Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-02
The Intelligent but Erratie Remarks of
a Small Java Fowl.

'Its a musical grackle," said Mr.. HOl-
den, the birdman. The bird in question,
which was being gazed at by a Tribune
reporter, looked like Sterne's Starting dur
ing prOtracted spree. The amount Of
drunkenness conveyed by the idiOtic
straddle of its yellow legs and occasional
swaying hops on the floor of the cage was
appalling. Eyes. SIR" continued Mr..
Holden, hes a musical grackle, scien-
tifc name MinO. Christian name 'ROs.,'
short for Roscoe because he's a good
talker with a short temper. He goes to
Boston tonight in exchange for a check
for S22j, and he's cheap at any price. How
are you to-day, ROs. 2"
The inebriated bird staggered against
the side of the cage for support, and cock
ing his black head on one side gave a
senile laugh, and in an aggrieved tone
answered.:
"None the better for your asking"
''What's your nameT' queried the bird
man.
Roscoe: Handsome ROs.," answered
the man-bird.
''Can you sing: Won't you sing. ROs. -
entreated his owner.
.'Peek-a-boo, peek-a-bOo, l see you
hiding there. | can sing, l can. / can
sing, l cam" chuckled the iendish fowl.
Sing the rest, ROs. Peck-a-bOO-"
'Oh, go slow, 90 Slow" cOntemptuOusly
replied the bird, and staggered about his
temporary home with drunken gravity.
''COme, sing" said Mr.. Holden.
The pathological Satan deliberately
turned his back and began to pick up
stray seed or two and munich them with
calm Indifference, only hetraying his
shocking condition by an occasional lurch.
won't you sing Peek-a-booY entreated
his owner.
The bird looked over his left shoulder.
$50 to the deucer
"Oh, you don't mean that" replied the
blrd-fancier. "Be a good bird and sing"
The bird jumped savagely around, and be-
gan tutterlng his wings and screaming
like midnight cat, 81 won't, l won't, l
WON'T" he uttered IN the intervals of the
hideOus din.
"Come sing, like a good bird Sing
Peek-a-bOO," and Mr. Holden began the
strain dear to Mr.. Seaman. The bird
stopped his fiuttering, stood IN the middle
of his cage, and in voice as hoarse as a
man-Of-war's bOatswain and an evil glare
IN his off eve, crOaked out, "Oh, 90 to
hadesi' and promptly went to sleep.
The bir d. said Mr.. Holden, turning
away with a laugh, "is one of the best
takers l have ever known. He is in
bad temper to-day, or he would answer
my questions for half an hour. He in
specimens of profanity. They are the
only ones in his vocabulary, and he only
employs them when he gets tired and is
bothered. l an particularly fond of get
ting him to talk before ministers. and
always egg him on till he lets out as he
has just DONE"
"Why do you let him use such language
before Clergyman"
Because they always enjoy it more
a r1
Java, and is one of the rarest imported to
this country, and they are the most Won
dertul takers in the world. Next to them
come the gray parrots, then the lemon
crested cOOkatoos, and the double yellow
head parrots. Those birds you see hud-
died together in that cage are white Aus
tralian parrots, which have not been i'm
ported here till lately" and he pointed to
a cage about three feet long, i'm which
were over a score of large white parrots,
with a faint tinge of rOse-cOlOr about the
head. The words were hardly out of his
mouth when the middle-aged woman,
wearing long waterproof cloak bounced
in.
''YOu ought to be ashamed of yourself.
you wicked manH' she exclaimed, scoop
ing those poor dear birds up in that
fashion,
"But. madam"
'Don't madam me, you cruel monster.
They haven't room to breathe, and Pm
going straight off to dear Mr.. Bergh."
''But, l assure"
Il don't want your assurances. III
have you dragged to prison and made to
let the poor innOcents 90 freep' and she
bounced out again.
CHATS the second one this morning.
plaintively remarked the bird fancier,
land the fact is, the birds like it and are
happier so than if they were in separate
cages. They huddle together closer than
that in their Australian forests, and the
natives catch scores with one throw of a
net"
An American eXpressman, who had Just
got a receipt from the assistant at the
back Of the store for package of money,
passed out, and as he went asked the pro-
prietOr what he ''cooped them birds up
for?' ''TO fatten ZEN for THANKSGIVING
day" snapped out Mr.. Holden. ''Good
gosh! Do folks eat them things? Well,
you do surprise me-" and the eXpressman
wagSed his head with much gravity.
"He believes it." said the man of many
birds, ''he's like some of my customers.
The checker the yarn the better they like
it,"