Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 255, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 October 1912 — Unusual Vocabulary of an Indianapolis Parrot [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Unusual Vocabulary of an Indianapolis Parrot

I INDIANAPOLIS, IND.—Polly is a beautifully marked King parrot, the property of Frank HofTman, who conducts a downtown case, and among those who have heard the bird talk, it is easy to find some who will back her as the champion ornithological chatterbox of the city. Hoffman has rooms abovo his case which he rents to men and Polly has enriched her vocabulary as a result. One of the roomers recently was employed by a local automobile fao tory as a test car driver and one of his characteristics was his proneness to sleep late every morning,, JOpiJy one of his working companions stopped at the case to waken him and Polly is frequently beard, early in the morning, going over the wakening conversation. She repeats the words of the caller and the sleepy responses «f the belated one In bed, accompanied by the groans that only a sleepy early in the morning can mgfcai, the gradually increasing clearness of Os responses, and the final yawn and'assurance that the sleeper has been fully awakened and is on his

feet Newcomers to the rooms often believe they are listening to a real early morning tragedy. Polly spent some of her years in a room where there was a telephone, and much of her vocabulary was picked up there. Often now she is heard repeating one end of compete telephone conversations. Mrs. Hoffman declares the bird's mimic of the voice in the rooms where the phone was stationed is perfect A few days ago a bath was given her and shortly after Hoffman entered the room where she was: drying in the sun. "Frank, come herb,'* she called “Polly !s aU wet”