Interesting Facts

[DOVEScot]

Reuter’s news service got it start just after Paul Julius Reuter began delivering news between Aachen, Germany and Brussels using a covey of 45 pigeons.  In 1850, the birds traveled the 76 mile distance in two hours to deliver the latest news, stock prices and other information.  Although the telegraph was in operation within each of the countries, there were gaps in the transmission lines within and between the two.  At the time, the railroad carried most of the news over a route that took 6 hours.  In less than half the time, Reuter was able to transmit his information to clients willing to pay a premium for early financial information.  After about a year, the telegraph reached most points so the pigeon delivery service offered no advantage and Reuter had to develop other ways to deliver timely information.

 

In the early 1800’s, the Rothschild family set up a network of pigeon lofts throughout Europe and used the birds to send information to their financial houses quicker than that available by other means.  The speed of the information assisted the family in accumulating a fortune that helped make them the name they are today.  In 1815, Count Rothschild, so the story is told, was aware of the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo much earlier than the rest of England.  Rothschild used the knowledge to make financial decisions based on fact long before others were aware of the battle’s outcome.

 

 

[billy wilson]

dovescot are you taking after the genius leslie welsh

 

 

                                               billy ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D                       ;D ;D ;D ;D