BY PIGEON POST.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 122, 25 May 1928, Page 8

BY PIGEON POST.

JOURNALISTIC ENTERPRISE — "STAR'S" EARLY NEWS SERVICE. telephone and the radio Jk have revolutionised the process of news gathering (JI-JW since the days when carrier pigeons brought to the ''Star" Office reports of events from many distant places. Although it is almost half a century since important changes began in methods of communication, there are people in Auckland to-day who have not forgotten the sure-winged birds that came with reports of election campaigns, race meetings, and other occurrences from outlying centres. As a beginning twelve Antwerp pigeons were imported from a Tasmanian loft and got into training. On the occasion of a hard-fought election campaign in 1873 between Messrs. Williamson, Dargaville, and Lusk for the office of Superintendent of the province, the "Star" pigeon service came into prominence as a feature of the daily newo service. The n>. spaper announced on the day before the election that carrier pigeons would be used in gathering ihe results from the cattered polling places. The poll closed at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. In "Iyndham Street, opposite the "Star" Office, a crowd of citizens had gathered to hear the results of the polling. Eager eyes scanned the sky for the first s of the birds making their way to a loft on the top of the "Star" building. Excitement was intense as each bird arrived. Sometimes, instead of taking the message immediately to the editorial r«. m, Mr. n rett would announce the results from the roof, and the news would call forth cheers from partisans of the leading candidate. Political Speech Photographed. Another occasion when pigeons played a leading part in "Star" enterprise was when an important speech was made by Sir George Grey at the Thames. All newspapers were anxioup to get full reports, and the staffs of the Thames "Advertiser" and the Auckland "Star" combined to produce a report which covered a whole page. The ques tion was how to get it to Auckland in time for publication on the following day. Mr. Brett hit on the idea of having the page photographed, as there was no method of transferring the bulky typ" to Auckland in the limited time avail able, and so several birds were liberated, each having a duplicate print of the

photograph in case of mishap pigeons reached their loft, and the en*! $ ing paper came out with a goc* * of Sir George Grey's addressTS | decipher the characters of the phofo. ' graphic print it had been necessary J ' use a strong magnifying glass. The who}, 1 speech was re-written and set up at I "Star" Office, and the feat was one tint l was remembered long afterwards as q J achievement in Dominion journalism. I Even during the 'nineties pig** J grams were used to some extent. Reports i of the races at Ellerslie and at other * ; 1 places were invariably brought to the I office in this way. Half a dozen birds < would be taken by the reporter to the \ fixture, and to scribes who were not biid fanciers the method was one j rise to many humorous stories. As j race finished the result was quieki) writ' on the thinnest of tissue paper and tied round the bird's leg. A few minutes served to deliver it to the Messages seldom went astray. Advance Overseas News. „ It is also recalled that birds were sent across to Sydney with the pimer of the steamer Hero, who rele. Ed then when the vessel was approaching New Zealand on the return journey; and in days when the means of communication ■were scanty and New Zealand was not connected by cable with the outside world, the method was one that wmMffl the "Star" to secure first intelligence concerning events in England and on the Continent. The passenger ' : st and a summary of the cargo were delivered by the same means. When the steamer Hero arrived at Auckland on such occasions the passengers were delighted to be handed copies of the "Star" containing a section of oversea news and a full report of the voyage. Pigeon Caught by Maoris. The longest voyage on record by carrier pigeons with Press messages was on the Homeward voyage of the ship t City of Auckland. This vessel left New Zealand in December, 1872 When she was 260 miles out at sea four birds were released by Captain Ashby. Only two of them reached the loft. Two years later a New Zealand coastal skipper reported that the Maoris at the East Cape had a pigeon which had been caught with a message. The "Star" obtained possession of it by paying the natives the sum of £1, and rpon its arrival in Auckland it was identified as one of the four that had been released by Captain Ashby. The message attached read: "260 miles from Auckland; goodbye; kind regards to all friends; wind w., freshening; every appearance of change; have not sighted land to-day; many passengers unwell this afternoon with seasickness. —W. Ashby, Commander."