The herald., 1895-08-18

patched him by blow on the head with
hatchet. | made the fish fast astern
and rebaiting my hook made another
cast. The bait was again taken almost
instantly. and the same fight begun over
again. the yacht pulling against the
monster fish. Well, we got the second
one. too, after au hours struggle, and
as we couldn't tow any more, we turned
about and put into bay. The yacht only
moved slowly. and no wonder with $500
pounds of fish aboard and those two
levlathans towing astern. We landed
safely in time for dinner, howe er. and as
the light still served | had the two jew
fish lacked up ana photographed with
the biggest men of our party standing
alongside of them by way of comparison.
One of these jewish weighed 39S pounds
and the other an even $50. I've preserved
the photographs, thinking the Judge here
m ght like to look at it. Here it is and
| here is a little statement made under oath
| OF the circumstances attending the cap
| ture of these really remarkable fish,
signed by several of the party, and wit
| messed before a notary"
The Hon. Dennis Hogan carefully ex-
amined both photograph and nctarial
seal and sighed despondently as he passed
them over to Judge Scales. Meanwhile
Judge Hutchings smiled blandly and con-
tinued:
''The oldest method of sending mail or
tcicb nmo thub ndo lallSh Nltlln tHc
bounds OF my experience obtains on
this same Catalina island. The island
is thirty-six miles from the nearest main
land point and sixty miles from Los An
geles. There IS no telegraphic communi-
cation, and only one boat crosses each
day between the two towns. Yet one can
communicate with Los Angeles at any
time, and 1t is possible to send telegram
from the Hotel Metropole, Catalina. to
Chicago, in almost as short time as it
would take to send one from Los Angeles
itself. The service is performed by means
Of homing pigeons-carrer pigeons. as
them are more frequently called-and is
named Zahn. They always keen a dozen
or more birds on the island. and have also
a station in Los Angeles, which the
pigeons regard as home. If you want to
send telegram you write it out, take it
to the pigeon express station, see it at
hour you may be sure your message has
reached Los Angeles and is being trans
mitted ever the wires to Chicago. l sent
one message that way and received an an
sweI inside an hour and half. One
bird took the telegram to Los Angeles
and another brought the answer back.
Each of these birds had to fly at least
sixty miles and the answer had to be
written out in Los Angeles. 1t cost me
$l5O, but it was we'll worth many times
that price. I'm informed that only in
two instances have the birds failed to re-
turn with their messages on schedule
time during the two or three years the
service has been in operation. 1t was GER
tainly the most marvellous exhibition of
that wonderful instinct with which the
Creator has gifted
"P 4rdon me, Gus, but have you got
photographs and atfidavits to back up that
story, too?" inquired Mr.. Hogan severely
but earnestly. Not that L n inclined to
doubt anybody's word, but I'd just like
to see picture of a bird with a telegram
tied to its legs wingiHg off 100 miles in
ninety minutes-just simply as photo
graphic curiosity, that's all.
'Sorry," responded the general, "that
I cannot oblige the honorable gentlemen
from Geneva, but didn't get a picture
of the bird. Here's a circular advertising
the service and describing it, whoever,
which has fair wood cut representation
of one of the com pany's pigeons in light.
circular. printed in Los Angeles, and one
of many constantly used to advertise the
pigeon express. The names and addresses
of the gentlemen who run the concern
are attached, and if any doubted the Dos
sibility of a pigeon covering the distance
named in ninety minutes he might easily
satisfy his mind by communicating with
the persons whose names are affixed on
the circular. He might even get photo-
grapn, with an affidavit attached, If he
would take the trouble
"Never mind; never mind; just drop
it, Gus. Open another bottle, Earnest,
and then | must catch my train. Chi
caeo Chronicle.