The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-10-22
TO CARRY MAIL.
Novel Proposition to Utilize Hom-
ing Pigeons.
Will Bring in Letters From
Steamships Far Out at Sea.

To mail letter on the ocean far out
of sight of land seems almost an i'm
possibility, but it will be an everyday
occurrence when the newest proposed
feature of the postal service is in oper-
alton.
The homing pigeon is the medium by
which this is to be accomplished.
Louis Beebe of Millville, N. j., pro-
poses to train number of these pig
cons SO perfectly that they will bring
letters from an ocean steamship to the
land in one-tenth the time in which
the vessel itself could bring them, if
it tried its best.
Mr.. Beebe's scheme is an elaborate
one. He would establish pigeon sta
tions all along the Atlantic coast, from
which birds would be taken to the
steamships. Then, when freighted
with letters, the pigeons start on their
homeward journey, they would fly di-
rectly to the stations from which they
were taken, and the men in charge
of the stations would promptly for
ward the letters.
That the idea is practical has been
shown by tests made recently. Some
time ago pigeon that has been
trained for the purpose was taken
aboard the steamship Waesland by
Miss Nellie Lamborn, passenger.
The bird taken was called the Sea
Gull, and is a two-year-old black
checker that had never been trained
until this year. The bird was liberated
from the Waesland 1T miles off Cape
May, N. J. The missive attached to
the homer was addressed to Mrs.
Haines, No. 1904 Race street, Philadel-
phia. The bird reached Millville safe
ly, and the letter was forwarded from
there by mail. Overland this would
not have been considered great fly,
but over water it is looked upon as a
wonderful performance. By those
who have examined the birds now
being trained at Millville, they are
looked upon as perfect specimens of
their kind.
The homing pigeon is frequently
and wrongfully confused with the car
rier pigeon. The best blooded homer,
such as the Sea Gull, that made the
recent trip at first sight has the ap-
pearance, to those uninitiated, of the
ordinary pigeon. Upon closer in
spection, however, it is plainly seen
that the bird has bearing which
none other can initiate. 1t does not
possess the brilliant coloring of some
of the other members of the pigeon
family, but more than makes up for
that in the trim symmetrical build,
close, hard feathering, and the ath-
letic appearance good birds always
possess.
Quite close to the lofts in which the
homers for the ocean mail service are
being educated, there are number of
carrier pigeons, but they are very diff
ferent in appearance from the homers.
They have greater length of leg,
neck and head, with enormous wart-
like wattles around the eyes and on
the beak.
1t it thoroughly understood by Mr..
Beebe that flying over the sea is one
of the most severe tests to which a
homer can be subjected, for over the
water they cannot see any familiar
landmark to go by. They must de-
pend wholly upon their instinct or in
tellect, or whatever it is, to guide
them home.
In regard to the coast station he
favors, Mr.. Beebe believes that lofts
could be secured in the majority of
seaport towns and fortresses. He is
making every effort to induce the
United States Government to give his
idea practical test, with the view of
adopting it 1t would not, he says,
in view of the results that would be
achieved, be at all expensive.-New
York Journal.