Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-11-20
CARRIER.pIaE0Ns. IE0 SsL.
tcorrs.pondsncs BO.tOn Com. BullstIn.,

be interesting TO say few words ON this
matter, which has been brought to my
special attention by the sending Of nearly
= thousand of these birds from here last
sunday The pigeons were sent by.rsfl I
rom Brussels, stored away in SQUARE 4
baskets containing each about thiit ty birds.
Al arrived in safety but in somewhat |
dirty condition. For three days they |
were Kept on view az the Marine fExhibi-' Il
ton, and at o'clock on Sunday morning. |
with one grand flutter, they sailed off for |
their destination. The start had hut A
interest, for sweeping wildly
up into the strong currents Of southerly
and autumnal gale they were soon lost to |
sight Scarce three minutes elapsed after
opening the cages before not a pigeon.was
seen. Subsequently l learned that about
fifty, who were overpOwered by the gale,
or who did not know their way, lit on the
house of our Consul here, and at ROuelle
q lot also alighted. As 1t was, the leaders
of the racers did not arrive at Brussels
until after three o'clock in the afternoon,
whereasif they had made their usual time
they should have been in at few minutes
past one o'clock. These carriers belong
to Belgian societies, who make speciality
of carrier training more for past-time than
profit.
: Carriers can and do often attain space
Of 120 miles per hour, and when well
trained never fail to make straight
course unless driven off by a hawk, when
they are sometimes so confused as 70 lose
their way, and 1t may be days before they
findit Sir John Ross, the Arctic explorer,
dispatched pair of young pigeons on the
9th or 7th of October, 1850, from Assist
ance Bay, little to the west of yelling.
20, Nd Of tfNto a
pigeon made its appearance at the dove
cote in Ayrshire, Scotland, from whence
Sir John had taken them. The distance
between the two places is about 1000
miles. The dovecote was under repair at
this time, and the pigeons belonging to It
had been removed, but the servants of
the house were struck with the appear
ance of the stranger. After short stay
it went to the pigeon-house of a neighbor
ing proprietor, where it was caught and
sent back to the lady who originally owned
it. She at once recognized 1t as one of
those which she had given to Sir John
Ross; but TO put the matter to a test, it
was carried to the pigeon house, when out
of the many inches it directly went to the
one in which it had been hatched. rn
am well acquainted with gentleman,
q resident of Connecticut, who was noted
for the fine brood of carriers he kept. A
negro servant in his employ sold one of
his flock to gentleman who resided in
Canada. This transaction was unknown
to the proprietor. One day he noticed his
pet bird resting on the gable of the barn,
and felt assured 1t had performed more
than an ordinary journey, but the servants
could not explain to him anything salts
factory. A few days afterward he re-
ceived letter from the Canada gentle
man, which stated that he had paid SIS
to the other gentleman's servant for car
rier-pigeon which had flown; and sup
posing that he would return home, he
wrote, asking him to forward the bird by
the first opportunity.
A few months afterward another of the
| flock was disposed of in like manner,
and the bird carried in safety to Albany,
where, when thought to be sufficiently
weaned and domesticated, it was let out
into one of the rooms of the Stanwix
Hall. CHANGING to open window, the
bird took advantage and started for its
old home in Connecticut, where it arrived
in few hours. The purchaser, having
become very much attached to the bird,
wrote for it, and in this manner the facts
were ascertained, as l have related them,
During Webster's time, and on the oc-
casion Of one of his great speeches in
Boston, some of the New York papers
sent carrier pigeons to your city to bring
home the speech. As soon as delivered
and prepared, it was attached to the bird,
and he was started. Unfortunately, he
encountered a hawk, and after deal OF
maneuvering, he succeeded in eluding his
pursuer, and tired, exhausted, and having
lost his way, he settled In the barn-yard OF
Judge -, who, attracted by the parcel
he had on his legs, caught him, and, after
reading the speech, scarce delivered two
hours, he tookIthe bird to Bridgeport and
sent the speech forward to its destination.
| Before the day of telegraphs, the carrier
| pigeon was somewhat extensively used by
the enterprising newspapers. If / am not
mistaken, the New York journal of Com.
nerce, Courier and Enquirer, and the Her.
| aid relied upon them for the transmission
of certain kinds of news. Except by the
meeting of hawks, they seldom, if ever
fail to go straight to their destination.
Naturalists have always been puzzled to
account for the peculiar powers which en-.
able this bird to find its way home from
immense distances. The majority seem tc
agree that it is enabled to do this mainly
by its strength of vision. The generally
accepted theory is that at home the pig
1
great height, and to perform at a lofty ele
Walton circles constantly increasing in di
ameter; that when let loose at a moderate
distance, saw hundred miles from home
thew mount as usual, and with far,
reaching glance recognize some obiect
which thew had been accustomed to SEE
in their home journeys; this object is q
sufficient guide, and the birds instantly
shane their course for It. The attachment
of The carrier. .nigeon TO its birthplace is
! we'll understood and to this, in coniunc
tion with its wonderful strength of vision
must be attributed the certainty of it,
fiight homeward. When desired to per
form longer Journeys, so long that s
glimpse of familiar landmarks is out o.
the question, they must be carefully train
ed and made acquainted with at least q
part of the route which they have to pas,
over, it . at -4Eh
The carrier-pigeon is known by large