Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-01-16

mating the necessity of writing the messaSeH'
However. the pigeon might have something !"
say about the matter. 80
One of the most difficult parts OIL lhe WIN Va
introducing pigeons into the army serNlee vas -
instill into the minds of the officers and men the
fact tha+ the nipeons are reliable. That they are
reliable is proved by the experience overseas
where the birds are retained in forward posluohs
while any other method, whether telephone tele-
graph, induction buzzers, wireless, wlgwas or run
ner is available, and only when everything else
fails, and only the birds remain, then through
barrage, gas, and every other OF the hlaOollcai
inventions of war, more than 81 per cent OF the
messages intrusted to our pigeons are safely ana
speediIy delivered by them to headquarters,
These messengers are carried to the front III
especially constructed wicker baskets which can
he carried handilv by the soldier intrusted with
their care. Back of the lines the pigeons are kept
in either of two kinds of lofts or home, station
ary or movable, but the essential feature of each
is the same. Every effort is made to make each
bird comfortable, happy and attached to its nome
This is done most effectively by the method OF
feeding, as the approach to the birds affection
is through it's stomach, the same as with genus
homo. Each loft is equipped with a trap through
which the birds are taught to enter and leave
without fear. Each time the bird enters the trap
an alarm is automatically rung, notifying the
ffpnUt vi lDG IClulh VI tbS bihf hhtN h"S $3.50
sage may be Immediately obtained and forwarded
to headquarters.
BEFORE the late war if you had told a pigeon
fancier that you could move his pigeon loft as far
as 30 miles and that the pigeons would return to |
swiftly and accurately he would probably have
laughed at you and said something about YOU
being a novice in the pigeon racing and breeding
game. The movable loft is one of the advances
in pigeon lore that the war has brought out
This is a very important development, as it Is
bieblv desirable that the lofts always be near tC
military Headquarters and available for instant
removal Will headquarters as conditions may re
ouire. These movable lofts are very well con
structed and are interesting homes for these itin
Grant messengers. They are QUILTED with nesting
boxes. observation traps. storage space for feed
water. and accommodations for one or two at
tendants who are constantly on duty. In fact
they remind one of the circus wagons that traye
with the smaller circuses about the country.
Another innovation developed was the "owl ex
nress" There were pigeons at the front tina
developed the faculty for seeing at nigh
and these we're called veritable human night owls
In fact. they came home much more steadily an(
occurately than some (. their civilian brethren
who were wont to be habitual riders Of the low
express"
The snort of racing and breeding pigeons Is du'
70 receive an impetus as n civilian sport now tim
rho war Is ended, and the progress made unde
war conditions should not be allowed to lapse
thousands of soldiers viii have become familia
with the birds and will have a warm regard 70
them. There will be many who will share tn,
feeling of the officer who was mentioned In tn
first part Of this article as having been saved b.
te pigeons in the battle Of Bethuncourt an,
Dead Mans hill