Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-01-04
Traffic in Sick Bfrds.

A shabbil, dressed man gently pushed
cpcn the door of Broadway, New York,
WINE aud lunch room and stepped inside.
81 would like to sell you two fine Can
sry brds,' he sald TO the proprietor; 81
raised them myself, and would not part
with them, but am out Of work and need
money"
He placed on The bar a small wicker
cage in which were two rather pretty
birds; one of light yellow and the other
mottled with green and dTab. They
seemed frightened. and huddled together
on the perch. Several persons gathered
around. The mottled bird, startled by
the faces, FILTERED about moment, fall
ed to light on the water Gu ;, and then
covered III the bottom of the cage.
sHow much do You ask for themi >
inquired the proprietor.
They are singers, and the dark one
is Of genuine Belgian breed, and has q
very long song. They are easily worth
81 piece, but if you viii take the two
| will give them to you for $500, for I'm
completely broke.
THAT is cheap" observed one OF the
tystanders. ~ PAID s4 for canary for
my wife not three days ago."
"l guess / don't want them," said the
proprietor. Birds are such trouble to
attend to-
81 would ike to sell them.' the man
continued. Take them for 81. 00."
The birds were finally sold for Sl.5O,
and the man went away grumbling. The
proprietor was congratulated on his bar
gain. He was so pleased tha. he bought
a brass cage with white feed cups. The
birds were transferred TO il and the cage
was suspended from the ceiling. On the
following morning the Belgian bird lay
dead IN the bottom Of the cage, while the
pale yellow balanced itself with difficulty
on the perch above it. II seemed so weak
that the ena1d boy was Gespa.ched with II
to a neighborlng bird store. The bird
fsncier grinned.
Where did you get ii p he asked
1.-The boss bought two of 'em from a
chap yesterday" replied the boy.
swell, said the bird fancier, with n
chucklc, lit serves him right ! sold
those identical birds to fellow yesterday.
He csme in and asked NE if / had sDy
sick birds. i told him thai 1 had two that
would die in less than week. lie said
they would do, and let him nave them
and the cage for half dollar. On leav-
ing he remarked that be wouldn't lose
anything on them, and / see that he
hasn't"
The pale yellow died on the way back
to the wine room.
There are q number of men in this city
who make regular bnness of irafficking
in sick birds. They buy the birds from
the dealers, who are glad to get rid Of
them at any price, and often give them
away. They go FROM store to store,
carrying a wicker cage, which generally
contains two birds. Their story is that
they are car drivers out of employment,
that they have raised the birds themselves,
and that poverty compels them TO sell
them. They start of by asking far
price for them, but wind up by taking
whatever Is offered. Their easiest victims
are German saloon keepers, who, as
rule, are fond of birds and like TO have
them hanging around tbeir places, They
sometimes, when the buyer Is mistrustful,
promise to come back in day or two and
take the birds back 1t they do not prove
satisfactory. Il is needless 10 say they
don't come.
One of the largest bird dealers in New
York, who sells both at wholesale and
retail, was found by the reporter in his
establishment in Canal street. Hundreds
of canary birds were trying TO outvle each
other in song. Parrots praised themselves
in harsh tones, and mOcking birds mimIck
ed the notes of the others. Ring doves
were cooing, and robins whistled.
YES SAID the bird fsncier, as he
rested his arm On large cage IN which q
dissipated looking mscaw slowly rocked
itself jn a swing, "there are men VINO
call around ard buy sick birds. They
tell Us they can cure any disease to which
bird is heir. We know ourselves pretty
well when bird can or cannot be cured,
and those that We let go are not the best.
We don't like to have the dying aud in
curables around and are perfectly willing
10 let them try their hands at doct9ring
them if they so desire. We generally let
them have the canarIes for the price of the
little wicker cages in which they are
carried. These cages are worth about
twenty-five cents. | sold fellow par
rot for twenty-five cents the other day.
| tod him 1t would not live but he said
he could cure it and took 1t along"