The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-06
CARRIER PIGEONS.
The Sport Of Match
Flies is Warmly
Fostered.
]. H. OLIVER IS A PRIME MOVER.
He Will Conduct a Fly
From PittsfieId in
October.
]. H. OLIVER is A PRIME MOVER.

Among the societies formed in Wor-
cester for the furtherance of sport,
there is one, the Worcester Homing
Friendly Pigeon Society, which has a
lone field to work in, and it is safe to
say that the members of no Worcester
sporting society enjoy themselves more
than the men who have placed their
names on the membership roll of the
Worcester Homing Friendly Pigeon So
ciety.
1t has been in existence for a num-
Der of years, and was originally formed
for the purpose of reviving pigeon fly
ing, sport which is clean to DETAIL
and in no way can the contestants be
governed by the will of either owner.
Every week during the summer mem
bers of the society get together and
take their birds to some distant country
town for a match fly. The pigeon is
freed at an agreed time in the same
manner foot runners are started, and
when liberated they will at once make
for ooops, where they have been shelf
cred.
Probably the most interested man In
Worcester in the success of the pigeon
flying matches is Joseph H. Oliver of
South Worcester, and he was one of
the original organizers of the present
society formed for the purpose of Civ
ing the sport start in this city He
has been the means of getting several
good flys on in Worcester since the or
ganization of the Worcester Homing
Friendly Pigeon Society," and as an in
centive to the interest in it has made
arrangements for a big fly to take
place in October either on the seventh
or eighth day Of the month, as may be
agreed on by members and contestants
He is offering three prizes for the
winners in the race. For first prize he
offers SIS; for the second, $40, and for
the third, SIS. 1t will be for the cham
pionship of Worcester county and
either young or old birds are eligible to
enter The birds will be taken to Pitts
field, which, as the crow flies, is rs
miles from Worcester, and liberated at
a certain time. The birds are to fy-to
their coops, and as soon as they get
home Mr.. Oliver is to be notified of
their arrival by telegraph.
The birds will be tagged in Pittsfield
before they start, and it will be impos-
sible for the owners to announce the
arrival Of the birds ahead of time, as
the marks placed on them will be
known only to the starter, and the ar
rival must be announced by the marks
If the fly is a success he will have
others on the same lines, and hopes
that Worcester men will awake an in
terest in the sport which is bound to
be clean no matter what owners of the
bird want it to be.
Mr.. Oliver is an ardent admirer of
pigeon flying as a sport although he
|. takes more than a passing interest in
fishing and can handle a, gun. He has
followed the usefulness of the carrier
pigeon, and his researches into the
work done by pigeons is interesting.
At the present time the French gov
eminent is spending much time ex-
perimenting with the carrier pigeon
and so far the experiments have been
a success. Warships loaded with the
pigeons have been sent out to sea, and
in nine cases out of ten the birds have
returned after long fly, to forts and
Others fOrtif1cations on land, where
they have been cooped up for weeks
with messages asking for relief and
stating the exact location of the boat
Long messages can be sent in this
manner, and while the bird is accurate
it also makes fast time on the home
ward journey. In many instances
where armies have been hemmed in
on all sides and able to withstand
the attacks Of the enemy for three or
four days, and eventually conquered
because it was unable to get relief
they would have been reinforced and
probably won the day had the carrier
pigeon been considered as means of
carrying messages.
From the time Of the flood the pigeon
has appeared in the history of the
world in different places, and was first
heard of when old Noah. cooped up in
the ark with his family and all kinds
of animals, some Of which have done
good since and others which have un-
done all the good deeds of their fellow
bedmates In the ark, liberated pigeon
and it returned shortly bearing a green
leaf in its mouth. OF course old Noah
got next to the fact that the flood was
subsiding, and the Bible tells Of the
deed of the pigeon in as much detail as
1t relates the disappearance into the
whales belly Of Jonah.
The pigeon has also been used in
yacht races, and few pair Of pigeons
will be taken on the Shamrock and Co
lumbia when the race for Americas
cup will be run off, to announce the
future ownership of the cup to the pub
lie in shorter time than steam can do if
In the majority Of cases the carrier
pigeon, after being cooped UP in his
domain for few weeks, can be taken
across a continent and eventually will
find its way back to it's coop safe and
sound. Occasionally one is lost, but
the usual method pursued is to send
out more than one, and one Of them
always gets back A pigeon cannot be
doctored for a race, and if two start ii
is safe to say that they will finish if
possible. Sometimes they are shot by
hunters weary of looking for game. but
1t all comes in the excitement of the
sport, andrthe members of the Worces-
ter society think they thoroughly enjoy
the sport from start to finish.