Evening star., 1897-01-30
MAILS BY BI R D S
The Only Public Carrier Pigeon Serv-
ice.
A Unique Messenger System Connect
Ing Los Angeles and Cata-
lima Island.

During the recent poultry show there was
a remarkably fine exhibit Of homing pig
cons which, for practical value surpass
their more snowy companions. 1t is, per-
haps not generally known that away out
on the Pacific coast there is a regularly es-
tablished carrier pigeon postal service be-
tween Catalina Island and the city of Los
Angeles by means of which, for three
months every summer. daily messages are
transmitted from the island to the Los An
geles Times, the leading newspaper of
southern California.
So far as known, this is the only regular
ly organized service of the kind in the
world. 1t was established in the summer
of 1894. and for three successive seasons
has been in active operation, and has
given the most satisfactory practical re-
suits
Catalina Island is the most popular of all
the southern California resorts, and is
visited every summer by thousands of
tourists and CaHfornians. The fishing
banks round about the island are the most
famous on the Pacific coast 1t is here
that the gamy yellow-tails lurk by hun
dreds, and the big sea bass and tunas frisk
about, Offering great attractions to the
many SpOrtsmen who annually cOngregate
here. The island is of mountainous ma
tUre, and multitude of wild goats inha bit
the cliffs and canyons, and thus lend furth-
er fascination to huntsmen. There is
splendid boating and bathing and coaching
over the mountains and altogether Cata-
lima Island is the Bar Harbor of the Pa
cific coast-the haunt of the pleasure seek
er. The island lies some twenty-five miles
out to from San Pedro, the seaport of
Los Angeles. 1t therefore happened that
every summer several thousand people
found themselves practically lat sea- A
steamer lands at Avalon. the chief resort
on the island, once a day. at pm, and
returns to the mainland at o'clock the
following morning. From this 1t will be
seen that all communication from the
mainland was cut off for twenty-four
hours. This proved to be serious draw
back. not only to business men, but to the
morning papers, for which correspondence
must. of necessity, be sent over twenty
four hours in advance of its possible publ-
cation
The difficulty was solved by two bright
young men, the Zahn brothers of Los An
geles, who decided to try what could be
done with carrier pigeons. The air line
from Los Angeles to Avalon is fifty miles.
The training began and the birds were
placed in a basket and carried a mile so
away from the loft in the direction of the
coast and liberated. Gradually each day
the distance was increased till San Pedro
twenty-five miles away was reached; and
then the birds were taken on board the
steamer and released when few miles out
from shore. till finally the entire distance
was compassed and the task was accom-
plisEed. The carriers had learned their
lesson in geography. and, when released,
would fly without fail across the sea over
the land to their home. At first the plan
was merely to convey private messages
for individuals, but the Times at once
seized the idea of having its daily bulletins
from Avalon brought over by these swift
winged messengers of the air. instead of
allowing the news to grow cold by await
Ing the slow motions of the steamer, and
so it came about that the homing pigeon
service was brought into reQusition where
by messages could leave the island as late
as ! p-m anG reach the city for public a tion
ever made by these fleet couI.iers is fifty
1our minutes-a rate of speed of nearly a
mile a minute. The message is typewrtten
on the thinnest of tissue paDer sufficient
matter to fill a column when printed being
frequently sent on single bird. 1t is fold
ed and compactly rolled. incased in slip
OF waterproof paper the whole being about
as large round lead pencil and about
an lncn long This is then securely wired
to the birds leg. but loosely enough to not
lrpede progress or annoy the little mes
senger. and then the tiny. palp;tating fut-
tering bird is tossed into the air along wit
two or three companions, and presently the
little flock melt into infinitesimal specks as
they mount higher and higher and dart off
across the sea homeward bound. A failure
rarely occurs, but occasionally a lazy bird
prolongs his air voyage to such an extent
that he does not reach the home loft till
the following day. Some amusing things,
therefore. happen For instance. during the
height of the season. when it is necessary
on account of its length to divide the letter
into two sections. attaching one TO each
bird II has sometimes happened that the
carrier hearing section No. 1 failed to get
In, while section No y reached its destina-
ton in safety. This is n source of aunoy-
ance and modification TO the unhappy cor
respondent. whose letter literally "begins
In the middle" on such occasions.
One pathetic incident happened during the
season of o. The bird "Tatters" bearing
the message, failed to arrive at the home
loft, and no reason was known for the de-
lay, till the following day, when the editor
OF the Times received a letter from a
rancher residing at Clearwater, a point
about half way between Pedro and Los
angeles, stating that he had found dead
carrier pigeon that morning. lying near his
barn, ana attached to its leg was a mes
sage addressed to the Times The bird had
apparently died from exhaustion. The
thoughtful man had detached the message
inciosed m II In an envelope and forwarded 1t
py mail to its destination. The following
DAY II appeared in print, under the pathetic
headlng, Tatters' Last Message"
Inc man who first introduced carrier
pigeon service into American Journalism
was the elder James Gordon Rennett of H.
New York Herald, in 1850. At that time
there was no Atlantic cable telegram and
al the news came across the ocean by
steamer Mr. Bennett bought a discarded
pilot boat and stationed il off Sandy Hook
When westward-bound steamer cams
along reporter was put on board of her
with three carrier pigeons. He wrote out
on tissue paper his report of the most i'm
porttnt European news condensed as 1nuch
as possible, and sent it back tied to a
pigeons leg. Before the steamer eorld
rsach her wharf the extras containing
the news brought by her were being
hawked about on every thoroughfare be-
tween the Battery and Canal streets
When the steamer Illinois arrived of
SANDY Hook, in June. 1856, she had the
of fha CO,
vigilance committee. 1t Is said that the
HeraId had sold 13,UG0 copies of this
extra by the time the Illinois reached
ier .' uock, @ haFlng been detained an hour al
the quarantine station by the health OH.
GERS. Wal
The magnetic telegraph between New
iork and Sandy Hook was established ir
1893 and the pigeon service was then aban.
doned.
Acts Approved.