Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-02-15
AERIAL CARRIERS.
fast Flying Birds Made to Do
Duty as Messengers.
Rapid Growth of the Carrier
Pigeon Industry.

oy glance at tho many pigeon clubs.
iao sport has grown popular during
tue past few years, and now many arc
making uso OF pigeons for sending lot
tors. At tho present time thoro arc
about 500 clubs in thi, country. In
Europe thoro are more than 5000 ciu BIS
{ devoted to tho sport of pigeon flying.
iAn this country the majority of the
yillubs bolongto tho American Fedora
Zion i'Pigcon Flyers with hoadq quar-
ters in Philadelphia. This society is
mado up OF two representatives from
/. each Club, who elect President, Vice
President Treasurer, Secretary and an
Executive Committee. Tho Federation
is established on n sound basis, and
among its mombors arc owners of tho
most famous birds in tho country.
Probably the best birds in America
at the present time are Calumet and
Crescent owned by Samuel w. Taylor,
of Baltimore. These bird, hold tho
championship for a flight of 5aGl miles,
doing the journey in ono day.
Great interest is tal1on in tho snort
OF pigeon flying by all classes aud both
: sexos in Europe. In Belgium tho sport
: Is In full progress nil tho year around,
and ovory spring. races of tho aerial
messengers are INDUCED in. Almost
every village in Belgium boasts of its
lofts. 1t is estimated that thoro aro
upward of 1, 200 pigeon clubs in the
Netherlands alone.
40 Belgium is due tho credit OF many
now devices for tho carrying of letters
~ these trained messengers of tho air.
/ in that country many methods of trans
hitting messnge arc employed. Some
times 1T IL tied to tho till feathers, a
fashion that is common in that country.
: A new devico, however that has gained
popular favor among III, pigeon flyers
Of Belgium is that of writing tho mes
sago on plcco of strong tissue paper,
which is wrapped around tho pigeons
leg and secured either by picco of
gummod paper, bit Of threat or fine
elastic bad. By thi, method tho free
movement of tho bril- il u, impcded. ms
tho weight is slight aud tho bird In its
flight carries its legs up under the body,
protecting the message from wind and
rain.
In England there has boon a great
I deal of interest taken lately in the snort
/, of pigeon flying, and many noblcmon,
whose former boast was their fast horses
Z arc now Boosting of their swift hominr
birds. In that country tho best OF
atock is to be obtained and tho best of
care is taken of tho birds. Tho de-
scription of @ gontlomans loft which
was printed recently in London ne WIS.
paper showed that those birds were in
decd fortunate. Another European
. country that has taken kindly to pigeon
flying is Russia. Every week there is
public raco between distant villages for
prizes donated by tho trades people.
IA visitor to small country village
OF Russia thus describes his visit:
Il awoke tho morning of my
third days stop in tho vii.
lagc. and from my hotel window could
sec tho people moving about holding
small pigeons in their hands. A few
had the pigeons stuck in their peck OTIS
while several othors had theirs securely
: packed under their long, heavy boar
skin coats. quickly dressed and,
fastening down stairs, Immediately
I wondod my way among tho crowd to
. discover, if possible, what was to occur.
Il soon discovered that, tho day being
Thursday, it was the regular monthly
-rpco day of tho diff.ront homing
pigeon clubs of tho village. It seemed
: tome as though every body in that vii
-lage was o mo mber of the different
: clubs, for the whole village seemed to
: be out that morning. Two hours aftor
the crowd had passed my hotel tho
whole sky appeared to BIO filed with
birds. 1t was tho racers flying to their
different lofts, and the sight was in
. decd grand one"
How much is thought of the pigeon
as on addition to tho fighting forces Of
. Continental nations may bo inferred
from the excitement caused few
months ago when German pigeon was
found ut Tours. In Eaglish military
mar eavres Major Allatt has shown how
rapid communications can be made be-
tween different sections of IN army aud
how the outposts can give information
to headquarters, whore probably tho
telegraph would BIO unavailable. Bnt
it is not only in tho arts of war that
tho homing pigeon has proved
capable of great service. There are
many peaceful operations whore it is
able to convey nows moro rapidly than
can be sent by any other means. Coun-
try doctors often employ homers to re-
8. turn with nreacrint fo th air auroar