PRESS CARRIER PIGEONS.

Evening Star, Issue 3658, 12 November 1874, Page 3

PRESS CARRIER PIGEONS.

One of the most curious incidents connected with modern journalism is the regular employment of carrier pigeons in collecting intelligence for the daily and weekly newspapers. In the competitive exertions to procure the “ latest intelligence,” it has been found that for short distances newspaper reports can be sent readier, cheaper, and quicker by Press carrier pigeons, living a mile per minute, than by the Elect ric Telegraph. These aerial postmen are entrusted to resilient correspondents in various places, ready to be despatched at any moment, whilst others are sent out by reporters to places where important events arc transpiring. It is now no uncommon thing to see reporters at police courts, inquests, public meetings, Ac., despatch folio after folio of “copy” by Press candor pigeons, tossed through the mm ost window, or thrown out of a trnui or .steamer going at full speed. The attachment of these birds to the place of their birth, and their ability to find their homes from marvellous distances, are, of course, their distinguishing characteristics. A “ columbier ” or home is established at the various newspaper offices, and whenever a bird arrives with a message the act of the pigeon entering its cot sets a call-bell ringing in the editor’s room, thobeli machinery continuing in motion until attended to. Being expresslybred for Press purposes—convoying news to our great cities—they are not the pure carrier pigeon (which is larger, heavier, and slower on the wing, and no.t so well adapted for Press purposes), but are of a special pedigree, bred by Messrs Hartley and Sons, of the ‘Woolwich Gazette,’ Woolwich, from prize birds imported from the best lofts of Antwerp, Brussels, and Liege ; all “ prodnetours ” being rejected which have not atou a 300 mile “concours.” Press carrier pigeons owe their origin to Darwin’s principal of “natural selection,” or the “ survival of the fittest.” In the struggle of life in connection with the compulsory Hying of long distances, the homing and Hying powers of the pigeons are developed to a large degree, whilst the birds which cannot do the distance are necessarily lost and eliminated. The surviving or winning I'o/jagp.nr. s- become thus educe, ted to the highest ■ standard of perfection, and this system being continued through many generations (the flying distances increasing every year) a race of pigeons has been produced with powers which a few years ago would have been deemed impossible. Press carrin l pigeons, though as a rule only used for short distances, in competition with the electric telegraph, can be specially trained to distances of 500 miles, and frequently fly to England from Dublin, Brussels, Paris, Lisbon, and even Rome. The utilisation of the instincts of birds is being carried even further than this. An ocean homing bird, of great docility, intelligence, and spirit, Imsbeen found in Iceland, which flies at a meteor-like speed of 150 miles an hour, and is able to find its home over sea and land, from anvpavt of the habitable world. A pair of these birds very lately brought dispatches from Pains to a lonely spot, congenial to their nature, in a wild and rocky part of Kent, within ten miles of London, in 1 j bom s. Press carrier pigeons took the dispatches on to the City, the whole distance from Baris to Loudon, by actual parcel mode of conveyance, being done within I. 1 , hours. If (remarks the ‘ Printers’ Register’) the experiments at present being made in training and educating them continue successful, it is hoped by next summer to establish a daily miniature ocean mail between America and Europe, the whole distance to ho traversed between sunrise in one hemisphere and sunset in the other. Jt may not be generally known that ibo enterprising Auckland ‘Evening Etar ’ Ims long used carrier pigeons in preference to the telegraph for short distances. These “winged messengers” accompany reporters to cricket matches, race, agricultural, or public meetings at any small distance from the City, and return to tbeir quarters at an average speed of nearly a mile a minute. Birds are also placed on board outward bound Homo ships, and are despatched with the “ latest intelligence from the good ship ,” as the passengers take their last look at New Zealand.