Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-06-02
ASHTABULA, OHIO, FRIDAY, JUNE 2 1876.
As for mYself. | was simply

4
As for myself, | was simply
young English artist, Edwar
Holmes by name, not long since r,
turned from a protracted course {
srt-stRdy in Rome, and who fouD
it hard enough, by touching up pho
tographs, Finishing" the sketche
of amateurs, and taking. at the low
est rate of remuneration, the poi
trait of whoever favored me with
sitting, to procure the whereWiths
to live. ! had been accidental
| thrown good deal in the compan'
or Mr.. Killick, who had for som
time been exhibiting mis- balloon i
various towns of the South, ant
who had shown me some kindness
as fellow sUuntryman; whIe I OF
my part had a regard for the oil,
man, whose quaint anecdotes of hi
experience as travelling balloons
were often amusing, and half o
whose earnings, IS knew, wer'
sent home for the benefit Of his lit
tie graad-chlld.
And row serious difficulty had
at the last moment, arisen. There
IN the garden of the village inn
fenced off by ropes and stakes from
the pressure of the crowd thatsurgeG
around, was the Defiance, fully ilifi,,.
ted, straining at the cords that fast
ened il to the earth, and ready fol
use, while on his bed lay the un.
lucky skiing of the Air" groaning
and disabled He had sent for me
to ylsit him in his room shortly af-
ter the occurrence of the accident
it was q mere stumble oyer loose
plank, aud a fall down stairs-and,
though Isympathized with him most
sincerely, mad been quite at a loss
for an expedient. Mr.. KiIlick was
heavy, elderly man, and in the fslI
had severely sprained bis right wrist
and injured his thumb, besides re-
ceiving cut on the left temple,
from which the bloo,l slowly trick
led. p"
That's nothing, he said, half quer-
nlously, as I examined the hurt; Pve
had worse in touching ground many
time. It's the thumb that does
signify, the thumb and the wrist. I
cant handle the valve ropes with
this crippled arm any more than a
schoolgirl could do it. And what's
to happen now? =.
~ My first idea was that the accident
and the consequent inability of the
balloonist to give the promised ex-
hibition should be notified, and an
apology made to othe public; but the
veteran decidedly negatiYed this
apparently obvious proceeding. He
reminded me of the irascible char
scter of. a mob everywhere, and
above all of q Southern French mob,
and assured me of what I could re-
ally believe, that no excuse would
be accepted by the fiery marseillais,
banked of the lOng-loOked-fOr treat
of an ascent. They would certainly
destroy the balloon, and not improb-
ably execute lynch law in some form
on the auronant, while the very loss
of the Defiance would be q serious
disaster to its owner. Then, too,
rich landed proprietor of the neigh
borhood-a vain young man, with a
taste for notoriety-had offered Is
louis-d'or to be taken up as passen-
ger; and to disapPoint M. Victor de
Villeneuve and lose three hundred
francs was an unwelcome contin-
geney.q i -
To my great surprise Mr. Killick
proposed that 1 should 90 up in his
stead, and undertake for the ocea-
sion the Office of auronaut, / had
indeed accompanied him, while we
were both at Nice, in two short as
cents, and had learned from him TO
manage the valves aud ballast, the
rudiments of the art of ballooning.
| was young, active, and had a
steady head, and the owner of the
Defiance was quite willing to intrpst
her to me, if I would but SO far
oblige him., Ihave never been quite
able satisfactorily to explain to my
self how it was that / was startled
or cajoled into asserting. Perhaps
the novelty of the notion, acting on
somewhat adventurous fancy, made
me yield more readily to the old
mans entreaty than would other
wise have been the case. / said yes,
aad was held to my word.
] Hist! walls have ears, and GER
tainly arbors have, whispered the
landlord of the inn, as he led me
cautiously around by the back door
into the partly illumated space with
out. Wrap your overcoat well
about you, and hide your face with
this red handkership. We mustn't
let the people see as yet it's raw
hand that's to go aloft. Iron de
Z air! once up, we can laugh it off.
This was all very well for the inn
keeper, whose only wish was to
keep the rabble in good humor and
avoid q riot, which might lesd to
the pillage of his cellar and the de-
molition Of his furniture, but I be-
gan inwardly to question the wisdom
of nay own choice.
However, it was too late to with
draw. There was nothing for it but
to carry out, as best / could, the
madcaP enterprise on which l had
embarked. -
Come, you had better get into the
car, and be ready, said the landlord,
still in an undertone, as he passed
me through the Gordon. of police
that kept back the foremost of the
spectators. Don't talk, but if any
body speaks to you, wave q flag
that does as well. n. de VilleneuYe
writes me word that hen not arrive
till the last moment, when we start
the fireworks. As soon as he's be-
side you, up you go, remember.
was now in the rocking, swaying
car, and, STOPPING down, ! ascer-
tanned that the bags Of ballast, the
coil of spare rope, the flags, and tel
escope were at my feet; then / as
sured myself that the grspnel was
provided With itso tough cord, and
the whizz Of "a rocket and 9 shower
Of colored spangIes of FIRE gave q
warning ncse Of preparation.
More rockets now SCARED aloft,