Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-15
OUR MAIL POUCH.
The Goose Hoax-A "Reminiscences of Almost
Half Century.

/ The Goose Houx-A "Reminiscences of Almost
| Half Century.
| To the Editor of The Dispatch:
Solomon has given advics how to answer a
| person under certain clrcumstances-but the
proper way to reply to your correspondent
"Anser'' (Latin, 1oosel, Is not SO easily deter
mined, as he does not appear to know anything
about the subject of his own knowledge. The
main features of the Goose Fly" as given by
l.. NJ. on Monday. are no doubt correct; but
do not believe il will ever be satisfactorily de-
termined who were the actual originators and
perpetrators of the hoax-the most stupendous
ever played upon the people of the Iron City.
The writer was compositor at the time on
The DISPATCH, then located In o building
which had been erected after the fire of lS45, on
the spot now occupied by the Iron City Ma.
tional Bank, Fourth avenue. then the center Of
business Commencing several weeks before
the event took place, small item appeared In
the local column announcing that an ingenious
mechanic who lived IN Birmingham, now the
Southside, was engaged on a machine with
which he believed he would be able to navigate
the air. This was supplemented from time to
time by other items telling Of the progress
made In tho work, and eliminating in the fnal
announcement that public trial Of the ma
chino would be u,ade from the Hand (now
Ninth) street bridge, on = certain day (Au-
gust 81, lS40). Although / was not personally
ar r. s6s time who At ths o9o% oil ne
ton possibly with those mentioned by l.. NJ,
with all OF whom / was closely acquainted
and some OF whom were known TO bo great
1okers) y bookbinder namod James Duyal who
did business on the third floor OF THE Dis
PATCH building. was the primo mover. | dis
tinctly remember the printing OF the handbills
Tor the purpose, which was done on the second
door, then Whitney a DumaTS fob Office.
Public curiosity being thus aroused, II was no
wonder that on the appointed day the banks Of
both sides or the Allegheny river were crowded
with porsons--males and females-rich and
poor In carriages and on football anxious
TO see what had never before been witnessed,
a tnccessful attempt TO float In the ambient at
ones own will. Prompted by the same curl.
osity, was also there, helping TO swell the i'm
mense concourse.
After = delay Of q considerable time. the
summer day. Two or three individuals were
observed on the roof OF tho bridge making
their way from the Pittsburg side (thero was
then . promenade on the top OF the brldge),
and everybody was on tip-tos to witness the
unusual sight SO long promised. One OF the
persons appeared tn be enyeloped In what was
probably q Spanish cloak, frequently worn ut
that period land this may have given rise to
tho story that II was Harvey Bollman, who
wore garment OF that descrptioD) To those
at distance, this made him appear rs 10 the
largo wings with which IL was supposed the at
tempt to fy was to bo made, were folded at his
side, NJ IL frequently seen In pictures repre-
senting angels. Without any warning to the as
sembled multitude. the apparent wings wsro
suddenly expanded, and instead Of the In.
ysntpr floating out buoyantly away from tho
bridge, out into tho ether, aud far away over
tho hills which surround our beautiful city,
from ander tho folds Of tho cloak slowly few
large-slzed goose, which, after vainly striving
to keep itself afoat In tho air, finally dropped
into the river, where IL was quickly rescued by
ono OF the many boats OF every description
with which tho bosom OF the Allegheny was
literally covered.
IL did not take nearly so long for tho vast
crowd 90 clear away ~ IL did for it 60 gatberj
and although tho writer saw thousands whom
he personally knew, it was difficult matter
the next day TO fiHd even ono who would admit
that he was n witness OF tho event, except as
by the river bank was tho nearest or most con.
venent way by which he could reach tho bust.
ness point started for.
Without disparaging any other writer's ae.
count, the above, / believe, IL as accurate as
can be given, except by an actual participant,
which will probably now never be done after a
lapse of nearly II years. This hoax occurred
streets'amOnk the volunteer firemen, and as
one OF the offending parties, and was also
blamed Tor It's participation in the flying
machine hoax, its circulation materially dimin-
ished many OF its subscribers showing their
feeling In the matter BY thus exercising the
right OF what in these latter days Is called boy
cotting Rome was saved by q goose, THE
DISPATCH was a loser by the same fowl.
PITTsBURG, May H. ]. =. NJ.