The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-16
PARROTS THAT SING.
Two Most Remarkable Birds whose
Home Is savannah.


distinction Of possessing the most wonder
full pair of parrots ever seen in Savannah.
No one who has seen them has ever seen
or heard anything ike them before, and
so far as known birds of similar accom-
plishments have never been known any
where. large part Of the population of
Savannah is doubtless familiar by this
time with the singing parrots" as they
are generally known. the birds having
been for some time past in the window Of
Llving5ton's pharmacy. at Bull and Con-
gress streets.
Parrots that could talk as parrot talk
goes have been known by scores, and par
rots that could say, Polly wants a crack
err" have lived and died by thousands,
but parrots that could sing, and not only
sing but sing in harmony, and not one
tune, but dozen, have never been known
in this part of the country.
Mr.. Cooper's parrots do not say Polly
wants a cracker" This is too common
and plebian for them. But they will say
almost anything else. They sing "Au Re
voir," and Dixie" Where Did You Get
That Hat" ''Coochee-Coochee," and
Nearer My God TO Thee" and almost
anything else that anyone cares to teach
them Persons with a well earned repu-
tauon for Veracity should not risk IL by
telling their friends of the accomplish
ments of these birds. They should simply
ADVISE their friends to go and see and
near for themselves. Mr.. Cooper is citi-
zen of good sanding but he did not dare
N hot IL
sessed until he had quietly placed them
before the public and allowed ample OPP
portunity TO unprejudiced observers to
judge for themselves
Inc birds have an interesting history
winch Mr.. Cooper related to a Morning
News reporter. Mr.. Cooper has owned tie
|, birds something over three years. Janu-
airy, 1895, his brother, Charles A. Cooper
since deceased, was a resident of British
Honduras. He wrote his brother here of
the wonderful parrots that were found
there but stated that the most rare and
desirable parrots were in the mountains
back from the seacoast, and that the only
way to obtain them was to get the Carib
1ndlans to catch them. The common va
rleties were cheap, he said, but this par
ucuiar variety was not. Mr.. Cooper's in
terest in parrots was aroused by his
brothers accounts of their doings and say
ings, and he authorized him to procure a
pair for him. His brother did so, and
brought the birds home with him. They
cost Mr.. Cooper S60 which shows that
sueh parrots are not cheap, even in their
native homes.
For over year after their arrival in Sa-
vannah the birds did not utter a word, de-
spite every effort to arouse their linguis-
tic instincts, and Mr. Cooper and his fam
lily came TO the conclusion that there was
some mistake about the wonderful Hon
duran parrots. 1t was the power of music
which loosed their tongues and to music
they have been faithfully devoted ever
since. Mr.. Cooper's little boy had been
taking music lessons from Prof. Leon 1t
was winter time and one cold night the
parrots were brought into the parlor. The
lad and his sister were playing a duet
when all of a sudden, without warning to
anyone, the parrots began to sing. bye,
bye, Baby, bye by" they sang and kept it
up for some time. The members of the
family remained quiet except to encourage
the birds. The next morning the birds
could sing the song straight through. Hav-
ing once begun to sing they kept it up and
pretty soon they could sing nearly every
thing that they heard the children in the
house sing. Ting Ling" "Au Revoir'
and "Dixie' Were soon added to their rep
ertoire. The birds did not only sing, but
they kept time together and sang in uni
son. One of the birds has soprano and
the other mezzo soprano voice.
Having once begun their education the
parrots did not stop with music, but con-
tinued until they had acquired everything
that well educated parrot should know,
That is, everything except Polly wants a
cracker" They have always scorned that.
Hundreds of visitors, desiring to ingratiate
fhAmcaiype wit no
this time worn phrase at them, but they
have never responded 10 it. They simply
kept silent and looked wise They have
not learned to swear yet, which explains
their forbearance.
1t would seem TO be taxing credulity to
say that the parrots will sing to an accom-
paniment on "A musical instrument; but
such is the case. Mr.. Cooper doubted this
himself when his children told him of it
until they had proven that they were cor
rect. Let any well-known tune be start
ed on the piano or violin and they will pick
it up and begin singing the song, provid-
ed, of course, that it is one with which they
are familiar. They have one failing of
parrots though. They will not always
talk or sing when desired to do So Some
times they will remain silent for hours. es-
pecially If some one is really anxious to
hear them, and at others their exuberance
is almost beyond control.
The birds are good takers, and use short
sentences well. They know every member
of the family and the servants by name.
When the door bell rings they cry out:
Resale, so to the door," or il 1t is the
telephone bell they say: Hello. hello.
what Is it," At times their remarks are
very apropos. Mr.. Cooper himself vouchcs
for this. Some time since he had a minis
terial friend home to dinner. The minister
wore a very long,coat. The parrots were
in their cage i'm the parlor window. but
nobody was paying any attention to them.
Just as the minister was introduced to a
member OF the family and bowed low. the
parrots struck up with Where did Won
set that coat" The joke was on the min
lister.
Some time since Mrs. Cooper suffered a
serious accident and during her illness
the parrots were taken away and placed in
Livingston's pharmacy, where they at
once attracted attention. Although they
have been there several weeks now. they
have only to start up a song to gather a
crowd. Naturally such an accomplished
pair of birds should be very valuable. and
Mr.. Cooper has been told that he could
get very large price for them i'm the
North. He has refused one offer of $3.50.
and has been informed by business man