The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1894-09-21
AFRATHERED SAMSON.
Maxvsacss Feats OF Strength Per.
formed By o Captive Maoaw.
~. Aahisaas Basd xvisss Iron Bsss vssh
an Bsu and In vAssous OshR
W,sys Dssplays m Won-
6ssful Rcwsrs.


4 the Zoo, but the most wonderful
4 ali just now Is 9 bird. he Is
,arred up behind three layers OF
,eayy wire mesh, such rs 10 used
or coal sleeves, and even this 10 hardly
to relieve constant feeling OF
,uspicion concerning him. The bird Ia
, species of the parrot known ~ the
mscaw, and his native country Ia Bra
All. The warm breath Of summer which
wa have had several recent touches Of
seems TO have inspired him with . con-
tidencs peculiar to any feature that
itself erects home, and the activity
Of some Of his exploits has surprised
the keeper Of the aviary rs well as the
officials Of the gardens who have never
had the opportunity Of seeing the ma
caw on his native heath.
He has only been In this country
short time, ssys the PhiladelphiA qsle.
graph, and until A few days Ag9 had
SOLE possession Of one Of the row Of
cages along the eastern wall of the
avisry, In an adjoining cage were q
flock Of talkatiye but peaceful eoclfa-
toos, with teathsFs as white a. snow.
He observed them with comparative
Indifference for . time, but q few nights
aRo he decided to make them . neigh
borly call, and now tho garden ~ 4ss s..s
cockatoo less in its group Of specimens
Of winged creation. How 1t thappeped no
one knew until The next morning, when
whea the EhacaT Fts stasHAi h theeock
stdnr cage, sitting eamF!lfortsbly on a
perch, while beneath him lay dead
cock in the pit. The other cockstoos
kept themselves ss far as possible out
Of sight In o corner. Three bars Of
thick wire partition between the eagea
had been pulled ont IA make way iop
the macaw's exit, Apparently thia
might have been nm easy thing for q
man 70 do, but 1t Is doubtful II man
aunid have done It more neatly or COM
pietsly.
The macaw.wss not put back in his
cage. BE was given quarters In q
private cage, stout portable inclosure
about three feet square, witha foog Of
galvanized sheet iron, and iron bars as
thick - an ordinary lead pencil. The
bsrs were supported around the sides
with cross pieces, or stringers Of thick
iron, 20 that their length was not over
six inches in any part Of the cage. II
was thought that the maeaw was
pretty safe in that kind Of cage, but
to make assurance doubly sure he waa
placed in Q small room In the corner Of
the nviary and the door closed, which
proyed o wise preeaution. The next
morning the lreeper Of the aviary near
" fell dead with paralysis to find the
maeaw ct large, perched quietly on the
ton Of = feed box. The box WAS empty,
with his jaw dropped with conster.
nation the keeper, who had charge Of
all the birds that ever came there In
the twenty years Of the gardens exist
ence, stood md surveyed the scene.
The bars on the heavy iron cage had
not bsen pulled out As in the larger
cage, but they bad been bent and al
most broken, leaving q space large
enough for the macaw 70 mako hisexit.
How he did 1t is still Q puzxle for the
Geological society 70 solve, II not o
puzzle for good mechaHical engineer
familiar with the teusile and other
prdpeftiss Of iron. - ,
The keeper who found the bird first
felt the bars with his fingers TO zee II
they had been made ont Of soft metal
by mistake, but thsy we're not Then
he got . pair Of plumbers plyers and
tried 70 bend them sHRight again, but
he had not force sRough In bis wrist to
do It. Then he sat down and wiped
the cold perspiraticn from his face and
looked 1t the macaw with suspicion
that the bird must be supernatural,
while the bird sst "a sssenely a. posi-.
BILE, calmly returning his gaze. The
macaw Is . silent bird. he does not
talk like other parrots.
The keeper secured the window and
doors and went fof advice and assist
snee. The maeaw y paek in It's cage
now, but the DaFs sFe etltl pent Just as
he left them, because there Is not .
pair Of plyers ~ the garden strong
enough 70 straighten fhem. Around
the outside o. tRe csge ore the layers
OF the thick wire Hesa o. the kind
used to sieve eosL hidinR the bird al
most completely from ytew, except at