A Birds Message.
Two Young Men in Michigan Killed a Pigon [Sic.] Which Hailed from Kentucky.
Battle Creek, Mich., Oct. 3. — A few days ago a young man of this city, named George Butcher, with a couple of his companions, started out for a day's sport hunting and fishing, and selected St. Mary's lake, four miles north of this city, and its surrounding forest as the scene of their sport.
After spending a good share of the day fishing, and having had poor success in securing many representative of the finny tribe, they decided to try powder and shot, as game seems to be more plentiful than fish, and in this were correct, for the squirrels, rabbits, and partridges fell at the report of their guns, and long before night they had the pleasure of seeing their game-bag filled to its utmost capacity. Being satisfied with their day's sport they turned their steps homeward, when a large flock of pigeons flew over their heads. They were the first they had seen, and discharging their shotguns at them, they had the pleasure of seeing several birds fall at their feet. On picking them up George discovered to his surprise that one of them had a small oiled silk bag securely fastened to one of its legs. On opening it he found a note written in a small feminine hand, and which he has since shown to the writer of this. The following is a copy of the singular epistle.
Lexington, Ky., May 21, 1881. This pigeon is one of a number caught by my brother in a net. I conceived the idea of fastening this note to it, and request the finder to write to Miss Eva Carroll, Lexington, Ky.
On arriving in this city a letter was immediately written to the young lady and a reply received. A correspondence has grown out of this romantic introduction, and it has been ascertained that the young lady is the daughter of a wealthy stock-raiser near Lexington, and is young and beautiful, and a wedding may yet grow out of the affair. George thanks his lucky starts that he captured the bird, and perhaps by it the heart and hand of the maid who originated this romantic scheme for correspondence. We await anxiously for the sequel of the pigeon episode.
October 11, 1881. Fort Wayne Daily Gazette 18(74): 7.