The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-02-05
BELIEVES IN FORMING COMPANY
Suggestions as to Caring
and Training Birds.
In Six Months the Service Gould
Be Established-Loft VIII
Be Necessary.

The editorial and subsequent articles
on carrier pigeons which have lately
appeared in the Advertiser are not
without good results. A dozen different
gentlemen have expressed themselves
as enthusiasts on the subject and con-
fident that pigeon service between
Honolulu and the other islands could
be made a success within the next
year. Among the few who have taken
an active interest in the subject for
years past is Joseph Marsden, Commits
sioner of Agriculture. As member of
the Legislature of 1892 he secured an
appropriation of $500 for the purpose
of buying birds and establishing sta-
items. but shortly after this was grant
ed he went to India, and on his return
the money had been expended. In a
conversation with Mr.. Marsden yester-
day he said:
4 have studied the pigeons almost
as much as l have the trees and shrubs
of the Islands, and while my knowl
edge is only theoretical, it is enough
TO enable me to talk intelligently on
the subject. Belgian birds are, of
course, the best, because the people
there have made a business of training
them, and they derive pleasure and
profit in return. If the birds are good,
everything will depend on the training
and that takes time In Antwerp much
attention is paid to homing pigeons
which are different TO a certain degree
from carriers.
Il believe a stock company with a
capitalization of 81, 500 could be got
tel up here, and the business made
profitable at the end of two years
Young birds may be had for s. pair,
and old ones for double that amount.
/ would be perfectly willing to take
stock in the company, ana would do all
l could to further it. We would need
a proper loft here, and l think we
should have a good stock of pigeons.
old birds, so that there would not De
too great a delay in establishing an
inter-island service 1t would be adj
visable. after a While, to take all the
birds out at time and train them TO-
gether; they could be drilled first on
land and in all directions When that
is done and the birds know their home
il will be time to send them to sea.
The first trial could be to Diamond
Head, the next five miles further, and
the third to Molokai Steamers are al
ways leaving for winuward in the
morning. and there would be no difficult
ty in training the birds. For the Kauai
route it would take longer, because it
does not always happen that vessels
leave in the morning, and it is impos-
sible to train them at night, for wher-
ever night overtakes them they drop
birds under a year old should not
be flown more than so miles; after
that, 100 miles; two years old, 200
miles, and so on. We could get old
birds from California, and at the end
of six months, probably, have them
flying to Hawaii; in the meantime the
young ones would be growing, for each
hen should hatch 10 squeakers in a
season A great deal of care must be
given to the loft in which the birds. are
kept, and it is necessary TO en-
ploy a man as caretaker. The room
must be dry and well ventilated out of
the way of cats and roomy; dampness
is fatal to the birds Wash the loft
frequently with carbolic acid or para
fine, mixed or sprinkle kerosene oil
around, but never on the birds. Fine
sawdust and a few straws should be
placed in the nest pans, and be sure
and have plenty of perches.
1T seems to me that pigeon serv-
ice would be of great moment to the
newspapers, because they could get the
movements of vessels on the other isl
ands. But it would be of still greater
interest to the agents of sugar vessels
that are waiting here for cargo, and
those are the people who should be-
come shareholders. When 1 secured
the appropriation from the Govern
ment l obtained permission from the
managers of the steamship lines TO
have the birds carrie free between
ports, so they could be trained without
expense In the California papers.
which 1 received yesterday. l notice
that the United States Government has
established a weather bureau on the
Farrallones, and that reports are sent
to San Francisco by pigeon service ey-
cry morning.
i do not know of any place in the
world better suited to, or where a
pigeon service would be more valuable
than in these Islands, so long as we
have no cable. People will tell you that
the strong wind in the channels will
hinder the birds, but 1 doubt it; birds
fly right in the teeth of just as strong
winds as We have here, and while it
may take longer to make the journey,
if the birds are properly trained they
will accomplish it, 1 sincerely hope
good results will foliow the second
start made by the Advertiser. Keep
ing everlastingly at it will bring even
a pigeon service, and anything 1 can do
to push it along will be done will
lingly."