Evening star., 1925-01-04

number OF persons who are not CO
also own pigeons. it is easily estims
many thousands OF pigeons.
How many people in Washington
realize what an important part the
racing pigeon contributed during the
last great war? Many birds belong
Ing 70 Washington fanciers were used
by the Government in this importapt
work. The birds were sent from
America to thief battle fronts of
France, where they were domiciled in
specially constructed lofts, moving
with detachments of troops and kept
in constant training for their task
of carrying messages
Have Own Army.
With them went a number of young
men who. having gone into the work
of breeding and training the homers
for the sport they found in II, were
particularly well equipped TO carry
on the work with the birds "over
there"
Washington's pigeon fanciers are
divided into about a dozen districts
There is also the organiza ton known
rs the National Capital Concourse AS
sociation, which comprises the mem
bership OF all the districts Then
there are several national organize
tions, to one or more of which the
majority of the accredited pigeon
fanciers belong. They are the Inter-
national Federation of Homing Pigeon
Fanciers, the American Racing Pigeon
Union and the Washington Pigeon
Club.
The racing pigeons are divided into
two classes-old birds and the young
birds. The first race for old birds is
usually 100 miles, and after this the
distance is increased 100 miles at
every race until 500 miles is reached
During the old bird series of 1924
Washington undertook to 1y longer
races. One of the most important
which Washington fanciers competed
IN was from Chattanooga, Tenn,
which was known as the Chattanooga
Combine, and birds from many cities
throughout the East and central part
OF our country competed in it for the
honorS. The air line distance of this
race TO Washington was 535 miles and
five birds made the flight in day.
Young Bird Races short.
The races for the young birds begin
with lpo-mile flights, increasing to
$50 miles. then 200 and 300 miles. The
entries in this class must be pigeons
only few months old; for instance.
BIRDS bred during 1926 will be eligible
Tor the young bird races The ma
tional organizations issue aluminium
bands with the year and number
stamped on them. These bands are
placed on the bird when four or five
days old. They cannot be removed
until cut, and no bird can compete
IN this class of races until it is
banded.
Timing the races is an important
fro
taken into account and each second
OF the flight determined. This is done
oy means of sort of stop-watch ar
rangement
When each fano;er ships his birds
Tor flight in conjunction with his
club or concourse, his birds are taken
over by committee that places little
brass countermarks on the birds legs.
when the. bird arrives at its home
loft this band is detached from the
leg and Immediately inserted into a
special clock, which registers the time
the band is inserted. The clock is
automatically sealed and locked, and
cannot be opened until reported at
race headquarters, where the conf
mittee in charge computes the time
and distance covered
Homing pigeons have always PLAYED
an important part in wars Among
the conflicts in which they con-
tributed their share OF service was
the Franco -Prussian War. When ball
looms going out of Paris were filled
with baskets of the birds, which
when liberated. carried messages to
the beleaguered city
During the years of the success of
Napoleon, Nathan RothchiId of Lon
don, established pigeon post in
France and some of the adjacent
countries and by means of these posts
obtained information as to the re-
suits of the various moves in the
Napoleonic compaign
Helped I'm World War.
In the World War, the homers did
their bit. The pigeon force of all
the countries engaged included $500
officers and men and 100000 birds
At the close of the war the United
States Signal Corps purchased 800 of
England's best birds for the purpose
of breeding in this country from this
extremely good stock.
In England there-are "ex-service"
pigeons. These feathered messengers,
under fire, number Of times while
performing their duty, have been
pensioned by the War Department of
Great Britain and placed in care of a
keeper whose duty it is to care for
them until they die
Among these birds is one known
as No. IL that was shot through one
wing while carrying a message from
one Of the ships in the North Sea.
Despite it's injury, the bird continued
it's flight, and, reaching land. de-
llvered a message that saved the
town of Bridlingham from lombard
ment.
Another bird, known as Flighty.
that is on the pension list carried
to the naval base news of the ships
that took part in the battle of Jut-
land.
There are crippled fvets" among
the birds still in the Sc ryice of the