PRESS CARRIER PIGEONS. Printer's Register.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1623, 27 October 1874, Page 405

PRESS CARRIER PIGEONS. Printer's Register.

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, flying a mile per minute, than by the Postal Telegraph. These aerial postmen are entrusted to resident correspondents in various places, ready to be despatched at any moment, whilst others are sent out by reporters to places where important events are transpiring. It is now no uncommon thing to see reporters at police courts, inquests, public meetings, &c, dispatch folio after folio of " copy " by press carrier pigeons tossed through the nearest window, or thrown out of a train 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, 6f 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, the bell machinery continuing in motion until attended to. Being expressly bred for press purposes —conveying news to our great cities—they are not the pure carrier pigeon (which is larger, heavier, and slower on the wing, and not 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 " producteurs " being rejected which have not won a 300 mile "concours." Press carrier pigeons owe their origin to Darwin's principle of " natural selection," or the " survival of the fittest." In the straggle for life in connection with the compulsory flying of long distances, the homing and flying 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 voyageurs become thus educated to the highest standard of perfection, and this system being continued through many generations (the flying distances increasing every year) a race of pigeons have been produced with powers which a few years ago would have been deemed impossible. Press carrier pigeons, though as a rule only used for short distances, in competition with the telegraph, can be specially trained to distances of 500 miles, and frequently fly to England from Dublin, Brussels, Paris,- Lisbon, and even Rome. The utilization of the instincts of birds is being carried even further than this. An ocean homing bird, of great docility, intelligence, and spirit, has been found in Iceland, which flies at a meteorlike speed of 150 miles an hour, and is able to find its home over sea and land, from any part of the habitable world. A pair of these birds a few days ago brought dispatches from Paris to a lonely spot, congenial to their nature, in a wild and rocky part of Kent, within ten miles of London, in 1j- hours. Press carrier pigeons took the dispatches on to the City, the whole distance from Paris to London, by actual parcel-mode of conveyance, being done ■within 1£ hour. If 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 be traversed between sunrise in one hemisphere and sunset in the other.