The first home Bill had in California was on bon Andrews' estate where he took care of Andrews' 5000 pigeons. I went to visit him in the fall of 1956. They were after him so hard to buy, his Rollers, that he had special ones hidden among Don Andrews' birds. He took me to see the specials. There was a white-eyed black check self cock (young bird) in with the Magpies that he yalued very highly.
In the summer of 1957 Bill sent me a smokey blue self cock PRC 250-57. Bill said he was of his #1 pair and was something. special.
I went to visit Bill in September 1957. Bill was still at Don Andrews'. He was planning on buying a house and moving. Once, again he took me among Don's pigeons to show me the specials.He had~ handed me a white-eyed black check self cock. I said, "Oh boy, this is the kind I'd like to breed!" Bill said, "You shall have him." Bill was reducing his stock of check selfs to four pair because he was going to move. He put in PRC 185-1955 Smokey Blue Self Hen. She was the white-eyed cock's dam. Bill had her paired to him in the '57 breeding season. They were his #1 pair. I had no idea the white-eyed cock was the cock of his #1 pair when I picked him out.
Up in Oregon no one noticed the old white-eyed
cock or showed the slightest interest in him. His band was 1602-50.
(Bred in '56,old band). Bill came up to see us in 1959. He
said of 1602, "He is perfect in every respect down to fine eye ceres.
He has the features of the old dun hen 1613 (31). He is the finest
old cock in America. Neither Plona nor Smith nor myself have anything
as fine." In 1960, Bill bred his PRC ll9-60 black check self cock
off his 514 hen and a cock who was 514's nephew. After a couple of year's,
Bill said 119 was the best cock he ever bred or owned. Bill asked
me in 1959 to breed him one off 1602 the following year. So in 1960
I put 1602 back on 185 as Bill had them bred a number of young ones.
I brought #225-60 to Bill. Bill flew #225 for a couple of years and
then mated him to 514. 225 and 514 produced a white-eyed black check
self hen, 2355-62. 5he was an outstanding spinner and was called
Teistar. The visitors who knew tight, fast spinners knew about Telstar.