The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-27
TRAINING
CARRIER PIGEONS.
Winged Messengers That Have
Well Served Governments.
The Rothschilds Owe Their Wealth to a
Pigeon-A Journey From Toulouse TO
Brussels in 0ne Day.
Special Correspondence of THE SUNDAY CALL.

HgARIS, July 4, $780, Experiments
10y made this week with carrier-pgeons
ES*S have decided the French Govern
ment to devote especial attention to the
training Of these birds and to their prepa-
ration for service in case of war.
During the past fifteen years these winged
messengers have we'll served the Belgian
and Russian Governments, and although in
the north of France there are number OF
societies called ''Colombophiles," the train
ing of pigeons has not been considered
especially serious.
1t is rather strange that the French have
paid so little attention to these birds, for
their role during the siege of Paris was a
very interesting one Each balloon carried
away 100 pigeons, and these returned, trav-
cling at the rate of 1000 yards minute,
and bearing microscopical dispatches frGm
the absent ones. The aerial postal service
reached such Il degree of perfection that
the provinces were in direct communities
ton with the metropolis.
So astonished were the Germans at the
results oh tanned by the use of carrier
pigeons that they also decided to make
them means of communication, aud III
1878 500 aerial messengers were placed III
the StrasbOurg barracks.
Since then all German military posts nave
their carrier-pigeons, and the French Gov
erament has been disturbed by The fact that
numbers OF these pigeons are sent from Ger
man cities TO frontier stations in France,
and that the station-masters have orders to
set them free Immediately on their arrival.
1t seems almost impossible to prevent the
intrusion of these birds, for as soon as the
railway employees were forbidden to aid the
Germans In their efforts TO give these BIRDS
French education, Antwerp was chosen
as the starting point. The principal char
81. -, tnr
mate and his home, but it requires an i'm
menSe amount OF patience
TO TEACH PIGEON
How to recognize the route he should take
in going from one place TO another.
A hundred young pigeons ut least 4
months old are carried In baskets ten miles
from their homes. When set free the most
intelligent return to the cote. These are
again carried twenty miles away, and very,
very few of the number find the road
home. Each time the distance is
doubled until the pigeons travel more
than one hundred miles. AT an
International contest, some time ago, the
pigeons travelled from Rome to Berlin
twice as fast as the lightning express. The
celebrated pigeon, Gladiator, the king OF
winged messengers, made the journey from
Toulouse to Brussels in one day, but his
speed has never been approached by any
other bird. Naturally the speed varies
little messenger is quickly fatigued, and
often falls, never to rise again. How the
birds know the way" has never been dis
covered. Set free, three or four hundred
miles from their cotes, they rise to an I'M
mense height, fly about In circle for few
moments, then, certain of their route, set
off at great speed
The message is not fastened about the
pigeons neck. 1t Is reduced by photogra-
ply TO microscopic dimensions and put on
In ma Is rnl al
in the form of small cigarette, and this is
introduced into the quill of a leather by a
silken thread. Afterward this quill is at
tached to a tail feather OF the pigeon.
a pigeon was captured during the siege
of Paris, and Prince Frederick Charles sent
it to his mother in Prussia. 1t was placed
with the choicest specimens OF its race, and
with them remained four years; but, one
day, the cage was open and the pigeon free.
Turning around in the air 1t soon dIscOv-
cred its route, came to Paris. aud was well
coined in its old home, Boulevard Clichy.
AT the death of the owner this pigeon was
given to the Jardin discrimination, and
here it died in 1878.
1t is to pigeon that the Rothschilds owe
their fortunes. Alter the battle of Water
loo all Europe waited anXiously for news.
1t was thought that the French had con-
quered, and there was great panic at the
Stock Exchange OF London.
A pigeon, bringing news Of an English
victory, arrived at the house of the fnan-
cier; lie said not a word, but bought, bought,
and continued to buy. We know the result,
the rise in stocks and the fortune Of the
Rothschilds.
1t is said that the inhabitants of Sodom
and Gomorrah selected pigeons as meSsen-
gers. About Feda, the great historian of
the fourteenth century, says that Solomon
used this means of communication, and the
Greeks and Romans also employed pigeons.
Pliny says that Decimus Brutus sent let
tiers attached to pigeons into the camp of
the COnsuS during the siege OF Mutlna, and
the names of c0nquerOrS In olympic games
were carried to the inhabitants Of remote
villages by these birds. Battalions of doves
preceded the Roman legioDs on march,
and when they went on without hesitation
the soldiers of Caesar knew the camp OF the
enemy was not far distant. Fr0ntinus
says " Hertius Zone of the two ConSulS
who tried to deliver BrutuS), kept some
pigeons in darkness, without food; then
tied dispatches to their neckS with silken
threads When these birds were set free,
near the ramparts of the city, they alighted
on the building where Brutus had pre-
pared for their nourishment.
In the second century the rulers of Egypt
and Syria established a regular service of
carrer-pigeons, aud the knights who went
to the Holy Land sent back their billetS
douX by these trusty messengers.
Dutch historians say that William of
Orange made use of these messengers at
the siege of HARLEM, and that afterward
these birds were cared for by the Govern
ment.
AS said at the beginning of this
article, the French people now see the
necessity for carrier pigeon service.
There must be rapid communication be-
tween Paris and different points on the
frontier. Selected pigeons will be sent
from Paris to these points, and from these
points to Paris, SO that tile frontier pigeons
carry the news from the capital hume and
vice versa
BARONESS ALTHEA SALVADOR.
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN NAMES.