Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-18
SW0re Like
APirdte On Her
l29th Birthday


still pretty tough bird hurting Captain Blgh fashion
the salty nvecves of savers pirates and shippers with
whom she rode the poop decks more than century and
a quarter ago.
A feathered heirloom Margaret belongs to A. r. Ad
olson who inherited her through four generations from
Capt Murdoch Wilson an African trader who
his great-grandfather Addison, who bird and
monkey farm Miami has records which prove that the
parrot shipped with his usy ancestor from Africa to Cen
trial America then the Gulf of Mexico to New
Orleans Captain Wilson took against the
British of 1872 Margaret became the pet of
the regiment and picked up cuss words of the early
Nineteenth Century.
Anyone collecting data profanity. Addison be-
leves might find his bird valuable source Of abusive
language from away back.
To celebrate Margarets 129th birthday. Mrs. Addison
gave a party and baked cake which she decorated with
one huge represent years 20 little candles
many years now the Addisons have given Margaret
birthday parties This is the first time the birthday party
has been public and all the parrots cockaoos love birds
and macaws in Addison's aviary were invited.
Margarets white-frosted cake had "Margaret-129"
written chocolate top So accustomed is the
ancient bird its annual birthday cake that has learned
blow the candles. But this year Margaret couldn't
her piece of cake until Addison che~ed for her
first Addison hates to admit it. but old has finally
caught up with his pet The bird is on diet of sun
flower seeds and hemphued oats soaked in milk, but
when her birthday came Margarets owner gave in and
allowed her a little cake.
So weak has Margaret become that she can no longer
fly. Even when she is her perch she must squat to
the strain her aging legs Her breast bone has
become from approximation At the birthday
party Addison said she tried hard TO preserve all the
pomp and dignity such occasion demanded
No knows Addison says, how many times Mar
garet has been married nor how many of her children
futterng the jnges of Africa and Central
America Her male panion for the past 40
years has been yellow shoudered Amazon parrot whom
Addison has taught to at his and laugh at his
jokes
Like many vain female Margaret even today likes
to frt and the chief object of her attentions has been
Pancho Villa brilliantly coored macaw that perched
burly shoulders of the Mexican bandit during the
famous siege of Durango
Addison had met Villa years before the revolution
IN PaEo her he WAS q
On the eve the Durango hasco he rode into Villas
camp a motorcycle waving flag of truce Villa
overoyed seeing his friend again and dined him
like chief When Addison left Villa gave him the bird.
Just what need for my vexatous Margaret" Ad-
and promised his bandit friend he would
the macaw after him.
Margaret says Addison took immediate interest
in Pancho because he just tough she She
at him in the language of the seven seas and he
roared a with voleys of Mexican profanity.
onithologists agree that old age in parrots ranges
from so to 100 wears so the men of science believe that
they Margaret is the oldest parrot
in captivity.
Addison has with his parrots long he says he
can speak their language IF they learn
why can't learn heirs?" he asks I'VE humans are
supposed to be smart"
Parrots are Addison's business and the aviary has
been good business school, Parrots he have
tradition dignity Margarets lineage he
declares goes the way back to the Miocene where
foszed parrots have been found looking pretty much as
they do today.
Parrot history is tied up with that of Carthage Rome
and India Many of the feathered pets of African
chiefs were captured Dy Sclpo
Legons along with other booty and shipped to southern
Italy Europe had its first glimpse of these
strange birds when Columbus brought cargo of them
back to Spain from tropical America.
There are more species of parrots than there
races o people but they don't make as much trouble
says Ornithoogsts have checked some 800 diff
ferent kinds which range the earth from the lines
of the and the Himalays to the lush Junges of
Africa Australia South America and Florida
Most parrots fyyveI, Addison says, but are awkward
on their feet exception species in South
Australia swift and common as sparrows
Parrots learn to talk and mimic human beings only in
captivity, rarely in their wild state.