The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-10-19
FROM WICHITA.
a wHEEIINe PIGEONS LONG FLY,
A splendid Record Made by Michael Fries.
muth's Pet PIgsGn-Ths Interest Taken
In the Event quick Time and
Long Distance Beats Record.

The announcement in one Of last weeks
issues that Mr., Michael Freismuth, the
popular barber, whose place OF husIlsssis
in the stamm House alley and who is
quite pigeon iapCler, had sent by Mr,
John zarn, who was going West on bus
luess trip, two OF his homing pigeors to
his brother at Wichita, Kansas, with iu-
sluctions to release them after thy had
regtsd aud bssn well taken C ire OF, created
more interest than one would have sup
posed. Mr., Freismuth's custom embraces
q goodly portion OF the business men Of
Main street aud they took O great interest
In the matter Tor the past week hardly any-
thing has been talked about at Ffeismuth's
place bat the probabilities Of the birds IT,
turning home, The owner had implicit
faith in the flying qualities and home In
stinCta OF his pets, aud insisted that they
would return, IA the interest increased
the American charlottesville desire to
bet, began to crop out among those who
talked about the matter and several
wagers were laid,
Sunday word was received that the
pigeons had been released at 1884
O'clock, Central Standard time,
Saturday morning, and the in
terest increased, Mr.. Freiamuth an
nounCed that at least oEs bird would be
in by three o'clock yesterday afternoon,
and bets were made that such would not
be the case. Early yesterday morning
all the other birds were locked mp and a
watch posted on the roof Of the building,
as the hour OF three drew near quite a
crowd gathered at Freismuth's. Suddenly
there was q cry from the boy on the ROOT
and q bird was seen rapidly approaching
from over the Ohio hills. It lighted for 4
second on Polack's factory and then on
the perch In front OF its home, The time
Yves 1903 o'clock, Wheeling time.
The bird was at once secured and
placed in a cage in front OF the shop,
where a large number called to look at 1t,
1t was plain TO be seen that the bird
was nearly tired out. 1t had also
lost some feathers from lis
breast and the left side Of its tail. II 10 a
female bird, one and onG.halt years old,
half Euglish and half imported Belgium
breed; color, dark blue. The second bird
had not arrived at dusk It Is q daughter
| OF the bird that arrived yesterday. and
which Mr.. Friesmuth thinks he will call
"WiChits," aud Is but nine months old
1t has never been flown any considerable
distance, hut the mother has been repeat
eddy flown so and rs mile distances. Mr.
Frelsmuth is sure that 1t will also return
although guunsrs aud hawks are To be
feared. Allowing for the differences In
time, the bird that arrived yesterday
was 50 hours and A min
utes In making It's long journey,
As the hominR pigeon only tiles
when 1t Ia clear and light, 1t is supposed
that 1t was only on the wing from I or 1880
o'clock in the morning to O'Clock in the
evening. Going on this basis 1t Is calCu-
lated that 1t flew seven hours on satur'
day, ten on Sunday and seven on Mon.
day-a total Of twenty.iour hours,
The distance In an air line
/ is about 1900 miles. Ac'
cording to this, the bird did fifty miles an
hour as an average. Wind and weather
were good all the time.
Mr.. Freismuth was led to make this
trial by an article about homing pigeons
that appeared in the July Century. In II
were given several records, supposed TO be
the best records ever made by birds
in this country. There were none
in that article that could compare with
the record made by Mr.. Freismuths bird,
either for distance or time. The greatest
distance was l,O40 miles, from Mont
gomery, AlAn to Fall River, Mass. That
bird was out twenty days. Mr.. Freis-
muth is Justly proud Of his bird, and has
refused an offer OF 500 for her.