Connecticut western news., 1874-10-16
MO-. IA.
Carrier Pigeons.

One of the most curious 1nc1dents connected with modern journalism, says La,ad and Water, is the regular em- ployment of carrier pigeons in collect- ing intelligence for the daily and week. ly newspapers. In the competitive ex- ertions to procure the latest intelligence, 1t has been found that for short dis tances newspaper reports can be sent readier, cheaper, and quicker by press carrier pigeons, flying c mile per minute, than by the postal telegraph. Those aerial postmen are entrusted to resident correspondents in various places, ready to be dispatched at any moment, while others are sent out by reporters to places where important events are transpiring. It is now no uncommon thing to see reporters at police courts, inquests, public meet. ings, etc., dispatch folio after folio ot "copy" by press carrier pigeons tossed through the nearest window, or thrown out of train or steamer going at full speed. The attachment of these birds to the place of their birth, and the ability to find their homes from marvel ous distances, are, of course, their dis tinguishing characteristics. A "colum- bier," or home, is established at the various newspaper offices, and whenever bird arrives with a message, the act of the pigeon entering it's cot sets bell ringing in the editors room, the bell machinery continuing in motion until attended to.
 Carrier pigeons, though as rule only used for short distances, in com- petition with the electric telegraph, can be specially trained to distances of 300 miles, and frequently fly to England from Dublin, Brussels, Paris, Lisbon, and even Rome. The utilization of the instincts of birds for press purposes is being carried even further than this. An ocean homipg bird of great docllity, intelligence, and spirit has been found in Iceland, and it flies at 8 meteor-like speed of 150 miles an hour, and is able to find it's home, over sea and land
 from any part of the habitable world. A pair of these birds, Q short time since, brought dispatches from Paris to lonely spot, congenial to their nature, Tn wild aad rocky part of Kent, with in ten miles of London, in II hours. Press carrier pigeons took the dis patches on to the city, the whole dis tanee from Paris to London, by actual pHEC0l uOuO O1 COAFOJ0AOO3 DSAAS SSAAS within II hours.
 The New York Sun was the first newspaper, we believe, to employ the aid of carrier pigeons for the rapid transmission of news. Thirty years ago, before the electric telegraph had come into vogue, the Sun concern had large pigeonry upon the roof of It's building, just over its editorial rooms corner of Nassau and Fulton streets, New York city, where many carrier pigeons, of the best procurable breeds were maintained. In those days the public were surprised by the appear ance of important news, brought by tho birds, in advance of the ordinary mails The advent of the telegraph superseded the Sun pigeons, aud the departmen
 was sold out.
 At the present time the telegraph busi ness here is in the hands of competlnt private companies, who take especla pains to transmit the news dispatche
 of the press with the greatest prompti tude, and at very low rates. But whel the telegraphs pass into the hands O the Government, as in Great Britain the press will no longer have the ad vantages of this promptness and econe my. Lazy officials will then goverl the sending of telegrams on the re1 tape system, and our newspapers vii doubtless find an advantage in usini pigeons, as they are now doing il England Amaereco'a.