The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1920-09-17
KEEN INTEREST IN
PIGEON CONTEST
TWO BIRDS TO BE RELEASED
HERE BY HARRINGTON BROS.
ON SEPTEMBER 25-WILL FLY
TO HOME IN ST. LOUIS.

TO HOME IN ST. LOUIS.
Local interest has been aroused
to a high pitch in the Rexall Pigeon
Derby to be flown at st. Louis on
September %, next, and in which a
pair of homing pigeons to be re-
leased by Harrington Bros, of this
city, will participate. In all 5000
homing pigeons are to take part
in the race, each having been bred,
hatched and trained in theRexall
Pigeon Lofts, st. Louis, the larg-
est in the world.
These lofts were built especially
for the birds that are to compete
in this race More than 500 hom-
ing pigeons of the very best strains
obtainable were purchased and es-
tablished in the lofts as breeders.
From this nucleus the younger birds
have been bred until, today, the lofts
boast more live pigeons than any
other in the world.
Scores of married men who have
visited the great pigeon lofts in
| st. Louis have had revealed to them
by this feathered clan some beauti-
| full examples of domesticity. The
most predominant trait in the char
acter of the homing pigeon. of
course, is his love for home. His
birthplace, the loft in which he is
bred, reared and trained, is home,
and no other spot on earth, no mat
ter how alluring, has any interest
for him. He may be carried off,
miles from home, and tossed into
, space. Eventually he will return.
1t may take days, or it may be only
matter of hours, but no anxiety
is felt on the part of his mate, for
she knows that he will be back SOON
er or later. Devotion to mate and
their young, and love of home is
so dominant in their natures that
they are oblivious to all else.
There are no slackers in these
families. Both male and female do
their part toward making a home.
The male finds the materials of to-
bacco stems, and the female sets
herself to the task of actual nest
building. Once mated, pigeons re-
main mated for life. They never
waver in their constancy and 10y
atty to and love of mate. At the
age of three months the young pig
con looks about for his wife and
once he wins her, and this only af-
ter the most ardent wooing, he is
hers till death and he slaves for her
and their progeny from dawn till
dark.
A large corps of trainers and at
tendants are required to care for
and train the pigeons and to this
end the United Drug Company has
spared no expense. The cost at
tending the feeding of so many pig
cons itself constitutes a heavy item
of cost.
The race will be confined to Rex
all druggists doing business within
500 mile radius of st. Louis. Each
of these druggists will enter a pair
of pigeons in the race, the birds be-
ing shipped to him from the st.
Louis lofts. The birds will be re-
leased for the speedy flight to st.
Louis at a specified hour, handicaps
as to distance having been carefully
| worked out, and the first bird to
trap in" at the st. Louis lofts will
receive the golden prize.
In each town, as here, local
plOSIdHu Will UC III COH-
nection with the release of the pig
cons. The mayor, either in person
or through authority delegated to
some pretty GIRL will speed the
pigeons on their way with written
message beneath their wings for
the governor of Missouri who will
greet the little racers upon their
arrival.
The occasion of this race is for
the amusement and entertainment
of the 5000 or more Rexall drug
gists of the United States who as
semble in st. Louis on September
| 25 for their annual convention,
made especially interesting this year
because of the Inauguration of the
new $4,000,000 factory the United
Drug Company has just completed
in st. Louis for the manufacture of
Rexall products.
Of course pigeon fanciers, the
world over, are focusing attention
upon this race and the Pigeon Sec
tion of the Signal Corps, u. S. Army
will officially observe the race and
keep close check on the time made
by the Rexall pigeons. Frank P.
Lucke, president of the International
Federation of American Homing
Pigeons Fanciers, will be one of the
judges of the race and he is keep
ing close watch of every step of
Il