The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-12-19
FLEET-WINGED CARRIERS.
PIGEONS THAT ARE TRAINED TO
CARRY WAR DISPATCHES.

Trip From chicago 10 new AorA'
II EXPERIMENTS were tried by
H signal corps at the recent
| State encampment in Michi-
gan by sending carrier pigeons
to Detroit with dispatches. In the
four or five trials the birds brought
/ the messages distance OF forty-two
miles in the average of an hour and
ten minutes, according to the Detroit
Free Press.
It might seem to some to be new
departure in military work, but its
origin is buried beyond the records OF
history. For centuries back the peace
full dove has played an important part
in the wars and politics OF the world.
As long ago as the reign of Rameses
Ill, King of Egypt, the carrier pigeon
was used in conveying important dis
patches from one point to another. It
is even thought by some that Noah's
"dove," which few all day over the
cheerless waters, was a carrier. Ger
tain it is that the Egyptians made
good use of this method of conveying
Intelligence from remote parts OF the
kingdom.
Frequent illusions to the carrier are
made by the classic writer's of Greece
and Rome. A Roman OF means, in
going to the market place, took one of
these birds with him in basket, SO
that no might send home the names OF
the guests whom he invited to dinner.
Messages were sent in this way to tho
Saracens in their wars with the Chris
tians. Communication was thus kept
up between the people in besieged
cities and allies without. In China,
Turkey, and, in fact, all Eastern coun-
.. tries, the use of the carrier is still one
Of the customs. During the wars be-
tween France and Germany this was,
in many cases, the only means OF COM
munication. In the siege OF Paris. it
!, is said that 5000 of the birds were
!. used. The Germans employed hawks,
as the Saracens had falcons, to destroy
them.
Now, however, it is more for amuse-
> ment than as o means of useful COM
munication that the carrier pigeon is
!, cultivated. In Belgium, pigeon flying
is one of ths greatest of the National
: amusenaents. Races are held. at which
: from ten to twenty thousand of the
birds are liberated, and great crowds
. of people assemble to see them start
= on their journey. The course Is from
= City to 500 miles, according to the
: age of the birds, md the distance ia
: sometimes covefedxh remarkably fast
time.
: !. Very few persons know that there
= is, in this country, National assocla'
, ton, or league, of homing clubs
= Nearly every large city, from New
= York to San Francisco, has one or NOR;
:. clubs that have for their object TIT
= raising and matching of fast birds.
= II Isl wonderful power that the car
= rier has, OF finding its home. though
~ separated from it by hundreds OF mile
81 of unknown country. Some hav
y called it instinct, and others say tina
o os it is matter OF sight and memory
u It seems to be both. Certain it is, o
u any rate, that the carrier is very in
- telligent. and has q good memory an
- remarkable power of sight. On th
=. other hand, it can see, at the most,
81 distance OF seventy-five miles from it
= exalted positiopsiR midair, while 20
~ miles of counts hitherto unseen b
= = the bird, is often given to it for
course.
- The education OF the carrier is bt
- gun when it is four months old. 1t
1irst taken just outside the loft an
allowed to make its way back to i
IN. nest. It is then taken distance I
to one or two blocks away and.again lii
ts. Grated. It often happens that II
of bird will take long time to find j
IN. home on this trial, but on the next
ion the same distance il will rise lit
At. way in the air and then dart straigl
be for the nest. The distance is grad1
ac. ally increased until the bird can fiji
ant its way home from two or three mil
er- away. Then begins regular scale
tho flights until 500 miles is reached.
ion The carriers fight is very swift, Il
average being over forty miles I
xed hour. Several birds in this city ha
oht flown 900 miles ct the rate OF ov
ork sixty miles an hour, and there a
ioh we'll authenticated cases in which
II speed of ninety miles an hour has be
can 6ttalQeus lulS, uOnctcEs - Will y
uch help of good breeze. As night com
kew on the pigeon rests on some tree or
d q some plowed furrow, but at the da'
nth it is away again on its swift career.
nes. It sometimes happens that pige
misses the right direction in its fig
When it finds this to be the case,
stead of flying around until it 81
brt something familiar. the carrier gt
,trv directly back to the starting po'
nan and tries again.
';ms The carrier is not fond OF fyi
;ers over water, perhaps because there I
Ss;ch no guide marks and no resting plac
tbs A large number Of New York homi
~. pigeons were liberated at the Worl
Fair. All but one scared around
- "a awhile and then started down Il
"a . Michigan, following the shore.
and one exception few to the top of on
NAT. tie high buildings, where it sat
fully ten minutes and then shot
mt eastward, directly across the ia
thsv This bird made the fight to New 7
! ar in thirty-six hours. Very often
for. pigeons lose their way and never re
= Il home. The fanciers are DESTROYS
-ox%;cr ~ tbaca h,-dq aa Oft