The San Francisco call., 1909-10-30

smiled. Now which one would you
take il I said you could have any one
you wanted?' he asked.
The boy looked at them sitting
around on their perehes and watched
those which still were hunting Tor stray
grains of food upon the floor Among
them was the little pigeon that the man
had called Red. and as the boy looked at
them he seemed to see this one anu
single him out from among All the
rest.
sI think that one that looks like pol
fshed copper is the prettiest OF any or
them" he said "and il ] could really
have one of them I'd take him.
you've chosen the best young pigeon
in the loft" the man answered one
that is going to be hne, strong oiru,
and now that you have come to make
vo,,r home with aunt and uncle, I'm
going to give him to you and m goihs
to teach you how to take care or Pig
cons so that you can help me-
= I'D Just like TO help you with tne
pigeons. better than anything else thae
/ know" the boy answered love
birds and would be so careful to iced
them and keep the loft clean, and
think it's just bully to have one OF
them for mine"
.I knew you'd like my pets" the man
replied. smiling, "and really tney are
something more than pets. They are
called homing pigeons because they
fly straight home from almost any dis
tance, and by writing message upon
thin tissue paper and tying it about the
pigeons leg man can send a little
letter back home faster than any mail
train would carry it and sometimes
faster than the telegraph could reach
a place that was not near an Office. That
red bird that you think is such a fine
one is going to be good bird, and
L. -
and his mother are both prize winners.
| got them from a man who lives in
st. Louis, where they have races every
year for pigeons. and both of them
have taken prizes for getting home
before the ones who flew the distance
that they did. His name is really B565.
but because he is such red fellow /
call him Red and now that he is yours
l am going to show you how to take
care of him and train him so that ne
will make you proud of him some day"
But why is his real name B5659r the
boy asked, somewhat puzzled at the
queerness of the name.
All over the United States there are
men who raise homing pigeons" was
the answer. and they have formed a
club that has charge of all the races
tnat take place. Every pure blooded
pigeon IS Kept track Of so that better
birds can be raised, and when man
JOINS the club he keeps track of his
birds and registers them when thew
are little fellows, so that every one
can know Just where the bird comes
from, rom, VINO raised him and who his
parents were and what races thev vvoy,
II they were racing pigeons like Pea ;;
But why do you put a band around
ms leg, the boy asked, very much in
terested in all he saw.
That band is put there vhao ~.
bird is nothing but a tiny little babvv .
was the answer. His foot is small ana
SOFT and folds up so that the band can
pc shpped on without hurting him. but
"hsh ne grows big the band fits tight
ana snug and can not possibly come OF
When l have put a band on a niceonsS
reg 1 write to the Office of the pigeon
racers club and give the date OF hatch
ing ana the name Of the little pigeons
Iather and mother. and give them nv
name and address. so that il ANYTHING
happens to the bird when he is otf
upon a race his owner can be fo,1nd bv
asking and by telling the letter and
the number on the pigeons leg"
Just think of it," the boy said: eiust
think Of keeping track of all the
pigeons like that and being able to
know just when they were baby birds
and who owns them and who their
father and mother werei It's wonder
full. isn't it?"
Yes, it really is wonderful" the man
answered, but there's lot about hom-
ing pigeons that it more wonderful.
how they fly home across miles and
miles of country that they have never
seen, how they know just the direction
to take, how they keep on hour after
hour without getting tired and how
they have carried messages in from
ships that were wrecked 200 miles out
at sea- But at first am going to show
you how to take care of them. and then
you must make friends with all the
birds and learn how to handle them.
and then we will train your pigeon and
practice with him and find out if he is
as good as he looks. / think he will
be fine. strong bird because his father
and his mother are fine birds and be-