Evening star., 1937-09-21

prevalent comment Of pigeon-handling
veterans as they peer into the coops
rowed of in an express car.
Pigeon racing, definitely on the up
grade since its introduction in this
country. now includes more than 50,-
900 fanciers along the Eastern sea-
board alone.
Pigeon men are organized The In
ternational Federation of Homing
Pigeon Men is a 55-year- old organi-
zation, but does not have the men,
bership Of more recent group, the
American Racing Pigeon Union. There
has been talk for several years Of
affliation with the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. but the idea is any,
thing but popular with pigeon union
members.
I'VE are in sporting union" one
OF them explained Sunday morning,
mot labor organization. The A. F.
of L. wants us to throw in with them
but I don't think We'll be doing that
right away"
Gotham Birds Sent Here.
Most of the birds expressed to
Washington come from the New York
City area, according to c. w. Turner,
express superintendent here.
The New Workers start the season
by shipping their birds to some point
about the distance of Wilmington,
Del, then to Aberdeen, Md. The
flights then will stretch from WASH
ington and later in the season the
starting point is made more distant
to Charlottesville, Va: Concord and
Salisbury, N. c., and Spartanburg,
S. c.
Washington owners ship their pig
cons into Virginia and Maryland at
the outset Of the racing season and
later to Chicago and other Midwest
ern points, and to New York and New
England. Many local birds also are
sent along the Southern course.
Local owners spend hours on the
express platform preparing their rae
ers for the train trip to the starting
point. The club secretary is on hand
to place on the leg of each pigeon a
band carrying serial number. The
birds are placed in specially designed
coops, with watering and feeding IA
cilities, and are moved via passenger
train to the point of liberation.
A club or concourSe representative
then notifies the express agent at the
destination by telephone or wire full
instructions when to feed, water and
liberate the racers.
Fair Weather Races.
II weather conditions are bad. the
race is postponed and If threatening
weather continues for several days the
birds are returned without being re-
moved from the car.
Occasionally there is talk in the
pigeon-racing fraternity Of some own
er doping his birds or trying some
other means to increase abnormally
their speed, but on the whole the sport
is free of crooked practices.
Pigeon men prefer to put their
money on birds rather than race
horses. They have no jockeys and
race fixing to contend with. The nor
NAL racing pigeon is held back only
by inclement weather, hawks, entan-
clement with wires and the like,
1t Is estimated that nearly fourth
OF the liberated birds fail to make the
home loft during the racing season
and their value runs as high as 81 900
each. Consequently owners are not
inclined to take unnecessary risks,
particularly with regard to weather
conditions.
The rapid increase in racing pigeon
traf1ic noted by the express company
would indicate that it is merely q
matter Of time before America be-
comes pigeon conscious" Newspa-
pers may soon be publishing along
side horse race results the outcome
OF the 600-miler for 1-year-olds, or
the fourth running of the Washing
ton-New York pigeon derby.