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Show HAVE (GASP) JUNK MAIL JEEBIES I Pigeon power con fronts spiraling postal rates JPTHEftf NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC NEWS SERVICE The Roman naturalist Pliny marveled at the immense price and prestige commanded by the birds: Nay, they are come to this pass, that they can reckon up their peidigree and race." The Sultan of Baghdad linked his empire with a pigeon post system in 1150. Seven centuries later, message-carryin- g pigeons started Paul Julius Reuter on his way to founding a global news service. And just a few years ago a newsman had his photographic film of a moon shot airlifted to the office by a homer. postman with wings and feathers Ik called into action if the cost of delivering mail and messages continues to soar. Some people in England are suggesting homing pigeons as the answer to rising postage costs. Says a homer expert: Once you are established, the cost of running a pigeon post is incredibly low. A small package service is even more imminent. A hospital in Plymouth, England, already has decided to test A may pigeon parcel post. The feathered couriers will fly specimen vials from the hospital to a central laboratory in the city for analysis. MOST pigeons fly just for TODAY, sport. Organized racing began in Belgium in the early 1800s and soon spread. Fanciers breed and race their own birds. Even Queen Elizabeth of England has her own pigeon loft. Training begins when birds are about four weeks old. First they sit in the loft. Then they roam on their own nearby. Finally owners take them on longer and longer trips before releasing them. In races, specially banded birds are taken in crates to a starting point and released. When each bird comes home, its owner removes the band and inserts it into a device that records the time. Distance from starting point to loft is measured; times are checked and the bird that made it home fastest wins. When all goes well, a homer can clip along at 35 to 70 miles an hour. With the right wind, birds have been clocked as fast as 90 miles an hour. Flights of more than a thousand miles are common for mature racers, and one United States e flight. Army pigeon made a TAXIS NOW deliver the specimens, and would still come to the rescue if bad weather grounded the birds. As many as 20 hospitals in the Plymouth district eventually may use pigeons, saving thousands of dollars in taxi fares. Humans have been using the homing pigeons remarkable navigation instinct to provide fast communication for centuries, the National Geographic Society says. Many think Noah had the idea first. The Bible says he released a dove after the flood, and it returned with an olive twig. But bird fanciers insist a dove doesn't home, so it must have been a pigeon. EGYPTIANS were breeding special strains of messenger pigeons as early as 3000 B.C. The winged heralds sped the names of Greek Olympic victors to their home cities. 2,300-mil- New Shipment Exclusive Piano Lamps From $050 Sllje (Sift mouse (Sifts from around tic (globe Personalized Service DOWNTOWN AMPLE PARKING SMITHFIELD IN DEAN VINE RIPENED Tomatoes Squash lb, Qc Local Sweet Corn 69' Apples SUMMER RED ASTRAHAN A YELLOW TRANSPARENT IA Bu. WE ARE TAKING ORDERS FOR PICKLING CUCUMBERS rook Gardens 2015 NO. MAIN - LOGAN. UTAH |