The Opelousas courier., 1903-08-15
PIGEON FLYING.
Ideal Racing System as Conducted at
Present.

Ideal Racing System as Conducted at
Present.
It cannot be imagined for an instant
that athletic pigeons, those birds
that compete In exciting races over
many States, are ever guilty of foul
actics on their great aerial track, but
the fact remains that in no sport are
such great precautions taken against
unfair practices as in pigeon flying for
prizes. Could the birds speak they
would probably say that it was "the
thing called man. that the judges have
to keep tabs" on, and the birds would
be right. When pigeons are entered
in such a race there are officials on
hand from the moment the birds leave
their home lofts until they are set
free to wing their way over hundreds
of miles of country. The only reason
that the officials let the birds fly over
the course alone is because air ships
are not yet as numerous or as safe as
railroad trains, and to date they pre-
fer to see to it that the owners are
not guilty of any deception and give
the birds the benefit of any doubt.
All races take place under the rules
Of the national association, to which
the competing lofts belong. Every
homing pigeon is registered by number,
sex and color at the national head
quarters Of the organization of which
its owner is a member, and wears on
it's leg a metal band on which is in
scribed its registered numbes
When u district race is t." be held.
say a hundred iaile race, whichswould
be the distance between Jersey City
and Wilmington, Del, the face secre-
tary or committee notiieseall the lofts
in the district. Csce6mpetent man is
left at the southern city to start the
birds. Then the officials get in their
| work at the northern end Of the line.
One of them must be at the station and
express the birds. The pigeons are
taken from the basket one by one and
on the leg of each Is attached a metal
counter band bearing a number or let
ter unknown to the birds owner or
ally OhC S1St Out tAC OIAlSAuAs
A record Is then made Of the left
band number, counter band number
and color and sex Of the pigeon.
When the birds are started from
the southern point, the liberator tele-
graphs to the rae secretary the time
the birds were set free and the direc-
ton Of the wind at the time,
Each competing loft owner knows
about the time to expect his entries,
and Is ON the lookout for them in the
receiving part of the loft with a patent
official metal clock in hand. These
clocks are ingenious contrivances.
When the first bird arrives the loft
owner as quick as he possibly a slips
the counter band into a receptacle at
one end of the clock and closes a slide
which stops the time-piece and locks
ii. Only the race officials can open it.
Each clock has two separate COM
partments, each Of which keeps time,
so the loft owner still has one remain
ing compartment to register the time
Of arrival of his other entries. When
the second bird arrives its counter is
removed and placed in the second com
partment, which is not locked and
closed until one hour after the second
bird has arrived, In order to permit
of the timing of all other birds that ar
rive during that hour. When the time
has elapsed and the bands Of the birds
are in the slide is securely locked.
Within two hours after the arrival Of
his first bird each loft owner must have
his clock at the race s~ecretary's Office.
All the clocks are then opened by that
official for the comparison Of times,
In order to determine the winning
birds.-New York Commercial Adver.
tiser.