The daily gazette., 1875-08-30
From the Reading Eagle.
The Com i,.U Carrier Pigeon
tournament.

FROM READING TO PHILADELFE1A-Thh
BEST PIGEONS III THE COUNTRY TO
FLY FROM THE EAGLE OFFICE TO THE
QUAKER SrTy-FACTs ARoCT PIGEONS
Some days ago the EAGLE contained
graphic account of the flight OF 6
half dozen carrier pigeons from Penn's
Mount this city to Philadelphia Mr.
l. Ogden Weatherly, of 24l9 Spring
Garden streets, Philadelphia proposes
70 have q series of flights from the
Eagle Office to Philadelphia to COM
mence In few days. His finest car
riers will be used. Dir W eatherly
writes as follows; "My fancy being
for carrier pigeons and my reading OF
the many great and valuable usss this
variety Of carriers, (namely, Antwerp
carrier pigeons,) was put to during the
late Flanco- Prussian war, was de.
termined to have few pairs of the
best, and try myself to bring them in
use In this country. I therefore com
uenced importing the purest strains
that could procure. My best and
most intelligent birds imported from
Mr., August Brunin editor OF journal
L'ELperster of Brussels paper devot
ed exclusively to the Antwerp carriers
giving account of their great exploits,
SC. / now own a flock of fifty of those
useful birds, some of which cost me
me $50 francs pair, they having won
prizee In races Of 400 miles from the
south of France to Brussels, They
are larre, strong fellows, and are capa.
bic of carrying all reporter could
write in half an hour s time; and If well
trained would make small Journey at
the rate of mile minute; journeys
| from eco to 400 miles they could travel
at about forty miles an hour. ask
now, could they not be used here the
same az in France and Belgiumf Many
Of the papers there have cote for
them attached to their buildings, and
their reporters, when going from 100
to 600 miles away, to report any trial
or other business, take from three to
six of the Antwerp carriers with them,
and after writing a half hours proceed
| ings attach it to bird and toss II for
| home. These birds invariably reach
home at the rate of forty to fifty miles
az hour, when the news Is then pub
lished in their extras, This is SO ex-
teusively carried on that in France
they often pay large prices for sin
gle bird, if he proves to be of great
speed aud endurance, in order to get
! good stock In their cotes. Why can
not our newspapers adopt this method
Of getting the latest news: Also why
cauno; the shipping offices have cote
Of these birds attached to their build.
ings, and a steamship going to England
take couple with them, and On their
return loose them with the news Of
their whereabouts7 They could do
this when within l00 10 200 miles from
land; and If the birds are properly
trained they mill do the journey "a
well at sea q: on land. My idea OF
training them Is to always toss them
toward home, and II trained 80 from
the first, they will invariably 60
straight ahead. trained two young
birds In this way to Reading, fifty.eight
miles from PhiladelphiasaDd after they
were coming from Reading in quick
time, ! experimental by tossing one
In the opposite direction. Il took ov.
er three times as long to make the
journey home, 1t going straight ahead
many miles in the wrong direction.
! All Of which goes TO show the great
care required In training them.
Tho EI9le carrier pigeon tournament
fEom this city TO Philadelphia will be
watched with great interest,