Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-01-28
POLLYs PECULIARITIES.
Remarkable Conduct of Parrot
An African Gray Makes n uiscue.
Pittsburg Press


take off your hat, Jack! Say,
won't you take drink for ole ac-
quaintance sske2"
Where's your manners, sir3 How
dare you squeeze lady's hand in
publicl'
Such were the remarks of a loud
strident voice that greeted a Press re-
porter's ears while making the rounds
of an aviary on Smithfeld street on
Saturday. Looking around for the
source OF these utterances, which
seemed strangely out of place, the
reporter discovered in an obscure
niche dingy cage containing an old
gray parrot, seemingly half asleep.
Among those in the store at the time
was a young couple, either engaged or
lately married, judging from their
bearing and conversation. As the
bird first spoke the young man looked
conscious and his hand sought his
head, as though about TO remove a
shiny silk hat, but the invitation to
drink gave him q nervous shock and
caused his companion to look unutter-
able things, as the two cast their eyes
about in confused search for the per-
son who was 50 insulting. The last
objugation was a regular sumner aud
fell with such crushing effect that the
young mans look of preplexity gave
way TO one Of speechlessness, while
his sweetheart lowered her veil and
commenced a precipitate retreat to-
ward the door, followed shortly by
Jack, who appeared no less anxious
to get TO the sidewalk
Dart that bird" calculated the
proprietor of the shop, who had been
an observer OF the above little farce
from distant part of the store, where
he had been waiting on a customer.
fWell, Polly, you have just spoiled a
sale for me, but I'll stop your noise
for while at least, saying which he
enveloped the cage in q large dark
robe in spite of the birds mutfled pro
test.
You see, sir" said he, turning 70
the scribe, 81 have been unable to
have any peace with that bird since l
sold its companion. / would like to
give it away, but it cost me $50. 1t
seems possessed of almost human in
telligence, but it is no smarter than
some others of which l have heard.
recall an amusing incident of an old
African gray that was owned in the
Theatre COminIe, London. The cage
was generally hung IN the green
room, but one time 1t was placed in
the flies during a performance. The
bird came near causing a riot in the
company and furnished the audience
with more amusement than they had
stipulated for.
'The way of it was this: The helo
of the play had just died in the arms
of his young bride, when Polly gave
voice to certain expression that was
the cue for the scene to shift and give
place to ballet. In upon all the
agonies of the death scene rushed q
dozen scantily attired coryphees, who
commenced to caper around, all uu-
mindful Of the painful scene before
them. The transition from the sub
lime to the ridiculous was complete
The audience did not know what to
make of it until the dead he;o, who
was also stage manager, reused him
self sufficiently to take in the situa-
ton, With an audible oath he de-
manded the cause Of the coryphees'
presence. One of them tremblingly
demonstrated, We got our cue
The - you say, and then the
stage manager started to drive the
painted danseuses from the rostrum,
the act was queered, and it was inn
possible to lower the curtain. The
audience got the benefit of it all. At
last the curtain was dropped, and a
stalwart sceue-shifter managed to
floor the stage manager and sit down
on him long enough to bring him to
reason. A search soon revealed the
cause of all this mischief. II is need
less to say that Poll was again ban
ished to the classic shades of the green
ROOM"