Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-11-06
PERIlS OF THE AIR.

PERIlS OF THE AIR.
A Balloon Voyage Which Began !,
Drunken Sport and Ended
in Tragedy.
oAe Of the Travellers Still Lives to Tel
the Terrors of Night Twenty
Years Ago.
------
The Manager of the BALLOON LilS,
Wise and Donaldson has
Never Been Heard
of Since.
|
Horrors OF the Descent into the LsEs With n
Pow 70 Save From the Merc,less
Waves.
A Desperate Decision that One Life Mus, b,
sacrincei 20 cave the OIher
The day following the discovery
of Mr.. Burr's remains or the Ind
ana shore there stepped out OF IN.
elevator into the editorial rooms otthc
Chicago Times, short and elderly
man, Of diffideDt demeanor and shah
by dress, who quietly asked where
he might find "the person who re
ceived manuscripts" The appear
ance of a dilapidated individual with
manuscript to sell excites very lit
tie remark in the Times office. A
procession of ladies and gentlemen
out of repair, and DESTROYS of realiz,
ing upon their brain work, is in mo
ton up and down the elevator way
about three hundred aud sixly.five
days of every year; but this man
was distinct from the usual run in
that he was not so much rusty as
ragged, and that a certain iurtiye
brilliance in his glance aud a pene
trative quality in his voice, that made
the modestly put question with which
he announced himself perfectly audi
Bile to every one in the rotunda, ar
rested attention, and proclaimed tina,
he was
MAN WITH A HISTORY.
1t was little past noon, and the
members of that ubiquitous brigade
known as the local staff were grouped
about the file tables, waiting for the
days assignment. The buzz of their
conversation was stopped when he
spoke. They all turned to look at
him, and a silence unusual to that
hour surrounded his march to the
room of the individual whose fearful
fate 1t is to serve as a sort OF mile
post or turning point in the course Of
the procession Just mentioned. Gu
riosity was heightened when, contra.
ry to the usual run of things, he did
not almost instantly reappear and
take his departure. And when at
the end of fifteen minutes the staff
began to drop off upon its business,
and he remained still closeted, there
was an informal verdict of "TaIked
to death" and slight outspilliDg OF
Jocose sympathy for the deceased
one or both.
The reason why the queer little
man had not reappeard was that, in
defiance Of all precedent set by his
kind, be had an interesting story to
tell He introduced himself as Jas.
Hale, aud in very neat English. Just
suffici ntly tnged with Scottish ac-
cent TO make it sound a. once odd
and pleasing, related briefly that he
had watched the newspapers with a
very deep interest for accounts of
THE BALLOON VOYAGE OF PROF. WISH
and his companion, and had not been
surprised to hear that Burr's body
had been found, while no key was
offered to the fate of Wise. "At one
time" said he, "about twenty years
ago, when | was IN a little better cir.
cumstances than at present, / had q
balloon adventure myself that think
was very like poor Mr. Burr's, except
that l came out of it alive, whereas
he was drowned Knowing how
anxious newspapers are for anything
that touches matters OF momentar,
interest, | have written an account o.
1t, which think you will find worth
publishing"
1t appeared, however, that the ole
fellow had never before written any
thing more protracted than a fifty
cent telegram. While subsequent
conversation demonstrated his cul
ture, glance at his manuscript re
vealed his newness in the art OF com
position. 1t was written upon larg.
sheets Of soft paper, apparently will
short ana anthracite pencil, anc
would if reduced to type have filled
about a quarter of a column. More
over, it was disjointed, and skipped
from one branch OF the subject to an
other with line of "etc etc, etc.
Like all other amateurs, he had writ
ten his own headlines, which woult
If published strike amazement int
the souls of even the Times readers
cot course" said he, as be watched
the perusal of his work, "Of cours
you will fill it in to SUIT yourself.
have no objection to your changin,
1t as you please"
When it was handed back to him
as it was in about two mlnutes-th,
old mans face twitched as though
some singing pain had crossed it
Something like sympathy for his dis
appointment dawned over his Judge
for, as he received the manuscript
and was turning to go without
word, he was stopped by the question
whether he would object to tellin.
his story and letting another maj
write it. He considered q momen
before answering that be would no,
il he could be paid for it the same a
though be had done the writing him
self. This was satisfactorily arranged
and half hour afterward found hin
closeted in a side room, telling to
listener who, IN spite of the callous
ness resulting from many years o
listening to all kinds of stories iron
every conceivable variety of men
was interested in the story that her
follows. 1t IL only necessary TO ss,
that in the retelling Hale's Language
is ONLY preserved in a general way
but that the incidents are given just a
| he gave them TO the writer. Said he
Twenty years ago, or thereabout,
was partner ia heavy importing
house in New York. | came to thi