Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-03-19
AFEATHERED SAMSON.
..ur.,ous Teats Of strsn9th Per
ss1ned By . Captive Aacaw.

Ssxa.es. nara rwlses Iroa Bass with
~ nm ga n vasaous Othsr
Vays Displays His Wsa-
dsFful Powsrs.
m,Av have lot o1 wonderful anlmale
:. 81; 100. but the most wonderful
= 81 inst now IL . bird. He is
nrred up behind three layers Of
Nv wire mesh, such Is Il used
~ eosl sleeves, and even this Il hardly
src,,ch TO relieve constant feeling OF
s,snlcion concerning him. The bird il
. .nscies Of the parrot known q the
.,,caw. and his native country Il Bra
IN The warm breath Of summer which
s,1hsye had several recent touches 81
,.sans to have inspired him with con-
6dence peculiar to any feature that
itsalf erects home, and the activity
n some Of his exploits has surprised
he keeper Of the sviary - well as the
od3cials of the gardens who have never
had the opportunity Of seeing the ma
cav on his native heath.
he has only been In this country .
Short time, ssys the Philadelphia Tele-
orsph, and until . few days ago had
sole possession Of one Of the row OF
cages along the eastern wall Of the
sviary. In an adjoining cage were q
dock Of talkative but peaceful coclka-
toos, with feathers - white as snow.
He observed them with comparative
indifference for time, but . few nights
aoo he decided to make them q neigh.
borly call, and now the garden IL one
cockatoo less in its group Of specimens
Of winged creation. How 1t happened nc
one knew until the next morning, when
when the macaw was found in the cock
.stoo cage, sitting comfortably ON q
perch, while beneath him lay . dead
cock in the pit. The other cockatooa
kept themselves as far as possible out
Of sight in corner. Three bars OF
thick wire partition between the cages
had been pulled out to make way for
tho macaw's exit. Apparently this
might have been an easy thing for q
man to do, but II il doubtful II . man
1nnid have done it more neatly or COM
Fletely.
The macaw was not put back in his
cage. He was given quarters in .
private cage, stout portable inclosure
about three feet square, with aoor Of
galvanized sheet iron, and iron bars as
thick a. an ordinary lead pencil. The
bars 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. It
L. -
pretty safe in that kind of cage, but
to make assurance doubly sure he was
placed in small room in the corner Of
the aviary and the door closed, which
proved q wise precaution. The next
morning the keeper Of the aviary near
" fell dead with paralysis to find the
macaw at large, perched quietly on the
top 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
,cnce, stood and surveyed the scene.
The bars on the heavy iron cage had
not been pulled out as in the larger
cage, but they had been bent and al-
most broken, leaving space large
enough for the macaw to make his exit.
How he did it is still q puzzle for the
Geological society to solve, If not .
puzzle for good mechanical engineer
familiar with the tensile and other
properties of iron.
The keeper who found the bird FIRST
felt the bars with his fingers to see II
they Ind been made out of soft metal
by mistake, but they were not. Then
he got . pair Of plumbers plyers and
tried to bend them straight again, but
he had not force enough in his wrist to
do 4. Then he sat down and wiped
the cold perspiration from his face and
looked at the macaw with a suspicion
that the bird must be supernatural,
while the bird sat as serenely as posi-.
bic, calmly returning his gaze. The
macaw is q silent bird. He does not
talk like other parrots.
The keeper secured the window and
doors and went for advice and assist
ance. The macnw is back in its cage
now, but the bars are still bent just as
he left them. because there is not q
pair Of plyers in the garden strong
enough 70 StralRuUeu tucu' AEouuu
the outside of the cage are the layers
Of the thick wire mesh Of the kind
used to sieve coal, hiding the bird al
most completely from view, except at
one corner left open to feed him.
The macaw's feat is the most aston
ishing thing that has been seen in the
garden since it was founded. The bird
Il nothing but parrot of somewhat
extraordinary size, being over two feet
In length, and having head on him
probably larger than big Florida
orange and IN enormous bill for bird.
His plumngc is dark and rather sub
dued in comparison with the smaller
parrots, but Il il very handsome. Since
he twisted the bars of his cage the
keepers are wary in handling him for
fear he will get his fighting blood up
and take mans finger OF, which he Il
capable Of doing.
What will be done with him has not
been determined yet. There was .
proposition to confinc him in the new
bear pit, but it is probable that he will