The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-05

SFN g7TdU - afHfeN
on the Journey. on and on she Mes,
Ignoring all tmptatl6ns to nllsht and
rest, Until at last The gliled eagle ION
the tlp-topf of the home loft looms In.
view, and after a. moment she darts,
ltfavei.wotn! but happy Straight Into
the wlre.fr1med ~ante-chambert which
invites entrance Into the upper story.
Heretthe closed door stops her until
In answer 20 her u~ncohsclons signal
the waiting fancler comes, 10 rcmuye the
dispatch and SGT the bearer AT liberty
ITO fit below for welcome food and
drink. and perhaps o refreshing plunge
In the big tin iayatory, about which
her mates are assembled. There Is the
soft 100, 90, Going, heard ovesh aud over
again In the lott at such times, the
doVe-likc CONGRATULATIONS, extended 10
the returned voyager, advice bestowed
by some knowing elder to u new be-
Sginner back from his hrst trial. or the
reiterated coaching OF d Young recruit
by,n fond parent, sollcitops 10 Save him
as much needless anxiety on his Initial
going forth az may be-.
For they have their trials and calaml-
ties, these pretty winged conveys, as.
surely as their human nelgltors, who
are at such palms to learn the ropes OF
naval service In the great wooden
house-shlp Mar by. Some OF the pig
are FIRST TOSSED Into the air from the
ycoyerd basket In which they j~6urncyed
from the station loft, They circle about
1t alInlessly. asfif at a loss what 10 DO.
The unaccnstomed bangle on their leg.
light as lt,is, (tnado of,aluminum. and
scarcely larger than a good.s!zed cap
sule(, feels awkward. and they hardly
know what to make of It. Then the
trip In the covered basket and this sud-
den liberation in a strange region, with
only water and sky in sight, as IL cast.
OF to take care OF themselves. The fam
,clcrs say that often those birds evinc-
Ing the most bewilderment at +nrst turn
out to be the gamcst bomers In the
lcovey. Their confusion ssnot only n
evidence OF Intelligence, OF q sensitive
understanding that fumbles for d rec
oncillng OF facts and conditions before
II can go ahead.
Occasionally, ttrusty messengers, old
hands Mt the business, that are sent out,
fall to return. Others come back after
days OF delay. when the trainer had,
perhaps, despalred OF their ever turn
Ing Up. There IL nothing 10 tell what
adventures hefell these delayed voya-
gers. The bright eyes only glance ner-
vously when the fancier takes them In
hand to remove their bangle, and the
hearts beat TREMENDOUSLY, limiting OF agi-
tatlOn not entirely forgotten. But the
trainer who knows his bird, knows also
that only misfortune and outside inter-
ference prevented 1t from sleeping on
the home porch On the night Of the
Journey:
Each pigeon in every loft Is numbered.
Before the little squads, all goose-flesh-
cd and pltifully bare OF clothes, have
learned to chirp or move In their. nests,
the anlilet, certifying the year they were
Matched. the number OF the station they
belong to, and their individual number,
Is slipped over the plant little baby
claw. Commissioned thus In infancy,
they wear the badge as naturally as the
feathers that had not yet sproutei when
the tiny circlet was put on The rreat