely glad of it, of course AS your wife, am always rejoiced when you have luck. If I have said anything this evening to hurt your feelings l am sorry for it."
 That melted Mir. Bowser. He got up and kissed her, and a great burden seemed to be lifted from his mind Then. sitting down again, he said;
 Mrs. Bowser, what is the ostrich?"
 "A large bird found mostly in Afr ca"
 "Of what value is he to mankindY'
 "He is valued for his plumes alone"
 Nothing Could Take Their Place.
 Gan anything else take the place of those plumes for trimming hats and bonnets?"
 'No; nothing else"
 "Over what ground does the ostrich mostly roam?'
 'Oyer the deserts"
 What Is his foodT
 Roots, insects, mice, snakes, and so on"
 Can he be easily domesticated?"
 Almost as easily as an old hen."
 And there you are, and there you are," said MT. Bowser as he rubbed his hands and chuckled.
 But what is it?"
 Don't you catch on? An ostrich farm, Mrs. Bowser-2.000 acres of land in the Colorado desert to raise os- triches on for their plumes-only one farm of the kind in America. and the proprietor has to use q barrel to take his money the bank. He has POO of the birds, while We propose to start with 2,O0O. We shall supply all Amer lca with plumes.'
 "Well. you seem to have struck it at last" said Mrs. Bowser as his smile grew more expansive.
 Struck 1t! Why, woman. it's the biggest thing on earthl Every bird yields $500 worth of plumes per year, and there are 2,O00 birds. Not one sin gle cent is paid out to feed them. They even pick off their own plumes and leave them on clean spot to be gath cred up"
 But about your land for them to run on?"
 eve rent 10000 acres of the great Ia nP cent per acre per year. There we have our sand, our cacu, our mice, snakes and everything wanted-noth- ing whatever left out, nothing left to chance. We have an income of $20O,- GOO year apiece right from the start Can you beat it. Mrs Bowser-can you beat it? Is your husband the jackass you have sometimes thought him, or is he a financier?"
 Tt certainly looks all right" replied Mrs. Bowser. but if you don't mind should like to ask you a few ques- tlons."
 Go ahead and ask thousand If you want to-"
 About the ostriches. You say yoa are going to start with 2,OOO of the birds?'
 Not one less"
 Where are you going to get them2"
 Tn Africa, of course"
 "Who is going to pay for catching 2,OOO ostriches and shipping them over to you?"
 "Why-why"- stammered Mir. Bow ser as sudden paeness came to his face
 You can't catch ostriches the same as calves, you know, and 2,00O of them would take up all the room in steam. CT. Then you must get them out to the desert by rail. You are mistaken in thinking ostriches haven't to be cared for and fed Many of them die as soon as brought over here. Have you fig ured on these things?
 There you go.' shouted Mir. Bow ser as he bobbed up and down on his chair
 But you must figure on chances Have you rented your desert land yet? You figure on $500 worth of plumes from every bird. You will find that $50 is nearer the mark. Instead of picking off their own plumes you will have to hire men to do It. You have got to inCoae your desert land or your birds will roam away. I should say that you can safely figure that every ostrich will have cost you at least $50 by the time he is ready to scratch the sands of the desert A circus has to pay $500 for a single specimen. You have taken these things into account,