Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-06-09
Oar Balloon.

'O utuC UP III. hiiHi tii'tt h.iii 'HO
trouble boys get into is the fault of the
grown-up folks that are always wanting
them to improve their minds.
Inever improved my mind yet with
out suffering for il. There was the
time improved il studying wasp~. Just
rs the man who lectured about wasps
and elephants and other insect, told me
TO. If it hadn't been for that man
never should have thought Of studying
waSps.
One time our schoOl-teacher told me
that ought to improve my mind by
reading history. 50 borrowed the his
tory of ''Blackbeard the Pirate am,
improved my mind for three or four
hours every day. After while father
said: g Bring that book 10 me. Jimmy.
and let y see what you re- reading and
when he saw il, instead oi praiSing me-,
he - But whats the use of rcnem-
herring our misfortuncs? Still, if | WAS
grown up. l wouldn't get boys into diff
ticulty by telling them to do all sorts of
things.
There was Professor came to our
house the other day. A Professor is u
kind of man who wears spectacleS up
on the top of his head and takes snuff AMI
doesn't talk English very plain. he
lieve Professors come from somewhere
near Germany. and | wish this one had
staid in his own country. They live
mostly on cabbage and such. and Mr.
Travers says they are dreadfully fierce,
and that when they are not at war with
nj a.
selves, and go Oh in the most dreadful
way.
This Professor tina: came To see father
didn't look a bit fierce. but Mr. Travrrs
says that was just his deceitful way.
and that if we had had valuable old
bone or a queer shell in the house. the
Professor would have got up in the
night and stolen it and killed us all in
our beds; but Sue said it was shame
and that the Professor was n lovely old
gentleman, and there wasn't the least
harm in his kissing hsr.
Well, the Professor was talking after
dinner to father about balloons, AMI
when he saw was listening, he pre-
tended to be awfully kind. and told me
how to make fire-balioon, and how
he'd oitcn made them and sent them up
in the air; and then he told about man
who went up on horseback with his
horse tied to II balloon; and father said
''NOw listen to the Professor. Jimmy,
and improve your mind while YOU We
got a chance"
The next day Tom Maginnis and
made balloon just as the trofes sorhad
told ME to. Ii was made out of tissue
paper. and it had sponge soaked full
Of alcohol. and when you set the alcohol
ON fire the tumefaction of the air would
send the balloon NOR n mile HIGH. We
made it out in the barn, and thought
we'd try it before we said ANYTHING to
the folks about it. and then surprise
them by showing them what beautiful
balloon we had. and how we'd improved
our minds. just rs it was all ready,
Sues at came into the barn, and re-
membered the horse that had been tied
tQ.a balloon, aud told Tom we'd SEQ if
To balloon would take the cat up with
it.
So we tied her with a whole lot of
things so she would hang under the bal
loon without being hurt Il bit, and then
we took the balloon into the yard 10 try
it. After the alcohol had burned lii
tie while the balloon got full of air. and
presently it went slowly up. There
WASH a bit of wind. and when il had
gone up about twice rs high Is the
house, it stood STILL
You ought To have seen how that cat
howled: but she was uo:,ing compared
with Sue when she came out and saw
her beloved beast. She screamed TO me
to brig h:c .hat cat this instant YOU
goOd-for-nothing cruel little wretch
won't You catch it when father comes
home.
Now I'd like to know how could
reach a cat that was Il hundred feet lip
in the air, but that's all the reasonable
ness that girls have.
The balloon didn't stay up Very long
1t began to come slowly down, and
when it struck the ground, the way that
cat started on run for the barn, and
tried to get underneath it with the bal
loon all on fire behind her. was some
thing frightful 10 seq. Bs the time
could get to her and cut her loose. a lot
OF hay took fire and began To blaze. and
Tom ran for the tire-eugine, cry ing out
"Fire"' with all his might
The tiremen happened to be at the
engine-house, though they're generally
all over town. and nobody can find them
when there is fire. They brought the
engine into our yard in about ten min.
utes' and Just AS Sue ami the cook and