Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-07-05
A WONDERFUL pARRor.

For seventeen years and more Will.
lam McCrum has sat upon little
bench in shop in Howard street and
cobbled shoes.
Before he came to Omaha he was
seaman, and few and remote are the
ocean ports on the face of the earth
that he has not trod. He cannot tell
how long it was that he followed the
sea, but says 1t was years and years,
ever since he was lad and slowed
himself away In the hold of four
master bound from Liverpool to Cal
cutta.
From boyhood to manhood he grew.
and then to middle age, before it oc-
Cured to him that he would like to
see little Of the world other than
from the fo'castle of a ship So he
loft the life job one day at San Fran
cisco and drifted eastward, until he
reached Omaha. Here he cast anchor
and here he has since remained.
While on board ship McCrum had
learned, as many another Jack Tar
has had to learn, to mend his own
shoes or go without, so that when his
savings We're exhausted and it became
necessary for him to make COM
petence he took to the cobblers trade.
One day, long before the idea of
leaving the deck of his ship had even
occurred to him, dusky belle of one
OF the Oriental ports where the ship
lay at anchor gave McCrum gaudy
hued and unsophisticated parrot, and
when he took to the land for good
the parrot CT De with him. 1t came to
Omaha when he did, and it has been
with him ever since, and will be to
the end of the chapter, unless some
UNFORESEEN accident happens to break
the friendship.
The bird Is wonder, as birds go.
Few and far between are the parrots
with such brilliant plumage, and its
list OF accomplishments is, according
to its owner, practically unlimited.
That 1t is wise bird even a cursory
acquaintance will prove, and when
1t does not know or understand what
Is going on it looks wise and lets it
60 at that.
This particular parrots name is not
Polly; and 1t resents being called Polly
to such an extent that it will screech
In anguish and anger at the appella-
ton. McCrum says that is because
the bird hates women. and Polly is q
woman's name. So it is, and has been
for years, called Willie. and some
times Bill for short. until now Nc
Crum has but to speak the birds name
to have him sit up at attention.
Willie has large cage in his mas
ter's shop but the door to it is always
ajar, and Its occupant is seldom at
home during the day. Much of his
leisure time he sits perched on his
masters shoulder or hat, and offers
friendly little suggestions to the man
az he pegs away.
At other times Willie makes little
exploring trips about the shop, and
with the gravity and deliberation
characteristic Of his kind inquiries in
to things about which he does not I'M
derstand.
Here; come out and stop your
growing" said McCrum to the bird
the other day. on the occasion of the
visit of a reporter to the place. In
stantly the ruffled feathers smoothed
themselves, and with as near smile
as a parrot can make Willie clam
bered off his perch and hoped to his
masters knee.
Amt you ashamed to be so
grouchy to a stranger?" asked the
man.
Gold day, cold day." said Willie,
with little shake Of his handsome
feathers, and, as If anxious to change
the subject. Gold day; ha, ha! 20
cents. please
What are you talkin' bout. any
how" asked the man. 81 b'lieve
you're crazy. Now, take that old shoe
and pull those nails out. and hurry
up with the work"
Without any further ceremony Will
lam took the shoe, and with many
grumble and unintelligible utterance
proceeded to pull every nail out with
MS Snarp Dill.
There now; that's something like"
said the cobbler, now you can go and
get yourself peanut or two." and
without the slightest hesitation and a
little screech of delight the bird
made for box in the corner and
flshed out two peanuts, which he con-
sumed with much gravity and appar-
ent satisfaction.
NO" said the owner of the bird, 81
am not rich. but there isn't money
enough in Omaha to buy that bird. He
Is the only friend I've got-ain't you
Blll!"
"Ha, ha-pretty cold-1O cents.
please" observed William.-Omaha
News.