The New York herald., 1920-01-19
Two Army Pigeons
Insured for $4,000
Internal Revenue Inspectors Raid Hen
. Laying Tonic at Garden
Poultry Show.

Uncle Sam and Victory, pair of Bel
gian homing pigeons to be exhibited at
the New York Poultry and Pigeon Asso-
citation Show, which opens tomorrow in
Madison Square Garden, have been in
sured for 5000 by their owner. August de
Corte, of Staten Island, who. with Jean
de Corte Jr.. and w. ]. Genot, will mount
guard in turn before the coops of the two
birds throughout the exhibition. Mr.. De
because, he claims, OF their historic
value as the pioneers Of the Army Pigeon
Service and lofts.
In an affidavit sworn to before Arpad
Won Barbery. notary public of New
York County. on January Il, 1920. whose
states:-'I organized the Pigeon Message
Carrier and Travelling Pigeon Service in
the United States Army six months before
General Pershing. in August, 1917, asked
for a supply of trained pigeons. Uncle
sam and his hen, Victory, were first
tried out on February 6. 1917, for the
United States War Department. at the
Army Building. No. 80 Whitehall street.
New York. They are imported Belgium
birds. the cock bred by Clens-De Corte
and the hen by Wegge-De Corte. Ulens
Wegge and De Corte are the three Bel
gian champions. and so recognized by Eu-
ropean pigeon flyers.
"Major Carl Hartman and Mr.. Beattie.
Chief Officer and Chief Clerk Of the
Army Signal Corps, were present at the
demonstration, with others. ! proved why
pigeons were needed at once by the gov
ernment for communication work, and
how by my patents and methods they
could be made Immediately available.
Fourteen Of the produce of Uncle Sam
and Victory were the first pigeons used
by the United States Army Signal Ser
vice. on April O. 1917, two weeks before any
other pigeons were used by the War De-
partment. supplied fourteen more Of
the same breeding the same month. six
Of them were the first pigeons sent 10
France TO be used by the American EX-
pcditionary Forces. My birds. at the front
IN the war. by their efficiency and help
fulness were the means of saving thou
sands OF American lives"
Homing pigeons with records or war
service will also be exhibited at the Gar
den by the Army Pigeon Communication
Service and the Naval Aircraft Signal
Corps.
Two men who are said to have been in
ternal revenue inspectors removed case
OF Twelve bottles or a DQuiu tonlc 10 IN
crease the production of laying hens by
making them lay eggs faster from Madi-
son Square Garden. yesterday. They
claimed from the contents OF bottle that
had spilled that the liquid was fully fifty
per cent alcohol.
Poultry food and, medicines are ex-
plotted by many recognized firms during
the show" said Arthur Darlington, the
assistant secretary. but the liquid egg
stimulator is something new. / was not
present when the booth was raided, but
I understand two men who said they
were revenue inspectors took the tonic
away for examination somewhere. One
OF the bottles had been broken, and as
am told. the attention of the inspectors
was called to man who had found a
fresh egg and was mixing IL into drink
with n quantity Of the alleged tonic. They
tool, what was left OF the cgg-flip away
with the filled bottles
Workmen have been Transforming the
Garden into mammoth poultry and
pigeon yard since midnight Saturday II.
Cecil Sheppard. of Berea. Ohio. brought
I'm eighty-one Anconas, one of the largest
one-b breed entries by an exhibitor. but sur
passed by the entry OF Robadel Farms.
which arrived from Cos Cob. Conn, and
included Minorcas. Orpingtons and Leg
horns. to the number Of go birds. The
Garden will be all ready Tor the rush OF
arrivals today and tonight.