The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-09-14
BURIAL OF A PARROT
WHOLESALE MOURNING OVER A
MUCH LOVED HOUSEHOLD PET.

Ghost-The Funeral Was Large One
and the Furnishings Were Gorgeous.
There was strange scene in Noe
Valley, away ont 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
fraugnt with more Of curiosity than of
deeper interest, but 1t was not so with
all. In little front parlor Mt 14l4lS
Castro street stands big empty bird
cage. Rising from the top of the cage
q 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 ont
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.
II was only q parrot, this recent
dweller within those walls of wire, but
seldom has a 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 lettei : 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. Taches 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 carpenter.
"She just fitted into a box 10 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 a young lady's glove box than
q coffin, covered with blue silk and line!
with the same in quilted squares. Yct
in it poor Lora had been laid out BY
the silken handles on either side tho
pallbearers had carried it to the grav,
side, and there in the darkened parlor
it now stands with the other evidences
Of 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. He:
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
give the reporter an idea of Lora's rem
dition of "Amid the Raging of Sea =
"She had a sweet and lovely voice, said
this fond mistress of pretty pet, but
Mr.. Tache did not seem to agree with
her. There was also slight difference
of opinion as to the cause of Lora's de.
mise. Both agreed that the parrot died
of cholera morbus, but Mrs. Tache de-
clared that the disease was due to Mr..
Tache feeding the bird on watermelon,
while the latter contended 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 "ofi
her feed" as Mr.. Tache puts it, 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
herself as Polly, and never made the
stereotyped suggestion regarding the
proverbial cracker. Just as Monday
was turning into Tuesday Mr.. and Mrs.
Tache, snugly slowed away in the ad-
joining 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 mother would have done for
. dying child. She took the bird to her
bosom and sat with it on her own bed.
Poor Lors lived but a short hour longer.
After the one shrill scream there came
but these words, "By by, Lora, by
byr 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 IL child had been taken away.
The funeral took place at p. m. on
Thursday. The neighbors turned out in
goodly numbers. The house at 14l41k
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
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