The morning call., 1893-05-18
PARROTS GALORE.
Birds on the Colon That
Are Linguists.
WHAT PEOPLE PAY FOR THEM
One Hundred Yellow Talkers-MiS-
understandings Caused by Too
TaIkative Birds.

zone hundred parrots from Central
America per steamer Colon-S250."
That is the entry that the Pacific Mail
Company's freight clerk will probably
make when he comes to the item. zone
hundred parrots" on the steamers mani
fest, for it cost 50 50 per bird to get feath-
cred lnguist from Panama or way ports to
San Francisco.
One hundred parrots is good many for
one consignment, and for noise and chat
ter it is doubtful if any 100 old maids in
this gossipy world of ours would hold
candle to this bevy of yellow chatterers.
There were sedate-loolling parrots with
heads inclined to droop in a sickly manner
on their ruffled breasts, and parrots that
talked inceSsantly and spoke Spanish like
a vaQuer0.
OF course the swearing parrot was there,
too, and also the bird that creates curses
by his meaningless ear-spllttlng screeches
which could be heard from the Mall dock
to Main street wharf.
"Whom are all those birds for?" asked
the reporter Of a eT-hand, who was
busy feeding the proverbial cracker to
pretty poll" mo one in particular"
was his answer. I'VE generally bring up
a dozen or more every trip. Some belong
erty of Spaniards ana Central Americans
in San Francisco. to whom they are con-
signed.
"a Central American would just as soon
think of being without his brandy as to
keep house without parrot.
Italians are great lovers OF the bird
also. Although most of this consignment
is for the bird-fanciers, there are number
of them for Italian fishermen, saloon
keepers and lodgng-house proprietors.
Can any of these birds talkW
'SOme of them can. but few of them can
speak English. Here is one fellow, be-
longing to a cabin passenger, who got on al
Central American port, that speaks Ger
man, French and Spanish and a.little-.'
Here the speaker was interrupted by the
bird in question, who began series OF
yells in several languages and an unintel-
ligible volley Of words.
''fhe bird" continued the speaker when
the noise had subSided, speaks Spanish
better than he does anything else. and he
came near causing an accident at Champe-
rico by his acquaintance with that lam
guage.
I'VE were lowering some freight into
lighter when the parrot yelled Let CO..
in Spanish, and every launchero dropped
the tackle with a result that their launch
was nearly swamppd aud the goods had
narrow escape from going overheard.
He had heard the lancheroS talking and
saying let go' and thought he would prac-
tice on the words for while.
He can ask for drink in Spanish, sing
part of Spanish ditty and request bread
in German and French.
Yes, 1t costs good deal to get good
Central American parrot that can talk.
The natives want S25 or $50 for them
some times, but ordinary birds like those
there in the big cage are cheap. ou can
buy them down south for 81 each"
III n 6noc afinn tn hri,,
them up on t. steamerP
THAT question 1 could not answer, but
| suppose lt is because they are O good
deal of trouble; they have to be fed and
looked after, and whsn Cape st. Lucas is
passed and the weather turns cold they
are liable to die if not kept In a warm
place, the climatic change is so great you
know.
1--WE brought some Englist-speaking
parrots up from Panama trip before last,
l understand one of them caused trouble
in a waterfront furnishing store not long
ago."
How was that?"
well, l don't know whether the story
is true or not, but will tell it to you any
way:
zone day woman came into the store
to purchase something. Shortly afterward
there was great excitement about the place,
The old lady was in front giving the pro-
prietur particular fits, and q crowd had
gathered about them.
"1'll teach you not to be accusing
honest people of shoplifting,' said the
woman, shaking her finger in the shop
mans face.
"'Who accused her OF shoplifting? l
asked of small boy near by.
mo one.' replied the lad. Dat lady
was Inside d store a buying some'n and
talking so nice and sweet when the parrot
up dere yells out: Take dat flannel cut
O. yer pocket and d old lady tort it was
a man,
This was more of a yarn than the re-
porter could digest so he bid farewell to
the speaker, the saloon and the one
hundred yellow takers.