Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-06
A Balloon Adventure with a Ma
MAC.


A BALLOON Adventure with "a ma
niac.
Here is the last balloon story in
Paris: Monsieur GODDARD, in his
last journey to the clouds but one
was accompanied by a single fellow
traveller, who had paid one thou
sand francs for the privilege of
place by the side Of the celebrated
aeronaut. The weather was splen-
did and the balloon had reached
considerable hight.
"What effect has it on your" in
quired M. GODDARD of his compan-
ion. H.
"None whatever" was the curt
reply.
"I must compliment you,D said
M. GODDARD. You are the first
amateur ! have ever known to reach
this latitude without experiencing
some emotion"
"GO higher" said the amateur
coolly.
NJ. GODDARD threw ont some bal
last, and the balloon flew up some
sixty yards higher.
" Now, how do You feel?"
"Just as usual" said his COM
nanion. I'm rather n netulant voice.
By jovo!" exclaimed M. God
ard, "you are a born aeronaut, sirl'
The balloon kept on rising, and
and, when few hundred yards
higher, NJ. GODDARD, for the third
time, questioned his companion as
to his emotions.
Emotion! not trace Of emo
tion," replied he, with the tone Of
a man who feels that he has been
taken in.
"Well, so much the worse" said
the aeronaut. "I see | shall not
be able to alarm you; we have risen
high enough, and we shall now de-
scend."
"Descend?"
"Yes, certainly; it would be dan
goous to 90 higher"
al don't care about the danger
and / don't choose to descend. I'm
going higher, l am. / paid thou
sand francs in order to experienc,
some emotions, and emotions II
have before going down again"
l NJ. GODDARD burst out laughing
He thought the man was joking.
5 M. GODDARD saw at a glance tina
: he had to do with a mailman. Th
t dilated eyes, the furious grasp, tn
! very tone of his voice left no doub
i about that.
But what was to be done? The
| were some three thousand feet higl
r among the clouds; a struggle wa
+ out of the question, as one yiolen
J motion of the mailman would b
enough to upset the car. All thes
+ thoughts passed through NJ. God
t ards mind in less than a second
His adversary was a powerful man
, and, without loosening his grasp
: he called out: "Ah, my fine fellow
: you have been playing the foolwitI
| me. You have made me pay on
c thousand francs and not given me
= single emotion"
:. "Well, but what would you hay
$ me do?" asked NJ. GODDARD, calml
n and soothingly.
"Pm going to throw You over,
n said the madman with a vii
.t laugh; "but first an idea strike
D. J, me; III go up to the top of tn
d balloon" and suiting the action t
o the word, he jumped into the rig
I Sing of the car.
s. "But, my poor FRIEND" said til
$ aeronaut, "you'll kill yourself Liz
II that -
II The mailman uttered threa
a "At least" said NJ. GODDARD, let n
't put a rope round your waist to pre-
p vent an accident.Ss
N swell, be it SOP said the mat
l man, who seemed to see the necei
N sity of some precaution, and I'll
n, rope having been attached he r
"a commenced climbing the rigging
ne the balloon with the agility of
IN squirrel, and in few moments WI
l. seated on the apex, clapping h
cs hands and shouting with Joy. A
I, at once he takes out of his pock
el a large clasp-knile, and, brandisI
" ing it over his head, yells on
~ "Now, you rascal, you wanted
ed descend, did you? So you sh;
ltt with a vengeancep and, before \
ed GODDARD can utter a word, four o
of the six ropes attaching the C
IN to the balloon are cut, and the C
10 itself swinging helplessly outsiC
III The madman's knife was nc
rs touching the other two, when t
er aerenaut calls out to him: "Sto
ne one wordl"
RS "Ne; no; down you 60"
Us "But let me tell you somethin
lis my friend; we arc now three tho
sand feet high, it is true, but tn
is not high enough for thoroug
ar ly good fall"
"What do you mean?" asked
oa mailman, confusedly.
nv 81 mean this, tkat a fall of OF
a L L 1 = 80. 4 I