The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-01-11

Il Il
| M incident better illustrates Wn','
| II | they have accomplished than their
kSWEWC1 activities i'm the battle of Bethuh
IAtI0N court and Dead Mans hill. An en
GNNS4J tire French regiment was cut OH run
their comrades, completely surrounu '1,inr v-ord
DAYS and with no method OF communicates T,+
=, ,bo,r might 70 the general in command. ihat
fourth night one of the men scouting I'll NJ n
Land stumbled dead comraue oh ,,,.Io
hocI, was strained a basket carrying TWO nun
niqeons that during the four-day patlle ia" %
safec1rlrded by the body of their carethhei'
DERBY the scout brought the basket anu pl .
hack to the colonel the hill. Early the ncN'
morninp messages were written, alhNeu u "t'
LOGS of the birds, which, exhausted ana uust
soed but imbued with indomitable spirit anu
,Ihck wore lberated-wafted into the air ny .le
nrayers and wishes of the regiment bearing WIN
them the only remaining hope FOR these thous''"
Of men and the happiness OF other thous'nus -
their families at home. Shortly after"aru pot'.
birds 1uttered YEARLY into their loft back Ut
heodouarters and in a sOrtie ordered by 'he gen,
oral the enemy was driven back and the regiment
saved. - :, ,, T.,
One Of the officers of that regiment is now In
Washington and he has promised hihSeh u''
now theewar Is over he will have iolt Oh ihe
hest birds he can get, and the best care ana AZ
tentlon that Is possible will be but slisht pal'
~ his measure Of appreciation and gratitude 10
rho little feathered messengers to whom lie anu
his comrades their lives
These little birds have been used In almost
every conceivable way to get word back TO the
r reserves or To headquarters when all oti'er
9neans Of communication failed
"A carrier pigeons are not only used by the IN
foptrv and the navy, but are used frequently by
the air service At the Dunkirk hydroplane sta
tion they have an enviable record. There mas not
been single accident to a plane. nor the loss OIL
n piane in combat. where word OF the occurrence
;, was not brought back by the pigeons wmch are
a mart of the equipment of the planes instances
:, ,ha va,ue of the messengers could be multi
nl,ad without number but 1t Is more interesting
10 recount how these birds are BRED reared ana
housed under war conditions
The pigeons ability to do all of these wonderful
tasks lies in its faculty of orientation, that Is us
nowar IN know rs soon as ii is released in what
direction its home loft is and to fly directly 70 IL
The nerfection To which orientation is developed
On the highly bred and trained homer was recently
demonstrated ut pigeon fly conducted by tne
nipeon section of the signal corps, when BIN
hop,inp pigeons were released in Washington to
a ay 10 New York city, 224 miles. To a single
bird these pigeons ran out of their coops an'
. arose In the air with the speed of an express
,roin and after taking half circle to get thei
hearing were off for New York. Every one o
the plgeons was reported To have arrived prompt
lv and the first arrival made the trip in hour
n,d 40 minutes Surely il did not stop to rea
many sign posts on the way
Inst how the homing pigeon developed thi
oner of orientation is mooi question, but II
or,oin that IL has been cultivated through Gel
.r;as until now it is almost uncanny. Wha
,dss the nigeon back to the loft where 1t hr>
..not IN the air" is quality called by man
,amas and YOU will find that each person know
a.. no has the answer to the riddle. Some ca
a. ,nn,,e love of home; others attribute II to IA
n,,y atmospheric conditions. sight, or memor
,'nrsonallv | cannot call it anything more or le'
ran instinct highly developed We find 1t
,assor degree in horses, dogs and cats, and
atnor birds it seems to be developed a little ie
u,arled,y but with sufficient accuracy so tn
,hev migrate annually thousands of miles witho
che aid of any other compass than their instin'
when we remember the potent power OF seie
.,o, and think of the years and generations
narefnl breeding and selection which the homli
n,gaon has undergone it is not so wonderful IN
thev have developed the homing instinct to a hl'
aecree I have seen their cousins, the tan-tai
,,caons bred TO such degree of hneness IN
thew weighed only a few ounces apiece ana we