The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-06-13
hOMlNG PIGEONS.
Ancient Faliacies of a Romantic Nature
to the Fastening of Messages.

Ancient Fallacies of Romantic Nature ~
to the Fastening of Messages.
Poets and romancers are responsible
Tor good many false ideas about the
way in which messages are conveyed by
homing pigeons. According to some
ballads fond lover had nothing to do
but tie message about the neck of the
bird, whisper the dest nation in it's ear,
when the feathered messenger would at
once take flight and reach the place for
which e lover had dispatched it with
the greatest expedition and the most I'M
failing certa nty.
Artists have gone so far as to paint
pictures CT glowing girls with lips
wreathed in smiles, stretching out their
arms to receive beautiful white pigeon,
about the neck of which large square
envelope of the latest style, and doubt
less delicate perfumed, was suspended
by a bright blue riband tied in true
lovers knot.
This will do very well to sing about or
paint in a picture. But it is far from
the reality of the matter. There is far
more skill and dexterity required than
this to set flying a homer with is mes
sage properly adjusted. In fact, none
but an expert can prepare pigeon for
an important flight Of this kind.
In time of peace. and when the mes
sage is of comparatively unimportant
nature, the fastening of the message is
not SO hard. Many years ago there was
fashion Of fastening the message I'M
der the tail of the bird. This has been
almost entirely supplemented now by
tho fashion of securing it firmly to the
leg of the pigeon above the joint and in
such place that it will be drawn up in
the soft feathers of the breast when the
bird is flying.
Great care has to be taken to prevent
the paper on which the message is writ
ten from interfering with the fight of
the bird. If the message is troublesome,
Or even If it is in reach of the birds
beak, the homer will sit down upon the
nearest roof and proceed to pick it off.
When, therefore, the message is secured
to the leg, it is covered from all harm by
. band which the bird can not peck off,
These messages are not perfumed af-
fairs written upon heavy note paper and
sealed in square envelope. They are
written upon the finest tissue paper,
generally in close hand, or even in
shorthand, SO that as large number Of
words as possible can be sent. This is
folded very closely, and is so light and
unobtrusive that it can not possibly in
terfere with the fight of the bird.
In war times, when intelligence of vital
Importance is to be transmitted, another
and far safer method is employed. The
message is written finely upon a very
thin paper, and is so constructed that it
can be folded into long, slender piece,
not longer than match. One of the
long fight feathers is then split open
carefully and the quill is cleaned out.
The message is then inserted in the
oavity and the bird dispatched.
If the enemy should shoot the bird the
chances are that the message will es-
sape detection. Even If it is found, the
cipher in which it is written saves it
from those not intended to read it.
This problem of fastening the mes
sages has been the subject of much
thought among those who for the past
thirty years have been endeavoring to
utilize homing pigeons in war. AS is
we'll known, these birds were used dur
ing the FrancO-Prussian war with much
success. But the German forces acct
dentally shot pigeon flying over the
lines and found the message tied under
the tail. From that time on all German
soldiers were instructed to shoot every
pigeon they saw. This order consider
ably curtailed the usefulness of the
BIRDS
By skillful breeding race of homers
has now been produced which flies be-
yond the range of ordinary guns. These
lofty fiiers traverse the air at great
distance above the earth, beyond the
vision of the ordinary man.-Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette.