The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1918-11-21

Wv" nc SoiTyH9 messages IndS
May Mean Success or Failure in an
Operation.
Can YOU imagine mans life being
saved ty a pigeon?
Or. can you !!pagine the lives of
hundreds of men jeing saved. and the
course of battle :,eing changed by
pigeon?
Such things are happening daily on
the great front where the German
army is slowly, bu, surely, being
beaten back.
Thousands of pigeons ere fighting in
their dumb way as vali.ntly rs the
men in the line, their baltic for the al
lied cause. Hundreds are giving up
their lives. They fly through shell fire.
through the smoke and din of battle,
carrying messages that may mean sue
cess OF failure in an operation. Tele-
phone lines may be broken. or com.
munication by this means INTERRUPTED
by other causes. But communication
by plsc.n-war's mos. reliable nlassel-
ger-can be broken by death only.
Sly Mile Minute.
A pigeon may be wounded. It NAV
be famlshed for water, but it will fly,
despite its own enemies in the air, I'M
til it's last ounce of strength is ex-
hausted. Heading for its cote from
the front line, it will fly With the speed
OF the wind. Fast pigeons can make
better than Il mile q minute Attached
to its leg is Il little aluminium message
box aho at an inch long.
Arriving at the cote, the pigeon is
trapped the message box quickly
opened and rushed to headquarters.
The message is deciphered. And while
the pigeon is Strengthening it's ruffied
feathers, or cooling in anticipat ton Of
meal of barley Or canary seed, it is
likely that orders are going out mean
ing life or death, success Or failure, to
company, regiment, q brigade or
even q division.
AS ycu pass along the roads in the
rear OF The battle front you Will see
queer little houses standing on top
on the very pealS-of prominent knobs.
Then 'yau will notice the odd little
houses arc on Wneels. They are al
ways standin. in the most open place
III tis Nicnity.
There is hot tree within rods Of
the !it,.e house. The sun rolls down
pitiless,., or the rains pow upcn the
place. There doesn't seem 10 he any
one about BIZ. solnewhege--in tie
shade OF TIC LITTLE house or t.,a shelter
of q dUeout-you will find the only
human Inhabitants Of the knoll.
ne queer little house is a pigeon
cote. Three Zen are attached 10 each
cote. They il, in the pigeons. Sae that
III" t@hting u!.t to which they are at
tached is KEEP supplied with birds,
watch for their charges when they re-
turn tTciA The front, and then see that
HE ln"s~a@e brought in h. Tie pigeon
is promptly delivered.
Incidentally, il sLauld not be as
sulned that of this queer little settle
n'"nt atnp the knoll. only The pigeons
face the Gai GERS OF The front. The
pigeon 1nen' Will NOT trust the dcliy-
cry OF their birds; ia the front line to
anyone else. They put the pigeons in
wicker basket and dash over the
shell-sWept roads in a motorcycle side
car 10 the post command Of their unit,
where the biscis are turned over TO the
men in the line.
Work PERIOD Begins.
Then begins the pigeons period Of
work. 1t lives in the basket in which
it is carried TO the front. known as
the ''reSt basket" THIS basket is OF
open wicker, ard is some eight inches
deep. 1t IS about i fool and a half wide
ard TWO feet long. Little water pans
are fixed in The basket. and food
turned over to the man who is to care
for the pigeons while they are in the
front line.
When d patrol is ordered. or an at
tack is being made. the pigeons are
taken from the rest basket and put
into smaller wicker basket. This
rests on a mans back just between
the shoulders.
rig2ons are furnished not only the
infantry, but to balloon observers ana
c"va,Tymen. In the case OF the bal
loon observers only the rest BASKET is
usro. The pigeons are carried IN in
the balloon. and should the Observers;
telephone connection With the ground
become broken. one of his pigeons is
liberated and bears the message back
to its cote.
When with cavalry. the pigeons ride
in 4 tiny net hammock" It rests in
the hammock in normal sitting posi-
ton. anu though the nntion of the
horse may cause the hammock to
swing, the pigeon is in no danger of
being thrown against the side of the
basket, but is gently "rocked'' on it's
journey into battle.
Three Years to Collect 500.
1t took u. J. StOltz three wears TO get !