The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-01
PAGES II TO 30.
CAPTAIN CUTIE.
Mrs. Russell Sage Talks About some
Wonderful Birds She Has Owned.


Mrs. Russell Sage Talks About Some
Wonderful Birds She Has Owned.
New York. Dec 30.-AIrs. Russell Sage
is extravagantly fond Of pets, and has
owned a number of talented birds. At
present she mas no cannries, for the very
reason that they viii get IN and die, and
she cannot have her feelings narrowed up
by the sight Of their sunerings." When
the last one sickcned. although he was a
veritable patriarch Of his kind Mrs. Sage
went TO a bird doctor" 60 ask what could
be done for her pet His reply seemed TO
her most unfeeling. con- let 1t die"
Yes. / have owned "a number Of cana
rics," said she. whose talents were of
such high order that they might almost
be called bro goniuscs. one of my pets
got his toes caught an the cuttredsh that
hung in his cage or course he was fright
ened and he thrashed and threw himself
around 50 that he had most serious
compound fracture Of the foot before we
could get to him. ] brought all my knowl-
edge of the healing art TO the little fellows
aid but the Inflammation and suppuration
in the. foot caused the toes to drop off.
The FIRST three or four DAYS after the ac-
cidcnt his auncrinss were so great and he
was so weak that he would not eat I'M
less | cracked the hemp seed in my teeth
and dug out the rich meat for him. l sup
pose the little fellow was actually too weak
to crack the seed for himself. l made no
calls or visits 10 anyone until he was bet
ter
ale got we'll but of course he was a
cripple. As he mad but one foot / named
him Capt. Cutie after Dickens one
legged captain. The name seemed also to
have a double pertnence from the fact
d ttt.t .I.al l.
MY care ana devotion to the little suf-
feror doubled his love for me. l do not
know whether the luxury Of being waited
on made him lazy or not; but after his ac-
cident he was a Httle remiss about taking
his bath. which he needed more than ever
now that ne had to sleep in a nest Ha
could not cling to the perch with his ono
foot. ! noticed that this neglect of the
bath was affecting his health | then used
to take him n my hand, and even more
gently than would be necessary with an
infant, / bathcd him; and | am happy to
say that my efforts We're quite successful
IN curing him of his trouble.
Capt Cutie lived for nearly eight years
after he became cripple Another one
of my canarios was named Caro-. This bird
sang Home Sweet Home,' every note of it
perfectly. How was he taught to do this2
| viii tell you: Caro- was taken into a
room that was not very often used; over
his cage was thrown piece of green baize
cloth, which excluded all but the faintest
ray OF light Then a little music box that
Is pitched 10 the birds notes was PLAYED
to him. He Initiated the sounds he heard.
and. little by little, he mastered the tune.
moi very long ago I opened a box that
| had belonged 20 my mother. In 1t were a
| few bones and one or two bright feathers
| from our little songster, and in my moth
er's handwriting certain date, day.
month and year; and these words, Caro-
| died to-day. The sweetest bird that ever
| sang. / presume that my mother had put
the birds dead body in that box, with her
loving comment, and the memorandum OF
his death and that the box had been put
| away some place, and that the skn-worms
had consumed the flesh and by degrees
other destroyers had made away with the
skeleton and feathers with the exception
Of the few ! found.
~ have two parrots now. NO / have
not given them any distinguished names.
cain one Polly Grey, and the other Polly
Green, the distinction being on account Of
the plumage Of each bird. One of my par
rots has a vocabulary of fifty words. 1t is
interesting to see him teach his less erudite
brother Their cages are close TO one an
other. The educated bird comes up to
the side of the cage and calls out a word,
then the other tries il; the education OF
his pupil is progressing quite satisfactor-
| iiy. Ruth Everett.