Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-12-10
CARRIER PIGEONS.
How They are Utilized in the Service of
Scotch Journalism.

The Edinburgh evening papers have a
trained service of carrier pigeons for use
at race meetings, football or cricket
matches, shooting competitions; and IN
out. f-the-way districts, where there
is no telegraph or telephone within easy
reach, they are very useful, says Cham
bers Journal. In connection with the
Edinburgh Evening Dispatch with which
the writer is most familiar) the pigeons
are important adjuncts to the reporting
staff.
They are housed in quarters specially
erected for them ON the fat roof of the
office, the dovecot including an ingenious
trap arrangement and electric bell. Many
people have very hazy idea as to what a
carrier pigeon can or can not do. They
seem to imagine that it is possible to
send the bird out as well as in, and that
with little training it can even be
induced to 60 to the nearest restaurant for
the reporters's lunch. Of course that
is all nonsense. What reporter expects
a pigeon to do is that it shall fly
straight home from the place where it IS
liberated.
A few words as to how it is done.
When reporter desires to use the pigeons
he leaves word the night before with the
person in charge of them. This is very
necessary. When they are to fly on any
particular business 1t is better that they
should be lightly fed in the morning. The
pigeons-two or four, as may be required
are caught in the morning and placed IN
comfortable wicket or tin basket
with compartments. The reporter when
he leaves the office carries the basket with
him. He also provides himself with
book of fine tissue paper, "himsy, >
and sheet of carbonized paper "a
black"
He writes his report very legibly and
compactly, so as to ut as much on a page
of ''Rimsy" as it will possibly hold. Then
he rolls the ''fiimsy" neatly up and at
taches it to the leg of the bird by means
of an elastic band Or he may send two
pages of ''Aimsy," one On each leg. The
pigeon being released, makes straight
for home In the carrier pigeon the
instinct is strongly implanted; and If
the bird has been taken off its nest it has
an additional reason for wishing to
get back as soon as possible. 1t also
knows that there is a good feed OF peas
and maize awaiting it at the end of its
journey.
Arriving at the newspaper office it
alights Con the edge or the dovecot. 10
get through the usual circular. headed
opening it pushes before it a couple, of
light wires, and these falling after it close
the aperture. The bird is, however, not
yet in the cot. 1t has only got the length
of the trap. This trap, two feet square
or so, has flooring set upon an electric
spring. The weight of the bird pressing
down the spring releases an electric cur
rent, which rirgs a bell in the sub-edltor S
room. The bird thus heralds its own ar
rival. A boy assistant proceeds upstairs
takes the pigeon from the trap, removes
the message from its legs, and opening
the sliding door allows it to enter the cot,
where 1t is welcomed by its sorrowlng
mate.
Some of the pigeons fly straight and
fast. Others are MOI so reliable. Few
loiter on the way; but they frequently are
ia no great hurry. if the weather be fine,
to enter the trap They prefer to sun
themselves on the ridge OF a neighboring
house. The feelings Of a b-editor wait
ing for the end of a meeting or the result
of a football match under such circum-
stances may be better imagined than
described At the Aitcar coursing meet
ing the pigeon that brought the result of
the final in the Waterloo cup was shot as
it neared its cot, so as to prevent the posi-
bility of any such delay. But the Edln-
burgh carriers have not yet had such hard
times melted out to them. For press pur-
poses carrier pigeons are seldom flown
farther than twenty miles from home.
But they are constantly In use within q
ten-mile radius of the city. and often do
good work. 1t was carrier pigeon that
brought to Edinburg the intelligence that
he first train with royalty in it had passed
over the Forth bridge. The bird WAS
liberated from carriage window OF the
royal train exactly IN the center Of he
bridge, and went home in about Ell. ht
minutes. Other pigeons took MESA. es
from bothesides of the Forth recording the
progress Of the ceremonials.