The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-07-07
THE OSTRICH AnxR1CANrzrp',
BIG Bird 10 Now Reared I'm FIVE
States.

Is OF necessity a pioneer, and by ma
ture anything but conservative. Not
satisfied with revolutionizing methods
OF growing grain, raising fruit and
breeding domesticated animals. he ha.
invaded the domain of the sportsman
and trapper, and claimed many OF
their former subjects as his own.
In Texas he is breeding buffaloes
and crossing them with cattle in Ore
gon he Is reising Chinese pheasants-
OH Alaskan Islands he is farming
ro1es, and now. the latest thing. he fs
growing ostriches in Arizona and CAL
irornia as calmly as his grandmother
raised chikens in Connecticut.
1t was transplanted Briton over I'm
South Africa, however, who really
started the business. The beginnfns
was made some time in the ear,~
'oos. when Kaffir chief brought tn
Grahamston, Cape Colony. six pairs Of
splendid birds and presented them to
Sir Walter Currie, commandant Of III
mounted police. The birds throve I'm
captivity. grew even betxer feather.
than they did in their wild state ana
multiplied. Fortunes weru made and
ostrich farming In South Africa be-
came an established industry.
Attracted by these successes. I'm
1882 an enthusiastic adventurer Inn
the by-paths OF commerce, filled ths
hold of steamer bound for New
York with. it is said, 200 ostriches.
Imagine drove Of these gigantic
birds. weighing from ESQ to 500
pounds each, accustomed to sunlight.
the open range and fresh air. tightly
packed in wet, dark, illy-ventilated
pens. on floor that pitched and tos-
sed increasingly. Small wonder that
the voyage was a time of horror and
death for the birds. All but a pitiful
remnant perished on the way. From
New York the survivors were shipped
to San Francisco where only twenty
two of the original number arrived
alive.
After a time the birds underwent
another enforced journey. This time
to farm near Anaheim, in sunny
Southern California, where, at least.
the wanderers found congeniaI
home.
During the next four years three
more importations from South Africa
were made, the total aggregatiBg
about 100 birds; ferty-four of which
brought over by Edwin Cawston. were
destined to become the ancestors OF
rully 75 per cent of the ostriches now
! In America.
The last shipment from Africa was
made In 1901, when twelve gigantic
Nubian birds were brought to the
Pan-American Exposition. At the
close Of the fair the herd was divid-
ed; half Of the birds being shipped TO
ali ostrich farm in South Pasadena.
CAL, and the remaining six to the
Salt River Valley, Arizona.
There are about 500 birds in Cali
fornia, divided among eight farms.
There is one farm in Jacksonville.
Fla. one at Hot Springs, Ark, and
another in Oregon. 1t is, however. in
Arizona that the business has deyel-
oped most rapidly. The farms in that
Territory are all confined to the Salt
River Valley, near Phoenix, and con-
tain about 5000 ostriches. The hold
ings run all the way from six birds To
1900.
The business is being systematized
The energy of the less fertile bird is
allowed to expend itslf upon feathe~-
raising. lie Increase is coming fro
the beS. sock. The result should be
that net only should the number OF
fertile eggs per bird be increased. but
the quality of the feathers should also
show Improvement.
So it would seem that these aliens
from Africa bid fair to become adout-
ed citizens of the United States. They
have taken out naturalization papers
and made themselves at home The
like our climate, our food and our
ways. We are rather favorabIy i'm
pressed with them.
Certainly an animal which, aside
from his money-making possibilitles.
is, at one time, the inspiration of the
ballet dancer, the pillar of the
knights Templar Lodge, the advocate
OF woman's emancipation, the ally or
the Audubon Society. and the envy
OF the dyspeptic, should be worth cul-
tivating.-Review of Reviews.
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