HOMING PIGEON CLUB.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9090, 15 May 1908, Page 5

HOMING PIGEON CLUB.

INTERESTING RACE YESTERDAY. A homing pigeon race flown from the Summit to Masterton yesterday, excited quite a large amount of interest among the young and enthusiastic members composing the Masterton Homing Pigeon Club. A little group of members whose ranks were increased minute by minute as fresh members arrived post haste from their respective loi'ts, clock in hand, might have been seen in front of the Drill Hall, at two o'clock in the afternoon, peering closely at the second hands and hour hands, or making sundry calculations mentally and otherwise. The enthusiasts had raason for their excitement, as a very close race had been completed, seconds only separating the placed birds, while the times registered were not only a record for the club, but were very fast indeed for birds barely trained properly, and considering the feathered racers had a slight head wind to contend with. The air-line from the Summit to Masterton is about 35 miles, and the winning bird, "Diana." raced by Mr J. Bradbury,cut the distance out in the splendid time of 46 minutes 20 seconds, equal to a speed of 1,339 yards per minute. Mr G. Barber's "Flashlight"' was second with a speed of 1,310 yards per minute, this bird taking 47 minutes 20 seconds to accomplish the distance. Mr I-T. W. Lett's "Never Despair" also put up a fine performance, taking 47 minutes 57 seconds only, while Mr H. F. Biliington's "Sunrise" was only a "cry few seconds slower, doing the distance'to its own er's loft in 45 minutes 14 seconds. The lime put up by Mr Biliington's bird, by the clock, was the shortest, hut its owner living about two and uhalf miles closer to the point of liberation had to concede a certain allowance to the others, a deduction being also made against Mr Lett in a dimliar respect. Mr J. Bradbury, through the win of "Diana," annexes the prize homer presented to the club by Mr R. W. Dixon, of New Plymouth, Mr Barker winning a homer given by Mr J. J. Perry, of Palmerston North.