The San Francisco call., 1905-08-17
BROKER BUYS
FANCY PARROT
Third Street Lover of Birds
Now Has One Unlike Any
Other on Pacific Coast
MARVELLOUS IN COLOR
It's Brilliant Tints Attract,
but Owner Finds Marked
Dearth of Vocal Power

Though there is no denying the fact
] that in times of stress the pawnbroker
| is often a benefactor and a friend, yet
| the spectacle of q real. old time hook
shop man" outwitted at his own game
never fails to add materially to the sum
| total of the mirth of the world.
For months 1t had been the chief de-
sire Of the pawnbroker's life to possess
himself of talking parrot-not one of
these ordinary, polly-wants- "a cracker
birds, but a really high class parrot,
such as he had heard about, that could
pick up the English language in
month or two and carry on a CONVEX
sation like 4 barber. Money was no
object to him. He knew that such
treasure az he had set his heart on
would come high and he was willing,
nay, anxious, to pay the price.
All this he explained to his friend,
Henry Vega, now a janitor at 533 Kear-
ny street, but a native of the Central
American States and an expert on par
rots in general and conversational par
rots in particular. Having had busi-
ness dealings with the pawnbroker for
a period extending over many months,
and being a heavy loser thereby, Vega
viewed in the situation not only a
chance to even up accounts but high
ly promising prospect of personal profit.
A VALUABLE BIRD.
Them burds is mighty hard to git"
he said and they cost a heap O. money.
Still there's peon friend O. mine down
below Panama. Maybe
Say" broke in his uncle. you get
that bird for me at any cost. Dye
hear, at any cost 1 simply must have
him and-it's up to you.S
Vega promised to do the best he
could, but up to yesterday his friend
Remained parrotless. For the matter
of that he is still so.
For the last several weeks, however,
the crafty janitor has been much pre-
occupied He has gone about his work
in a listless sort of way, as If his mind
were elsewhere. And it was. To tell
the bedrock truth he himself was else
where a good deal of the time, for the
studio" of a Kearny street artist-the
kind of artist who makes black eyes
look as good as new-claimed all his
leisure hours. What took the versatile
Mr. Vega there might as well be told
first as last. 1t was mudhen, a plain,
ordinary mudhen from the Alameda
Hats with the webs cut out of It's feet
SOS not to cause no Unnecessary sus-
picion," as Mr.. Vega himself put It,
"A few layers of bright green from the
artists brush, a dash of red at the wing
and tail tips, splotch of gaudy yellow
down the birds beetling brow and-Vega
Three o'clock yesterday afternoon saw
man and bird turn into Third street at
Market, headed south. Vega, keeping a
sharp lookout from beneath his cap rim,
saw the one he sought standing in
thoughtful attitude before the door of his
den. He seemed still yearning for the
conversational parrot.
'.Mornin'" sang out the janitor, as he
swung by the shop as though with no
intention of stopping
Here, here, Vega! We're you going?"
called the pawnbroker, running after him
and laying forcible hands upon him. rs
that the bird? Moses and Abraham, how
beautiful But Wy do you go by the
store? Come in, Vega. come in"
PRIZE FOR A MILLIONAIRE.
This is one o them conversational
birds, all right enough lied the custo-
dian of the cage, "but this 'un amt
yourn This un is for millionaire down
| to Menlo Park. Yournll be up on the
next steamer. Lemme go. l got to catch
that Menlo train. That guys purity lucky
| to get a fancy fowl like this un for
measly fifty dollars"
! Vega, my friend Vega" he pleaded,
''you know you owe me forty dollars.
Give me the bird and I'll give you forty
/ in cash and call the old account square.
Vat? Would you break my heart, Vega?'
''And the Menlo MANI"
'tAh, Vega, my friend, let him vait till
| the next steamer. Millionaires are never
in hurry. Here, my friend, here's your
! forty dollars"
"And here's your conversational par
rot" returned the bird expert, pockettng
the mazuma and handing over the feath-
cred freak.
'Vat language is that he's talkin',
Vega" queried the new owner excitedly.
/ as the China Basin canary let out few
! lines of mudhen protest
"That?" replied the late owner, why
| that's Korean He's talkin' about the jap
anese war. He won't begin to talk English
til the first rain comes. And you'll not
| be surprised at the first word he utters.
svat'll 1t be, vat'll it be?" eagerly asked
| the proud and excited owner.
"'Sucker!' cried Vega, as he ducked
through the door and disappeared.