The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-01-06
Pl UCKING LIVE GEESE
An Operation Necessary to Pro-
cure Good Feathers.
LOCKING THE BIRDS WINGS.

This Trick Performed and Their Legs
Bandaged Together, the Helpless
Geese Are Ready, If Mot Willing, Vic
Tins For the Expert Picleers.
Yes said a manufacturer and deal
er in bed furnishings, lit is necessary
that goose feathers should be taken
from the live goose if we are to study
the health and comfort Of people who
think they must have feather beds and
pillows Dead goose feathers are not
much better than husks to lie on and
have not that great virtue of husks-
WholeSomeness
They say it doesn't hurt a goose to
pluck it, but it seems to me that one
might as well say that it wouldn't hurt
a man to have his whiskers yanked out
by the handful The reason they give
for believing a goose doesn't suffer
when its feathers are being plucked
out of it is that it never suuaNks or
squeaks or makes a fuss while the
plncking is going on
Now, / believe it hurts goose like
the mischief to have its feathers pulled
out, coming as they do from the ten
derest spots on its body, and the rea-
son the fowl doesn't utter any protest
prompted by pain is. according to the
way / have sized geese up, because it
is such a blame fool. A goose will
j. al :.
We're suffering more agony than q
horse with the collie just at the mere
sight of you, but if you corner 1t up
and pelt it with stones it seems to for
get that it has a voice and will take
all the punishment you give it without
q further word.
THE Pennsylvania Dutch farmers
pluck geese today just the same as
their forbears did time out of mind
and / don't know as there is any other
way. 1t certainly couldn't be made
any pleasanter for the goose unless
thing like that to its nose while the
plucking was going on The geese tc
be bereft of their feathers are firsi
got together in an Enclosure used fol
the purpose. The perspicacity OF
geese may be strikingly made known
to you when they are being rounded
up in such an Enclosure if there should
happen to be knothole in one end OF
| 1t, the door being at the other. Thai
| door may be six feet high and three
broad, but goose after goose will iS
more it and try its best to get through
the kuothole. Induced, though, to try
the door, every goose will bob its heaC
down as it passes through for fear OF
knocking it against the top of the
door jamb, six feet above,
There is q man or q boy in every
neighborhood where geese are plucke(
who is an expert in getting the goost
ready for the process Not every ON,
can do that, The wings Of the COOS,
have TO be locked together 10y Il pecul
lar arrangement OF the two near tn,
shoulder, and, while they are not tiet
or fastened in any other way, the loci
is such that no goose can unlock II
The goose,s feet are tied together witt
a broad band Of soft muslin. Then /
is ready for the plucker,
1.-THE puckerS, who are almost nj
ways women, go among the geese Will
their heads and faces entirely covered
with hoods fastened around the necl
with a Shirr string. There are holes il
the hoods for the eyes and also at tht
nose to supply fresh air for breathing
From the neck down the picfers are
covered with 4 glazed muslin garment
to which no feather or down will cling
The piuckers will sit on low stools
around q large and perfectly dry tub
Each takes in her lap a goose made
helpless by its interlocked wings anG
bound legs and With rapid plying OF
her fingers separates the feathers from
it. This is done With such skill, though
that the plucler rarely breaks thu
| gooSesS skin or causes blood to follow
the plucking out of a feather The ail
is constantly filled with the light feath
ers during the plucking. but they set
tie into the tub at last,
But there isn't as much call for thu
SooSI ~ i4iiS ol Iis
feathers as there used to be- Not ont
pound Of goose feathers is used TODAY
where there were fifty pounds twenty
| five years ago. Odd as it may seem
asthma and hay fever long ago began
TO have a good deal to do with decreas
ing the demand for feather beds and
pillows. 1t was discovered that asth
ma and hay fever had an affinity fol
such coucheS and head rests; thai
nothing would start an asthmatic Of
for cheerful nights wheeling Sc
quickly as feather bed This discov
cry spread, and the goose owes a grea1
deal of its later day comfort to the
asthma. Detroit Free Press.
She Had Enough.