The Bessemer indicator., 1893-10-07
DECOY TAME PIGEONS.
TRAPPERS WHO LURE THEM
INTO CAGES.
TeachIng Carriers to INTERPRETATIONS
of = Grscdy Pigeon Hawk whose
Roost I. In tho Brookiyn bridge
Tricks of the Trsppers.

Although there is no census OF city
birds extant everyone is aware that
next to the sparrows, and probably
not far behind them in point OF num-
bers, come tho pigeons. small colonies
Of which may be mot with in tho
most unexpected situations For
many years the roof of the suDtreas-
ury in Wall street, was patrolled by
large body Of them rs vigilantly rs
ever were the walls of tho Roman
capital by the historical geese whose
cackling saved It from capture by
the Gauls, says tho New York Herald.
Further uptown, however, especially
on the east side. ono can hardly
raise the eyes skyward at any time
during a pleasant day without espy-
ing flock circling somewhere in
rapid and graceful flight. These
pigeons. generally "Antwerps," or
..carriers," arc usually In process Of
training and range in value, ac-
cording to their breeding, from 81 to
$50 apiece.
In the spring the young birds arc
SGT in large cago in some open
place or on top Of a roof, and after =
few days. when they have become &C.
quainted with their surroundings,
the door is opened and they are al
lowed to walk about outside. After
a while they are taken in the hand In
q peculiar manner and "Hied," that
is. thrown up into the air. whom they
make q short circle and alight on
the cage again. For several days
they are thus thrown up and at short
intervals driven from tho roof and
made to fly about These flights grsdu-
ally increases In distance and duration
until the birds are we'll acquainted
with the immediate ighborhood,
some grains OF seed or cracked corn
being given them at the end OF each
flight
The next step Is to put them in q
basket and carry them quarter Of q
mile or SO away. from which point
they are tossed into the air to fly
back to the cage.
The length OF the basket trip is
then further increased until finally on
a cloudy day they are taken across
the river and released. After this
last journey the birds are counted
upon to reach home from distance
OF fifty miles or more. Promising
birds that return quickly are shipped
by rail to still moro distant points
and there released, some being sent
as far as New Orleans.
The enterprising conductors OF this
traffic begin with few birds, which
they train In the regular way, and
keep circling about In their imme-
diate vicinity from early morning
until dark. merely for the purpose OF
attracting the birds of others that
pass over the neighborhood. Some
days as many Is eight or ten "strays"
will be captured. and these, sold at
from seventy-fve cents and up, make
q very fair days work pecuniarily for
the snarer. Whether 1t is fair In any
other sense depends greatly on the
point Of view
Early in the morning the snarer
begins operations by letting out his
birds, and he is usually assisted by
number Of young "worrits" OF
somebody's life who aid him in many
ways. carrying the baskets of birds
to be released at u distance early in
the season. and, later on. keeping a
sharp lookout for "strays" and man
euvering the string of the trap.
As soon as stray is sighted In the
air the company is at once all com
motion, and in the height of expec-
tation that ensucs tho strictest oh.
server OF 'meum and tuum" cun
hardly fail to find himself aroused to
an interest in the operations quite
foreign to moral rectitude and re-
gard for the property OF others.
The company Immediately cram
all sorts OF combinations of fingers
into their mouths and set up shrill
whistlinR to attract the attention OF
the stray while 1t is still long way