The San Francisco call., 1909-09-04
BY FAY WATKINS
BeuIah Heights, Age IL Years

oUIsE LOMAX looked at her
mother in delight.
u Really, mamma" she said, Il
can't imagine what real live ostrich
would be like
To see an, ostrich was quite an event
for Louise, who had always lived in
the east and consequently had never
seen one.
We'll, get ready quickly, dear said
Mrs. LomaX, because we must meet
papa at the ferry at 10 o'clock.
1T is just 9 now, so we only have
half an hour in which to dress"
About an hour later all three were
crossing San Francisco bay.
When they found themselves at the
ostrich farm, they passed through the
gate with throng of interested sight
seers.
The farm was inclosed by a high
board fence so that 1t was impossible
for an ostrich to obtain freedom. The
yard itself was fenced off in large pens
of different sizes.
There was a gravel walk running on
each side of the farm, and in the center
was a lawn, some benches and also a
few young trees. The first pen was for
ostriches about a year old, the lecturer
said.
HOW long 90 they llfc. dohSo
Louise of the guide.
They live about as long as human
being" he said you see, these birds
here are about year old" He pointed
to pen where there were a few young g
ostriches enjoying a bask in the hot
sun.
"A strange thing about these os-
triches," he resumed lis that they mate
themselves; and once mated, always
mated: no diyorces'-this with a
twinkle in his eye. THE full grown
birds weigh from $50 to 800 pounds. ac-
cording to their age. You will notice
that their feet are like a spear. They
kick harder than mule and run faster
than a racehorse. If person were
to go into a pen unarmed they would
tear him to pieces in a little while
do you sell them?" asked middle
aged lady in the crowd.
I'VE don't sell them till they are
about years old. They are worth
about 81, 500 pair. Their plumage gets
more valuable as they grow older. At
the first clipping we get merely quill.
at the second a light plume, and so
on. We clip them when they are a year
old and every eight months thereafter.
They don't lay till they are years old.
Their eggs weigh from three to four
pounds; they are worth q dollar each.
The eggs hatch in six weeks. We
hatch them in the incubator"
When Louise learned OF their unlov-
able natures and unintelligent minds.
her interest and enthusiasm decreased.
The lecturer led the crowd from one
pen to another all around the yard, and
at last they came to the different pairs;
one was Mr.. and Mrs. George Dewey.
a very interesting pair, especially as
they fight so that they pull one an
others feathers out OF their bodies.
Mr.. and Mrs. George Dewey are 20
years old. the oldest and most valu-
able birds on the farm.
Another amiable couple is Mr.. -'and
Mrs. Dom Paul, in whose pen was found
an egg. "The keeper will take the
egg out of the pen and put it in the
incubator to hatch when he comes
around said the lecturer.
The last but not least were the baby
ostriches and the incubator. There was
a board about foot high propped up
to form kind of fence. On the other
side of this board were three little os-
triches One was about a foot high,
and the other two a little smaller.
"Oh, what darling things. mamma.
just look said Louise as she glanced
at them.
aren't they the dearest things. oh.
how like ball of fullest down they
are!"
Their bodies are oval shape Gas are
all oStricheS bodies) ana OF yellowish h
brown color. They have long yellow
necks with stripes of dark brown
They are not at all vicious like the
older ones. Louise stood watching
one of them as it picked her dress.
Then she put her hand on its back to
stroke it. Oh! what disappointment.
Mamma, their backs are like little
brushes cried Louise in an odd mix
ture of surprise and disappointment.
.srhoae are the pin featherSo said
the lecturer.
How would you like to have one of
those for pet. Louise?" said her