APPENDIX A 
ments of the feed and water dishes, which are 
valuable. The erpres 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, Cali- 
fornia, 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 1 age 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 recommenda- 
tions for us to people who live at a distance 
that we ever received: 
- “Yesterday a.m. (January 20) at 8.30 we 
received your letter advising us of the ship- 
ment of 100 pairs of Extra Mated Homers, on 
January 14; advising also that the pigeons 
would reach us before the letter. Well, they 
did not arrive until 4.30 today, January 21 (7) 
seven days onthe road. Wenotice that seven 
days are also required to get your shipments to 
Los Angeles; and when you assume that they 
will reach here at or before the receipt of no- 
tice 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 individual one being in first- 
class shape; giving evidence of being phiuped 
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 company 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. 
e wish to compliment you on your prompt 
methods of doing business, and on the superior- 
ity of the birds shipped us. They were indeed 
high-class birds, in fact, Mr. Rice, they are 
better stock than we expected to receive. our 
sending us four extra pairs above order was a 
graceful act on your part, one which we fully 
appreciate, and thank you right here for it. 
For 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 per hundred Boston 
to Son Rafael, 270 pounds 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 
145 
pairs), this is too much by a margin. $4 rate 
to San Francisco per 12 pairs is not just cor- 
rect, still we are not kicking, for the difference 
is not very much. Note this, 201 birds came 
out of those baskets. Now wearesure, abso- 
lutely sure of the count. Two people kept 
count as each bird was liberated and 201 birds 
came out of the crates. If 100 pairs are 
mated, what will we do for that poor lone 
bird? We wait for suggestions; pretty 
tough on that lone bird, 3500 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 baskets. 
We sent a large order into San Francisco and 
on the way four of the crates were broken into 
by rough handling and forty-two birds got 
away. The Wells-Fargo Express Company 
settled with us for the be 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 
enero people carried the birds dead- 
ead, : 
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. 
‘here is a minor criticism in the above 
letter in the ma‘’er of express charges. Ac- 
cording ~to -the- figures.-which- we: give-in the 
circular headed “ Express Rates,’ the cus- 
tomer.should have been asked to pay about 
$33; instead of $37, as he did pay. . We be- 
lieve the figures which we give to be correct 
in ‘every case—the slight variation which 
may come as it came in this case is due to 
the fact that no two persons will weigh up 
the same lot of goods exactly the same, and 
that, of course, the birds vary in weight. 
The weight when the shipment starts is less 
than when it finishes, because at the end 
the bottoms of the baskets are covered with 
manure, (The grain which we send for feed 
is not wraied in and charged for transpor- 
tation.) If the waybill is lost or delayed, 
and the agent at destination weighs the 
shipment, he will get a greater weight, and 
consequently a higher rate, than the express 
employee who weighed the shipment here in 
Boston, F 4 
We wish to say further that if you think 
we have figured the express rates to you too 
low, send us money which we claim to be 
