The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-11-10
FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS.
SUBJECTS FOR
THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
Birds as Reporters--The Story Of a
Royal Pony--..To Country Girls
Gen. Washington's Sup.
per---M en- Who Look
Like Monkeys.
Birds as Reporters.

Birds as Reporters.
In this age OF newspaper enterprise,
speed in the publication OF news is a
remarkable characteristic OF daily
journalism. Not only has electricity,
in the form Of telegraph and the tele-
phone, been hitched to the car Of ephe-
neral literature, but swift-winged
birds have been added to those re-
sources for the purpose OF supplying
the public with quick information.
The proprietors OF several evening
newspapers, forseeing the advantages
Of bird messengers in districts remote
from the telegraph, established dove
cotes, and reared @ carefully selected
strain Of homing pigeons to assist the
ordinary reporter in his duty.
The birds undergo a special training
for the work. Their education is SUI
perintended by a fancier, who employs
sundry devices for insuring their rapid
return to the Office when liberated
AS rule, the pigeons are Matched, as
we'll as educated, on the premises, so
that they have q special attachment
for the office demanding their services
They are well cared for, and obtain
little luxuries, which not only bind
them to their home, but impel
them to lose no time in reachiDgit when
released Ill some distant part of the
country. ~>>-
= In Bolton, England, it is not unusual
to see the reporters OF well.known
newspaper there provided with pigeon
baskets as they set out to their en-
gagements. At football and cricket
matches on the outskirts Of the town,
or at some adjoining town, the SER
vices OF the pigeon are invaluable.
the birds rest IN q basket underneath
the reporters table while the report
er prepares q descriptive account of
the proceedings. Paper of O. thin,
flmy nature is provided for this pur-
pose, so that report extending to
half column will not weigh more than
a quarter Of an ounce At '"half-
time If the occasion is a football
match--the reporter folds the "himsy,"
lifts a pigeon from the basket, and at
taches the message to the birds tail
by means OF a thin rubber ring. In
less than a minute the pigeon is flying
in the direction of the newspaper
office. Sometimes the bird dallies on
the roof of the building while
the "copy boy" tries to coax
it inside the cote. Generally
how ever, it exhibits it's regard for
the interests of the paper by walking
straight into the cote, when the message
is at once taken to the sub-editor's
room. When the scene of the game is
some distance from the telegraph
office, as is generally the case, the
saving of time thus effected is very
considerable. Indeed when the
pigeon competes with the telegraph
over short distances the former
generally wins.
These winged messengers are SINH
larry useful at cricket matches for re-
porting, the scores at the fall of each
wicket, and at many outdoor gather
ings within a radius of a dozen miles
from the newspaper Office. Speed is
not only assured, but, compared to
the cost of kilograms, messengers, ETC.,
the services of the birds effect great
saving in the course of a year.
Are not these clever birds?
The Story Of asRoyal Pony.
Little Princess Victoria, one OF the
Queen OF England's favorite grand
children, has q "dear little pony"
which I know every one Of you would
just Glove to have" The Queen, for
whom this little granddaughter is
named, is a most loving and indulgent
grandma, it seems, and loves to give
the little ones jolly surprises every
once and while. For some years the
children of the Duke and Duchess OF
Connaught 1.-THE Duke of one OF the
Queens younger sons spent much
time with the Queens during their
parents absence In India, while the
Duchess Of Albany's boy and girl are
constantly at Court. But Her Mai
esty's most frequent companions are
the little Prince and Princess of Bat
tenburg, as they are the children of the
daughter who has scarcely been part
ed from the Queen throughout lie.
Her Majesty Delights in giving child
ren's parties, and her latest gift to
the Juvenile Battenbergs has been a
pretty cream colored pony, The
children were driving in Windsor one
day recently when they met Messrs.
Sanger's circus passing through the
town. Charmed with the show, they
gave an animated description to the
Queen, who Immediately requested
the circus to parade in the royal
grounds for the little folks amuse-
ment.
One OF the animals in the collection
so pleased the children that she
purchased the cream-colored pony
which the little Princess always
delighted to ride. The creature is a
great pet, and when the royal party
were at Osborne one OF the children
rode the pony every morning.
General Washington's Supper.
Everybody knows the rhyme about
the peck Of barley me al out Of which
a bodybuilding was made, q queen fry
ing for breakfast what was left from