Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-03

While in Cologne on the morning OF the
2ond of June, was waiting for the express
train. which leaves the "City of Smells at
noon for Berlin, noticed big wagon roll
into the station. The wagon was closed and
covered with paint of the national colors.
On each side of the vehicle, just above the
wheels, shone forth in large black and
white letters the inscription: "Vierte
Deutsche Tauben Station" (Fourth Ger
man Pigeon Station.) The wagon was ac-
companied by several officials in the uni
form of the Prussian Infantry. Soon the
doors Of the wagon were opened and be-
came aware that there were four large bas-
kets of pigeons inside.
"Where are those pigeons being sent to?"
I asked one of the officials.
"To Hanover" he replied.
"What for?'
"My comrade here, Mr.. Wolfenhagen,. is
going along with them, and when he ar
rives with the pigeons in Hanover he sets
them free"
HoMING PIGEONS.
"But how is that? why do you want to get
rid of them?"
"We do not want to get rid of any of
them. They are sent to Hanover and
then set free, because we want to find out
how many can find their way back to Co.
logne by themselves"
By the time the baskets with the pigeons
had all been unloaded, and they were placed
in separate carriage near the end of the
train. AS was going to Hanover myself,
or at least part of the way, asked Mr..
Wolfenhagen whether it would be agreeable
10 70 n mo
Journey. The young man acquiesced very
politely, and we both climbed into the car
riage along with the feathered travellers. In
another minute the signal for departure was
given, and we steamed over the new Rhine
bridge out of Cologne, on our way to the
Northeast of Prussia.
"Since when has the Government started
to raise pigeons?" now asked my COM
panion.
''For the last ten years, but never so ex-
tensively as now. When the scheme was
first inaugurated it was only an experiment,
but during the last few years it has proved
so successful that the pigeon stations are
constantly improved, and the financial al
lowances are made more liberal than ever. :"
"But what is the real object of the Gov
ernment in cultivating these carrier
pigeons?"
"They will be used for war purposes, and
I can assure you, if ever we have another
war, the carrier pigeon will prove to be the
most efficient, reliable, sure and safe messen-
ger of dispatches in the Government service.
If it will not weary you, 1 will tell you
something about the 'carrier-pigeon
service in the German Government. 1t is
a very interesting subject to me, and it may
probably be entertaining to you while we
are travelling together.
TRAINED TRAVELLERS.
"There are four carrier pigeon stations
established in Germany to-day, at Hanover.
at Breslau, at Berlin and at Cologne, with a
total number of nearly TO- 600 carrier pigeons.
Our station-the one at Cologne-is the
smallest, because we have only {, 900 pigeons.
OF course we have a number that are quite
young and have no feathers yet. Those do
not count. But those that are able to run
about and fly about are divided in the fol-
lowing manner: First those who have
travelled 1,000 miles and over at one time,
then those who have travelled to point
over 500 miles, then those who have returned
from place 400 miles from Cologne, and
the last class, who have been over distance
of less than $50 miles"
"But what is the method of training you
have adopted?"
"A very simple one. So soon as the
Young pigeons are able to feed themselves,
they are taken out of that part of our
pigeon house, which we call the breeding
house, and they are placed into the ''juve-
nile class" Here they run around as they
please, they are fed on hemp seed most or