Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1914 — HAPPENINGS IN THE CITIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HAPPENINGS IN THE CITIES

Screeching of Parrot Upsets Dignity of Station

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. —A common parlor variety of poll parrot assisted the weather man the other day in making life miserable for terminal station attaches, and made entertainment for waiting passengers at the station until

Doss Shaffer, actor and station police force, t-»ok a hand and relegated “poll” to the deep, dark recesses of the basement. The parrot was a verbose “critter” with a tendency to butt in on all the conversation he heard, and he came ’ near getting the goat of George Stout, traincaller.— He came into the station with Calvin Bookaw, who was waiting for a car to New Albany. The cars were running irregularly and Bookaw was

compelled to wait for some time. Poll voiced displeasure at the delay until he tired himself out with squawking at nothing in particular. Then he cocked his head on one side and took an interest in Stout, who was calling the cars in a big, booming voice. Stout was shouting “Awl-a-board f’r Greenwood, Whiteland, Franklin, Amity, Edinburg, Taylorsville, Columbus," etc., when poll took offense. "Ark! Squawk!!" he screeched in a shrill mezzo-soprano. ——— Stout gave him a look of cold disgust Poll cocked a glassy eye in Stout's direction and screamed. “Hallo, hallo!” Stdut started another spiel—“ Awl-a-board for Car-mel, Nobles-ville, Cicero, Arcadia, Atlanta, Tip-ton, Jackson. Sharpsville, Fair-field, Kokomo " “Ko-ko-mo,” trilled polly. "Awk—hallo.” Stout started to call an Anderson car. He got half way down the list when poll sang out, “Kokomo!” “Awk, hallo —and Kokomo'” chirruped the bird. The passengers giggled. Stout grew hot under the collar and started another spiel. He was fairly well along when poll butted in again with “ —and Kokomo.” Stout became “flustered.” He called Doss Shaffer and ordered him to subdue the bird. “Hallo,” said poll to the cop. Doss knows how to pet a dog and handle a drunk, but he couldn’t do anything with the parrot. It screamed every time Stout started to call a car, until finally Doss, as a last resort, took the bird and its cage to the basement. The last thing it said as it started down the stairs was “ and Kokomo.”