The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-03-27
The PIGEON EXPRESS MAN.
A PRETTY CtNsID, RABLE BIRD STORY.
BY JACK HUMPHREYS.


In nearly all yarns or plays in which
Yankees figure, they nre supposed to be
"a lee,Ie ten darn'd csnte'' for almost any :
body else, creating heap Of fun, and com.
ing on, clean ahead; but that even Connec-
ticnt Yankces-the cuiest and allfredt 81
tight critters on the face of,he yearth. when
money or trades in the quesiion--are
"done" now and then, upon the most scien-
tific principles, we are going to prove.
Il is generally known, in the newspaper
world, that two or three wooden nutmeg
branded Yankees, few years ago, started
a paper in Philadelphia, upon the penny
principle, and have since realized splen.
did fortune, all around. They were and
are men of great enterprise and liherali,y,
ns far rs their business is concerned, and
thereby hey got nhend of all competition,
and mnde their pile. The proprie,ors Of
the Ledger were always ''fs" for any
new dodge. by which they could keep the
lead of hing. and monopoIize the ners mar
ke,. The Telegraph had NOT 'tnrned up
in the day Of which we wriie--the mails
and, now md then. express horse lines.
we're the media through whirh Great Err.
citements! Alarming Epen,sv Great
Fires and Awful Calomities!'v were come
al One morning. as Swain was sitting in
his ,ifirc. long, Iank genius, with visage
as h,,chci.ftced and keen a. any Connect.
cni Yankce's on record, came in. and en-.
qnircd Tor one Of the preprie'nrs of that in
s,i,nion. Swain being pointed out. the
,hin ,nan rnade lrdn towards him After
getting close up. md visiting aud scresng
around his hend 10 see that nobody wns
! listening ar locking. The lean man eat down
yer. gingerv upon the extreme verge If n
chair. md leaning forwerd until his razor.
made nose almost touched that nf the pub
Usher, in low, nasal, anxious tone, says
he
Air veon one Of the publishers ol this
paperw
| 81 am sir. nv name is Swain"
"Ob. yeou air?'' said The visitor, again
looking snspiciouslv around and about him.
"Did vou evc- benr tell Of the Pigeon
Erprrss?" lie continued.
"The Pigeon Express?" echoed the pub
Usher.
"Ya-a.s. Carrier pigenns--letters Il
their Legs and newspapers under theil
wings--traincd TO fly anywhere you warnt
'em.s
"Carricr pigeons" unused the Publisher
--Carrier-pigeons, trained to carry bill.
leis--hulle,ins and
"Gh from fifty to hundred miles nn
bonr!" chimed ia the stranger.
"rrne, 50 they say, very true," contin.
ued S mnsinglv.
"Elepan, things for getiin' or sending
noos ahend OF every hody elsc.''
"Precisel,. that's fact" S. responded.
rising from his chair md pacing the Aror
as though rather aud decidedly taken by
the novoli,y and feasibility Of the opera.
,ion.
"You'd have 'em al, Mister, dead as
mutton. bv Pigeon Express"
~ like the idea, good, first rate" said
Swain.
"Can't be beat, noheow!" said the stran-
ger.
"Bnt what would il COST"
"Two hundred dollars. and sma!! wa.
ogn TO begin on"
"a small wagon?"
"Y.a-a.s. You see. Mister, the birds
hnff to be trained TO 6y from one pint 10
| anotherw
"Yea, well?"
.Wa.a-ll. yeon see the birds is pnt in .
box, on The top Of the bildin,' for spell, ten
git the hang Of ,hings.and so on"
'Yes, very well; 60 on"
"Then the birds are put in cage, tho
trniner takes 'em in his wngon-ten miles
a, fus,-throws 'em up. and the birds 60
to the bidin'-next day fifteen miles, and
so forth, yeou see"
'Perfectly, understand, now where can
these birds be hady"
Putting his thin lips close to the publish
er's pendant ears, in low, long way. says
| the Stranger
"l'pe got 'em! R-a-l.e Persian birds
be-n.tism
you understand training them?" says
the anxious publisher.
"Like a book" tho strnnger responded.
"Where are the birds!" the publishes in.
qured.
"l've got 'em. down to the tavern, where
rn stoppin.'
"Brinq them up, let me see them, LET me
see them?"
"Certaln. Mister, Of course" responded
The Pigeon Eypressman. leaving the tick.
ed to death publisher, who paced his oftlce.
rs fnll Of ef7ervescence as jmnyJohn o'
spruce beer in dog dsys.
About this time, pigeons were being
trained, aud in few cases, now and then
really did carry messages for lottery tlcke'
venders in Jersey CITY, 10 Philadelphia,
Wilmington and Baltimore; but these ex-
plots rarely paid first cost. and d'd no'
amount to omuch--a!,hough son'c noise was
made asont the wonderful performance OF
certain carrier pigeons. But the e"LedgeF
L.~~ s,onVlaa- sf0NISh ali