The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-30
TEACHING A CROW TO TALK.
1t Is Mistake, Says CobbIer Dresch.
mock, to Cut the Birds Tongue.

HOcA, 10 Gut the Birds Tongue.
From the louisville Courier-Journal.
"Nacob' the pet crow belonging to Jo-
seph Dreschnock, a German cobbler. at
80 First street, died last Sunday after
noon from accidental poisoning. Since the
cobbler's wife died, year ago, the crow
was his only company, and he is .couse-
quently very lonesome. Dreschnock took
the crow from its nest before it could flv.
The ugly little black bird had three com
panions, and all of them occupied a nest
in a tall tree near Henryville Ind. Dresch-
mock secured the crow while on a visit
to the farm on which the tree was. His
recollections of the crows his grandfather
had on his place In the fatherland promnr-
cd MIN 10 get the birds. He gave away
three of the four crows.
But they died" he said, slowly pulling
at his stubby side whiskers "Peopie here
don't know about crows. They cut their
tongues and then expect them to talX.
That's all bosh. A crow that can't taik
without his his tongue cut can't talk with
II cut The three / gave away had their
tongues cut and bled to death. To teacn
a crow to talk you must handle il like a
child. You must teach 1t a word at a
time. When you want it, TO do something
you must show II. When you tell a child
for the first time to shake hands 1t don I
understand. You must take its hands in
yours at the same time you tell 1t 10
shake hands. / fed my crow for six weeks
before it was able to eat by itself Then
| let II hop around the shop here. It's
faVorlte place was on that peg cutter there
The little fellow would sit up there and
watch me pound away at shoes all day
long. The hrst word taught 1t was "hei-
To-. This is the simplest word and If
crow can say hello it can say most any
other word. 1 didn't say anything else
to it for three days. The bird sat there
and watched my mouth with a curious in
| terest. 1t would cock its head on one side
and blink its eyes as wisely as an own
Every once in while = would go into
queer contortions. Suddenly it let out the
word hello This seemed to please :,
The bird tapped its wings and hoppsi
about the place in the greatest glee, cali
| taught 1t TO say goodby.' Then il
learned its name, and when anyone asked
it who it was the bird would answer
with an amusing. gravity L am a good
crow quite plainly.
THAT crow was wonder He was the
smartest crow l ever knew He was a
which was handed down through tnres
generations in the old country When
ever the fire bells rang Yacob would veil
Fire, fire, fire, as if his life depended on
it. Yacob prlded himself on being able n
bark like a dog. This made him a goo5
crow. If he found stranger in the yard
he at once set up a loud barking, which
always warned me. When he sat on tho
counter there he never allowed any one
to handle my tools. He showed his dis
approval by hopping on their hands ana
pecking them viciously. Yacob was not
like other crows. Other crows talked on1v
when they felt like 1t. Yacob talked whnn
occasion required ii. When a customer
left the shop and l asked Yacob what he
said, he very politely Tapped his wings
as If to make a courtesy, and called OH
'Goodby.' l kept him in, a cage over night
and set the cage so he could see the door
open in the morning. He always greetej
me with hello and at once demanded 10
be let out of his cage. -
He and Tom, the big yellow cat Wins.
there, were very good friends. While Tom
hing against customers legs, Yacob wouio
stand by his side talking to himself nj
great rate. Hacob often perched himself
on Toms back while Tom was WALL
ing about, to which Tom made no sor,
of objection. But Yacob would not tolcr.
ate Tom near his meals You know. va
cob believed in laying something nv, for
a rainy day. When he got more meal
than he could eat he very wisely car
ried it out into the back yard and nIaceo
II in convenient hole He covered the
hole with a piece of paper and then few
up to the ridge of the fence to SIAM
guard over his treasure As sure as to-
began to smell around the ward a. WON ON
would fly down and attack Toms taii m
til the cat was only too glad to beat a
retreat. d
Grows live a hundred years If so,oo
accident doesn [ happen to them. 1t Vac
unfortunate when / placed the poison las,
sunday Tor the reaches. Yacob got some
OF IT about 4 o clock. When ne began r.
fail sick he came to me at once and
hopping in my hand, resfused To laavo
! gave him milk and oil but il did bir,
no GOOD. reward o'clock Yacob seemed
worse so 1 carried him to the cage lie
elutehed my finger and sat there untiI