Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-06-04
GuLLs AND PoRPolsEs
Funny Pets Of = Deck Hand Follow
Ship Around.

II read a good DEAL" said q deck
hand on the Piedmont ferryboat as it
pulled out from the slip to a San Fran
cisco Chronicle reporter, about the in
telligence Of animals and birds. The
eastern and English papers are full of
the topic, but no San Francisco report
er devotes any time to such subjects.
Now you have Prof. Garner ready to
proceed to the Guinea coast to take
down on the monograph the hare
Tipped eloquence of a lot Of chattering
monkeys and gorillas while here ut
home some of the most talented men G:
the dailies obstihately refuse IL mali
themselves familiar with the acute i.
tcllect of the humber friends that thu.
meet every day.
You see those seven gulls sitting or
the piles of the slip? They are the con-
slant companions of the Piedmont, and
follow her every trip from the city to
Oakland and back again. I know every
one of them and every chick of them
knows me. have not cultivated their
acquaintance more extensively than to
provide them daily with a few little
fishes that my son catches at the Oak
and wharf, but these birds are grateful.
There is one particular one there. Do
you see him-that one with a few black
spots neal the tip of his wings? Well.
he is more confident than an old poll
parrot. l can call him, and he will Just
plunge toward my hand and pick from
between my fingers anything / nave
there, although fish is what he prefers.
You doubt me2 Well. now l will show
you that 1 am telling you the truth"
Putting his hand into his pocket the
deck hand pulled out 4 small, withered
perch and called: ''Dickcy! Dickey!"
Immediately the gull, which had been
lowering over the heads of those pres
ent, swooped down upon the extended
palm of the sailor, delicatcly extracted
the perch from between his thumb and
foretinger and few away with the
priae, scrcechinS peans of pleasure as
he went up into the air.
The deck hand, elatcd at tho success
of his demonstration, again asserted
that ''Dickcy" had more sense thar II
horse and that all the Piedmont gulls
would be as smart rs his pet had he
but time to improve their mental capac-
tiles.
But" added the man, lit is hard for
mo to train them, because my time is
fully occupied turing my watch look
ing after the lower deck, and were the
captain to discover that ! have leisure
to fool with these gulls, why, my name
would DC mud. Therefore, please don't
give me away"
In 4 few moments the deck hand was
prepared for another ocular demon
Stration, this time ON the intellect of
fishes.
Il have also studied porpoises,' said
the sage, and they are as cunning as
! pOssums' Now, among my finny friends
there is n porpoise that 1 christened
! Johnny and whenever / call him he
shows up and l hand him u fish. lie
watches the Piedmont ana myself from
morning to night, but he turns up more
/ regularly at lunch hours. / will sum.
mon him now"
The deck hand called "Johnny!.' In a
loud voice, when Immediately, right
under the bow of the boat, up jumped
a big porpoise. The deck hand threw
another perch into the bay and the por-
poise waved his back fur with a pleas
ant shake, n kind of pour prcndre
congo" wriggle and disappeared. Every
one was dumfounded ut the apparent
magic, but the deck hand explained it
with n laugh that was echoed by all
present. He said that the porpoisc had
not really answered his call, but be-
Ing so used to their movements he knew
eNuctly whore 1t would show up after
he had once seen it coming to the sur
face, and he had so timed himself, while
keeping his audience interested, as to
bring about the climax when he was
ready for it.