Evening star., 1937-09-21

platform extension at Second and ]
streets.
Take last Sunday, for example, more
than 100 cOops, each containing ap-
proximately 80 birds banded for iden-
tiflcation, were lined up along the
platform. Fifty starters stood along
side them ready for word from a fore
man at the head of the line to release
the racers for more than a 200-mile
flight to New York
The foreman eyed his stop watch
and the pigeons pecked nervously al
the coop gates, apparently mindful
that they were soon to be soaring
for the home loft.
The foreman raised his hand, the
straters placed their hands on the
gate releasers, the birds jumped about
bit more anxiously.
Whirr Follows Signal.
Let 'er gol" the foreman shouted
In a flash there was a near deaf
ening whirr of 5000 pairs of wings
Pigeons piled from the coops anc
darted as single mass over a row
of two-story houses and began soaring
in ever widening circles for altitude
For nearly minute they circled
when suddenly a patch broke away
from the mass, as if familiar land.
mark on the horizon had been sighted
and raced in bee-line in the direction
OF the home loft. The mass followed
One bird, apparently befuddled BY
the mad confusion of the take-off
remained perched on a building only
so yards from the starting point
Shifting his head about in every di.
rection he finally spotted his 1895
racing opponents disappearing ovel
the horizon and set out in swift
pursuit.
THAT old boy'll probably beat EN-
all 1n," one starter commented as h,
began cleaning out an empty cooI
for its return to the owner.
Meanwhile, the foreman had rushed
to a nearby telephone and in a voic.
comparable to that of an airport short.
wave radio announcer informed tn,
club secretary at the other end of tn,
line in New York:
Weather clear, visibility good
moderate southwest wind, pigeons
liberated at sos am. as instructed.
Must Reach Home.
Nine clubs constituted the con
course "a group of clubs) in the bi,
race on Sunday. Club officials waitet
at the finish to clock their birds wher
they enter the home loft. A pigeor
has not finished the race until h,
enters the proper home"
A racing pigeons speed under proper
atmospheric conditions varies from 81
to 10 miles per hour and winners fre.
quently swell the purses of their own.
ers. Prizes and wagers between in.
dividuals, clubs and groups of club.
are at stake in nearly every race, 81
all sorts of rigid instructions must b.
adhered to.
The birds are trained carefully OF
daily ration of approximately A
grams OF vetch, beans, corns, peas
crushed rice and millet. The routin,
grooming begins when the squab is II
days old, the age when he gets hi!
first leg band. Other bands are at.
tached when he begins his racinl
career.
The youngster is usually about 1
months old before regular racing work.
outs begin. The first distances sci.
dom exceed SO or rs miles, the length
increasing gradually until frequently
a maximum of 1000 to 1,50O mile.
is reached. The average race is abou
600 miles.
Express Co. Solves Problem.
The Railway Express Co. began it.
pigeon service" about rs years age
and solved problem that had vexec
racing pigeon fanciers since the sport
was introduced in this country IL
1875-how to transport their birds tx
q distant point and have them re.
leased for a race.
Special men are on hand at thu
company platforms to care for thu
birds and attend to the starting ar.
fangements. In most big races ICON.
voys" or concourse representatives rid,
in the. express car with the birds from
their homes to the starting point II
see that all goes we'll before the race
Each Sunday morning during tn
racing season Washington pigeol
men (there are more than IS club
here) are on hand to act as starters
courtesy exchanged between fan
ciers in various cities
To the layman all birds look alike
except in color and markings, but t.
the pigeon man there are distin
gushing trails, judging from re
marks forthcoming during a pre-
race inspection Of the cooped flyers.
There's . likely looking bird" y