Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-08-01
FEATHERED TAKERS.
osAr w,rs AN oLu mup rAsu,.u
wncre tho rartots ut ,n, r,uu,ry ,,m.
fr"m-iiow rhry are .atsd TO- .nu
HhGt Ihry ,o.t

wncrc tho r.rto,s q, tho Country Uome
r"m-how rhry ore .atsd to- ana
what ihry Iost.
Hearing torrible hubhub, near the
corner Of North Queen aud Orange HIt,,,s.
as II u hundred shrill voices wcis ia angry
CONTROVERSY reporter of the lNrEi,II
UENCER stopped to inquire the cause,
stepping into II. II. VUndorsmith's bind
Etorc, ho learned that that gentleman
had received an invoice Of fifty
or hundred young parrots, most
oi thom from Cuba, but few from
Mexico and South America aud IL was
this colony Of feathored takers that was
making tho noise that first attracted tho
reporters attention. White watching tho
awkward antics of tho birds Rs they chung
to their cages 10y their stroug claws aud
boaks, stIiling almost EuiliCating stuRa.
ton was experienced aud the pcrspiratton
began to ooHn pruGusnly from tho pores ol
tho newspaper mans skin. Looking about
To ascertain tho cause Uf the sudden rise
~ lhn temperature, astuyu was discovered
with roaring coal tirO ia it,
" What IN the world 10 you want with
hro III the stove on n day lko this, with
tho mercury nearly up to ninety ?' quuricd
tho reporter
Tho parrot IN a duicatc bird when IL
u.
comes from warm, dry country, aud
until 1t becomes acoImatod must be pro
tcc'oi from both cold and moisture. 70
day ls not cold, but tho air il damp, tko
barometer is low, and We build lire not
merely To raise the temperature, but to
keep tho room dry"
Tell us something about tho parrut
trade" said the reporter.
Wol," said the raucicr, at IL quito
an extensive aud sometimes "a Profitable
business. The great dealers Ia Now York
send agents To Cuba, Mexico, South
America and Africa, who capture tho
young biria boiuro they can ily aud bring
them % this country by tho ship load
These Cuba birds with their green piumagc
and rod breasts build their meats ia the
lottcSt trees, and 1t is quite an uudortak
inH anu sometimes dangerous TO capture
them.
III here are only two or thTeo months III
tho year, when they eau bo obtained, aud
that IL III the summer time, when the re-
! tail trade is the dullrst when they arc
| Imported, tho agents Of tho impIrtnls
rapidly distribute thum to tho inland cities,
IN almost all Of which there arc from one
10 dozen retail dealers. These buy tho
birds, keep them warm aud dry, as am
doing with these feed them carefully on
| moist food, generally corn and other seeds
until they arc thoroughly acolimatcd. after
which they eau bo fed on almost anything
and endure, With comparative safety tho
changes OF our chaugcablo climate. These
birds have had no water sinco they came
into my possession, AMI shall .have none for
J some timc tu come; they do better with.
out Il. As SAID this is the duh season OF
the year. y great many poC pie are out OF
| town, ~ the SeashOrc aud other watching
| places. As the season advances wu expect
tade to look up, and then the birds will go
on like hot cakes"
| What class Of people buy tho hi.d-,
| and what prices do they sell at ?"
| "All class OF people buy the parrots" said
! MIR. NOnieTsmith. but tho VOL to.du
| and middle classes tako tho most of them.
Young birds sell at - each, aud when
they begin 70 talk little, which they will
do in about two mouths, they sell for $40
| As they improve IN talking they bring
still higher prices, and it is NOT unusual
for good birds to bring $50, 800, or 800.
aud some SCH ~ high as $500. \ good
bird can bU taught to say almost anything.
but tho greatest tact, patience and
kindness are necessary on tho part Of the
| teachers, some Of whom devote months,
| and even years Of their leisure time in
teaching their birds 10 talk. OF course,
bird faucers don't depend ou parrots
alone for their trade" said Mr.. Wonder.
smith, as no looked around his store room
| Ut tho hundreds of cages containing
! canarlcs, mOcking birds, and various other
pets.
"DOn't this great heat, said the reporter,
as hc mOpped the peropiratlOn from his
face, "injure the cIuarles aud mOcking
birds ."
"No nearly all our fancy birds come
from warm counties and require u warm
atmosphcre.
well" said tho reporter, as no wruUg
tho psrspIrdtiou out Of his hand kGrchicf, "l
require an atmosphere = little cooler than
this-l'll see you later. Good bye"