The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-02

This wonderful bird Is generally Gre
dlted TO Persia. although It is found
now in all civilized countries. The love
of home is so strongly; developed In
these birds that they will overcome all
obstacles to return thereto. Refer
ences are often made in ancient Arabic
tablets to the carrier pigeon. Bochart
has enumerated many instances OF their
use for carrying messages In Greece
and Syria. Anacreon is said to have
had correspondence with his beloved
Bathillus through the medium OF these
birds while AeliaR states that Tauro.
sthenes dyed pigeon red and dis
patched 1t to inform his father who
lived at Aegina, OF his victory on
Mount Olympus. Pliny makes mem
ton Of them also as being the means OF
communication between 'Decemus Bru-
tus and Hertius during the siege OF
Mutina. In the days of the Crusaders
they We're also used. but with poor re-
suits, by the Tyrians; one OF them was
caught enroute and the genuine dis
patches that II bore were substituted
with bogus dispatches through which
they captured the city.
a regular pigeon post was established
In Turkey in the twelfth century by the
sultan and was continued UP to the
capture OF Bagdad by the Mongolans in
the year 1858. Sir John Vaudeville dur
Ing the reign Of Edward II and III. re-
fers to their use throughout Turkey and
the borders of China, where they were
In popular favor In the fourteenth CEN
fury. Dr.. Russell states that carrier
pigeons were used In Aleppo during the
last century and that through their use
the importing merchants were notified
OF the arrival OF their vessels.
During the past hundred years great
progress has been made in the scientific
development OF these birds both by
judicious mating and careful training,
until to-day pigeon racing Is one OF the
falrest and most interesting OF sports
and records both for speed and for dis
tances have been broken time and
again. A few years ago 400 miles in the
day was considered n great performs
ance, while now over 600 miles in the
day has been accomplished.
Up to last year the worlds long dis
lance record was 1883 miles made in,
sixteen days, while last summer one
lone bird flew from Lake Charles, La.,
to Philadelphia, distance In an air
line OF l.2l0 miles, thereby making Il
new worlds record. Speed records have
likewise been broken, the record OF 1.S26
yards minute being changed last year
to 1860 yards: when 1t Is recollected
that 1,7G0 yards Is mile some idea of
speed can be gained. although this last
record Is rather freak" performance,
the birds being literally blown home. )
It may BIG. interesting to note while
speaking OF speed that n Wheeling
fancier owns pair OF birds that have
n record OF 203 miles In >196 minutes.
Talk about your Empire State Express,
why, it's slow compared with these high
class homIng pigeons.
Many experiments have been con-
Quoted by the United States government
as well ns by European nations with
homlng pigeons, but with Indifferent
success except by the French army.
where each regiment has Its movable
pigeon loft. These look very much like
II large covered wagon with a sort OF
tower In the top through which the
birds enter Each corps has n different
colorcd wagon and the young birds are
taken out In them and trained to re-
turn TO them voluntarily. The loft on
wheels Is then moved about to different
places but still the bird returns to II re-
gardless OF position. They are then
taken to another corps and kept prison.
ers week or more. when messages nre
put on their legs and they are liberated.
and they directly return to their own
original loft where they were reared.
Homlng pigeons have also been used by
Arctic explorers with little or no sue
cess, and the writer makes the prtdlc-
ton TINT until they are taken to the
Arctic circle and reared there to be-
come accustomed TO the extreme cold
and topography OF the country. never
Will homlnR pigeons be instrumental In
assisting science In discovering the
north pole. Pigeons are averse to flying