The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-11

homing birds and matches are regularly
town for prizes and for fun. On holidays
and Sundays the air is hlled with the
whirr OF wings and sometimes special
trains are run out of Antwerp for the pur-
pose OF taking homers to tossing points.
shipped $1,000 birds to the races
and distributed 1.400 prizes. In
this country the flying qualities Of homers
have more than once been utilized. Some
years ago John Van Opstal established
regular communication between his New
York place OF business: and his farm near
Fredericksburg. Va. Alfred de Cordoya, q
New York banker. has told how he was
saved from serious loss from turn in the
market one day while he was away fishing,
the message 10 his broker being sent hy
pigeon via his farm At North Branch. n. J.
Mr.. Cordova also arranged tor regular
messages by pigeon post from his office To
his New Jersey home when he was away
from business for time. and found il q
great convenience. In Cuba homers ara
regularly used to carry messages for GER
tain newspaper, and many other instances
of these birds being put To practical use in
these practical days might be related.
Most governments. including that of
the United States, now keep birds in
training for military purposes. and all
readers o: newspapers are familiar with
the flights that have been made lately
from our new warships to the shore, con-
veying tidings of the progress of trial
trips. 1t has even been proposed in some
quarters to keep lofts OF birds regularly on
the ships. and il has been imagined by
those unfamiliar with the subject that II
would he possible to train birds TO lind the
ships to which they belonged. no matter
where 1t might be located. Mr.. Whileiey,
Mr.. Goldman and other experts with
whom l have talked, have assured me
hat IL hat
renders the homlng pigeon valuable ~
a flyer is his love of home and his won
deriui memory. If he be liberated at
any point. no matter how far removed
from has home, he will try to find it. But
II the route from the place OF liberation to
the home loft be one with which the bird
Is entirely unacqnainted. it is n question
OF chance as to when 1t will return, if ever.
Ii IS for this reason that fancers, before
allowing their birds TO make long
lights test them with shorter in
the same direction from home a. the
location OF the Tossing" point for the
longer journey. 1t is the common prac-
tice OF pigeon fancie-s to lay out those
training points in as near an air line as
possible, but Mr.. Whiteley in training his
birds for the Chicago matches has adopted
n different plan. His lofts are in Newark.
y. j., and his first training station
for the Chicago lights was Mt Ham,
ond. Newport, LOO miles, then Cresson,
Pa. then steubenviiie. o.. then Column
b9s. and alter that. Of course, Chicago.
Ii YOU look at the map you will see that
this route forms curve, and is somewhat
longer than that laid out by the mem bers
OF the Empire City Flying Club. which is
an air line MIR. Whiteley's reason for
adopting the longer route is 10 bring his
birds as tar south as possible ia their
hight without adding too greatly TO the
distance 10 be covered. In this way he
Will get better weather conditions than
the siraighter and more northerly course
Is likely To afford. and he SAYS though the
honing pigeon is a hardy bird. the swift
ness OF It's flight 10 undoubtedly affected
greatly by the weather. Ii it IS too stormy
the bird may seek shelter. aud in that way
NAV lose good deal of time.
When homer - liberated in a strange
place u viii FRS. rise 10 considerable
height and then fiy in widening and rising
circles Until its keen eve catches some
feature Of the distant landscape that ~
familiar. When this occurs the hOncward
night begins at once and is continued
without cessation till home Is reached, or
night, storm or hunger htings the bird 10
the ground. The homers greatest enc
niles are hawks and pot hunters. and IL -
through these agencies tnat many birds
are lost. The most singular destruction
os homers is reported by theodore L.
Green, OF Woodbury.. y. j.. who lost
number Of record flyers tina. we're being
sen; away by rail. La the baggage car
With the baske. containing the birds vas
vicious bu.i-pup. As soon as he vas
aware OF the presence OF the birds he
slipped his collar. and. tearing open the
basket. killed every one OF the .ieet- laGed
creatures
The rules governing the flying Of hon.
ers for records are simple. Records are
kept by the Federation Of American Ho.a-
ing Clubs aud the League Of American
Homing Clubs A bird for which record
- desired must wear upon the left ankle
what - known ~ . seamless band. Thay
are fuEnished both BY the league and the