144 NATIONAL STANDARD SQUAB BOOK 



SOUTHERN MARKET. Our breeding Stock 

 has gone to every state in the South. If you 

 live in any part of the South, you can market 

 squabs as readily as poultry is marketed. 

 One of our Southern customers, who lives in 

 Citronelle, Alabama, has been to Boston to 

 see us. Under date of January 30, 1903, he 

 writes: "I have received Homers from two 

 others, but they do not compare with yours. 

 I will build my second house very soon as 

 the first one is filling up fast." 



LONG DISTANCE SHIPMENTS. To all 

 inquirers we wish to state again emphati- 

 cally that we certainly do guarantee the safe 

 arrival of every bird, no matter in what part 

 of the world you live. We are learning all 

 the time how to handle the long distance 

 shipments best and experience has taught us 

 little wrinkles about the baskets and the 

 arrangements of the feed and water dish.es 

 which are valuable. The express messengers 

 get their instructions not from guesswork or 

 from written notices or tags, but from a 

 board a foot square on which is printed in 

 bold type the necessary directions. This 

 winter (1903) we have shipped every week "to 

 California. One order of 200 pairs for Santa 

 Ana, California, filled seventeen baskets. 

 Of the 400 birds, only one turned up dead, 

 but as we had sent along four more pairs 

 than the order called for, we were seven 

 birds ahead on the count. Another large 

 shipment to San Rafael, California, in Janu- 

 ary, 1903, brought back by return mail .the 

 following letter, which we print exactly as 

 we got it, word for word, and altogether it is 

 one of the best recommendations for us to 

 people who live at a distance that we ever 

 received: 



"Yesterday, A. M. (Jan. 20th) at 8.30 we 

 received your letter advising us of the ship- 

 ment of 100 pairs of Extra Mated Homers, on 

 Jan. 14th; advising also that the pigeons 

 would reach us before the letter. Well, they 

 did not arrive until 4.30 today, Jan. 21 (7) 

 seven days on the road. We notice that 

 seven days is also required to get your ship- 

 ments to Los Angeles; and when you assume 

 that they will reach here at or before the 

 receipt of notice of shipment we think you 

 are mistaken. Nevertheless, be this as it 

 may, the birds reached us tonight at 5.30, 

 every bird in first-class shape every indi- 

 vidual one being in first-class shape; giving 

 evidence of being shipped in perfect condition 

 and having plenty of feed and water en 

 route. Your feed ran short, as evidenced by 

 charges of 40 cents made by express com- 

 pany for feed provided by them, which we" 

 are only too glad to pay, and at same time 

 shows care and attention of express company 

 messengers a good fault. Every bird in the 

 lot is bright and active, and they come into 

 a first-class home, a fine house and flying 

 pen, plenty of feed and a galvanized iron 

 pan 6 inches deep with water 4 inches deep 



running constantly. Dimensions of pan, 4 

 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 10 inches, guarantee- 

 ing plenty of bathing facilities. They were 

 liberated after dark, but the early morning 

 will afford all the bathing facilities they will 

 need, and we prophesy they will embrace the 

 opportunities afforded at first opportunity. 

 We wish to compliment you on your prompt 

 methods of doing business, and on the su- 

 periority of the birds shipped us. They were 

 indeed high class birds, in fact, Mr. Rice, 

 they are better stock than we expected _to 

 receive. Your sending us 4 extra pairs above 

 order was a graceful act on your part, one 

 which we fully appreciate, and thank you 

 right here for it. Your shipment was nearly 

 a week before we expected it, but by extra 

 exertion we got all ready in time and they 

 have a fine home. Express charges at $14 p.er 

 hundred Boston to San Rafael, 270 Ibs. weight 

 of shipment, amounted to $37.80 plus 40 cents 

 for feed, $38.20 total, at merchandise rate. 

 Still at rate given in your circular $4 for 24 

 birds (12 pairs), this is too much by a 

 margin. $4 rate to San Francisco per 12 

 pairs is not just correct, still we are not 

 kicking, for the difference is not very much. 

 Note this, 201 birds came out of those bas- 

 kets, now we are sure, absolutely sure of 

 the count; two people kept count as each 

 bird was liberated and 201 birds came out 

 of the crates. If idO pairs are mated, what 

 will we do for that poor lone bird? We 

 await for suggestions; pretty tough on that 

 lone bird, 3,500 miles from home, but he or 

 she is here sure. In conclusion we thank 

 you for your promptness, your honesty and 

 your fair, square dealing and will keep you 

 posted as to our progress as per your sug- 

 gestion. We thank you for the crates; they 

 are fine. We wrote you yesterday and look 

 for reply in accordance with your usual 

 promptness." 



We sent the above letter to Mr. R. H. 

 Dwight, agent for the Wells-Fargo Express 

 Company in Boston, and he was quite as 

 pleased as we were. Through Mr. Dwight' s 

 co-operation our through western shipments 

 by the Wells-Fargo have been a remarkable 

 success. The only difficulty we have ever 

 had on account of long distance trade came 

 when we were shipping in crates, not bas- 

 kets. We sent a large order into San Fran- 

 cisco and on the way four of the crates were 

 broken into by rough handling and fort- 

 two birds got away. The Wells-Fargo Ex- 

 press Company settled with us for the loss 

 of those birds and we made good to the 

 customer, sending the missing birds on, and 

 the customer was out not a cent for further 

 express charges, for the Wells-Fargo people 

 carried the birds deadhead. 



The baskets in which we now ship cannot 

 be broken open except with the aid of an axe 

 and they can be thrown ten feet across a 

 depot platform without being injured. 



