Arizona republican., 1892-10-27
BURIAL OF A PARROT
WHOLESALE MOURNING OVER A
MUCH LOVED HOUSEHOLD PET.


Ghost-The Funeral Was "A Large One
and the Furnishings Were Gorgeous.
There was a strange scene in Noe
Valley, away out Castro street, on Thurs
| day. and those who witnessed it will not
soon tire talking of it. To most of those
who took part in it the occasion was
fraught with more Of curiosity than of
deeper interest, but it was not so with
all. In little front parlor at 14l415
Castro street stands big empty bird
cage. Rising from the top of the cage
staff on which flag, hoisted half mast
high, tells the visitor that the one time
occupant is dead. All around the little
doorway where she fluttered in and out
bits of black and white still further
emphasize the fatal fact, and bouquets
of flowers fitted into feeding and drink
ing cups and hanging from the swinging
perch where Polly used to swing are
tokens to her memory.
1t was only parrot, this recent
dweller within those walls of wire, but
seldom has bird left more sincere
mourners behind it, and many man or
woman would be proud to think that
such an elaborate funeral was in store
for him or her. Less than two years
ago this poor parrot was Matched out in
| the wilderness of Panama. John Stran-
Afghan, an honest sailor lad, came into
! possession of the bird on one of his coast
wise trips and brought it to his uncle's
home in Noe Valley. just one year ago
it was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Au-
gustus Tache, and in their pretty little
home on Castro street the bird really
began to live the life that has now so
suddenly ended. The parrots name was
Loretta, but owing TO the difficulty par
rots find in pronouncing the letter 7 she
called herself Lora, and those who
knew her and loved her learned to ac-
| cept the abbreviation. Lora was the
pet of the entire neighborhood, but she
was the apple Of Mrs. Tache's eye.
There were tears in both Of Mrs.
Tache's eyes last evening as she related
stories illustrating the genius and ac-
complishments of poor Lora. In APP
pearance the bird had been quite like
any other green parrot with gold trim
mings. Her size was roughly but kindly
stated by Mr. Tache, who is a carpenter.
SHE just fitted into a box 12 by 3
inches" said he And there stood the
box on pedestal just in front of the
/ empty cottage" 1t was dainty box,
more like young lady's glove box than
a coffin covered with blue silk and Incl
with the same in quilted squares. Yes
| in it poor Lora had been laid out By
the silken handles on either side the
pallbearers had carried it TO the grave
side, and there in the darkened parlor
it row stands with the other evidences
| of a woman's strange devotion to the
memory of dead bird.
The lessons that Lora learned in her
! home on Castro street seem all TO have
been good ones. She could not only talk
and whistle like other parrots, but as a
singer she had an enviable record Her
singing of the chorus Of "Auld Lang
Syne" is said to have made many of the
residents of Noe Valley weep copiously,
and Mrs. Tache herself was very much
overcome last evening in endeavoring TO
rive the reporter an idea Of Lora's rem
'ition Of amid the Raging of Sea
She had sweet and lovely voice, said
! mis- fond mistress Of pretty pet, but
blr. Tache did not seem to agree with
!,er. There was also a slight difference
opinion as to the cause Of Lora's de-
mise. Both agreed that the parrot died
OF cholera morbas, but Mrs. Tache de-
clared that the disease was due to Mr..
rache feeding the bird on watermelon,
while the latter commended that death
had been due to too freqent bathing at
the hands of Mrs. Tache.
Whatever the cause, poor Lora was
! taken i'll on Monday last. She was "off
her feed" as Mr.. Tache puts 1t, all the
afternoon, and when night came she
| could muster up no words from her vo-
luminous vocabulary save Poor Lora!
Poor, poor Lora." 1t should be men
toned here that she never referred to
,erself as Polly, and never made the
S.rveotyped suggestion regarding the
rroverbial cracker. just as Monday
vas turning into Tuesday Mr.. and Mrs.
rache, snugly slowed away in the adj
Iuining bedroom, heard a terrible scream.
They knew at once that Lora was on her
last legs Mrs. Tache promptly got out
OF bed and went to the rescue. She also
did what a mother would have done for
dying child. She took the bird to her
bosom and sat with it on her own bed.
Poor Lora lived but a short hour longer.
! After tho one shrill scream there came
bat these words, "By by, Lora, by
by!" They were the last words indeed.
Written by the afflicted mistress these
words are still pinned to the wires of
the empty birdcage. The writer and
her husband are as subdued in their
grief as if a child had been taken away.
The funeral took place at p. m. on
Thursday. The neighbors turned out in
goodly numbers. The house at 14l416
Castro street was crowded, and there
were more flowers than city officials
have sometimes been honored with. But
the most unique feature of the occasion
was the hearse. The son of neighbor-
ing groceryman offered the services of
his goat wagon. Certainly nothing
could have been better suited to such
service. The goat was a well trained