Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-05-28
FOGG's INVENTION.
Dire Results Of an Attempt to Use
His Flying Machine.


For several days Fogg had been at
work in the barn.. with doors locked,
and q mantle of secrecy seemed to be
thrown over every thing he did, both
outside and in.
Mrs. Fogg questioned him in vain.
All she could elicit from the man Of
mystery was divers strange and awe
inspiring grimaces which were caloulat-
ed to infuse the beholder With the be-
lief that the manipulator of said grim
aces was the victim of q severe attack
OF cramp collie.
... Mrs, Fogg, in an unguarded moment,
confded to few of her most intimate
cronies her fears that her husband was
little bit. of in his upper story, and
these obusy-bodies speedily circulated
the report that Fogg really was crazy.
1t was believed, of course, and chill
dren fought shy of the Fogg domioile,
especially after dark. Fogg's grapes,
which were just getting ripe, escaped
depredators as they had never done be-
fore, and Fogg wondered greatly there
at, but was far from suspeoting the real
cause Of this miracle.
And still, day after day, Fogg labored
on In thesecurity Of the barn, his nearest
neighbors amusing themselves by listen
ing to the pounding of his hammer. and
remarking to one another that 1t was
too bad, the afiiction that had befallen
Fogg.
One evening Fogg rushed into the
presence of his wife and exclaimed, tri
umphantly:
Its done, at lastl'
Mrs. Fogg Strengthened up and looked
ct her husband.
"What is done at last Mr.. Fogg2"
she asked.
"Why, the fiying-machine, Of course"
was the reply.
Mrs. Fogg regarded her husband pity
ingly, for few moments.
"Mr. Fogg," she remarked, finally,
with rising infection. do you mean
to say that you have gone and wasted
two weeks valuable time trying to build
fying-machine?"
Mr.. Fogg said that he did mean 1t, but
~ for the time being wasted, he denied
this, and he entered into such spirited
and eloquent explanation of his great
Invention and It's workings, that Mrs.
Fogg herself became enthused to such
an extent as to allow of her being pre-
vailed upon to go down to the barn and
take look at the machine,
What she saw there 1t will be impos-
sible to describe with any degree Of ao-
ouracy. Only Fogg could do that, and, 1
verify believe, If he were sitting here in
my place, doing the describing act him
self, that he would be unable to do the
case full Justice. 6uffice it to say that
he had constructed a thing having q
wicker frame, made 30 as to just At upon
his back, after the fashion of saddle,
with straps or bands to buckle around
his body. while two monstrous wings,
also made of wicker-work and covered
with thin cloth, were attached to the
| fame, and on each side, by hinges. On
the lower side of each wing were two
stout leather loops, through which the
operator was to thrust his arms and by
means Of which he was to work the wings
up and down when in the act of flying.
It was great invention-so Fogg
said. and he ought to know something
about IL, having made the machine, but
Mira Fogg was skeptic0l Women al
ways ara skeptical and suspicious Of
any thing which they do not under
stand, you know.
But Fogg was 80 enthusiastic that
Mrs. FogH, couldn't find heart to give
vent to All the doubts which she ex-
perienced regarding the power of this
| thing to overcome the force OF gravity
and sail through space like the birds
| Of the air, with passenger-presumabl
Togg, dangling beneath like q huge
worm in the bill of one Of those same
birds; 30 she held her peace, kept still,
serene in the thought that If Fogg, in
his fight through space on the back
or rather, beneath the body-of his
wild, untamable f1ying-maohine. should
accidentally knock the cupola of the
| state house on Venus, or butt his brains
out against the southwest corner OF
Jupiter, he would have no one to blame
for 1t but himself.
But Fogg experienced no misgivingsi
had no fears He was so tickled over
the successful completion OF his flying
machine that he slept scarcely awink
| that night, and he was up with the larks
next morning, making preparations for
what he thought was going to be the
Erestest lark of his life. zsa5
I After breakfast he got his hying-ma-
chine out OF the barn, and, accompanied
~ Mrs. Fogg, wpnt down back Of the
hog-lot to high blur which was there.
From this point Fogg decided he would
take rise in the world, and in the es-
timation of his neighbors and the public
ut large as we'll.
It was his intention to fly out over the
river, circle around over tbs village, and
return to the starting point with great
eeldt and Mapping of wings. Yes, that
was the programme Fpgg had mapped
out, but, owing to certain unexpected
developments, he-but therel we'li go
ahead and tell you all about it.
Fogg took of his coat and got down on
his hands and knees, while Mrs. Fogg
placed the dying machine npon hisback
and strapped the same securely to his
body. Then Fogg ran his arms through
the loops ON the under side of the wings,
arose to his feet, took up a position on
the edge of the cliff. and was all ready
70 do the great 81 a5-.2s act
MFs Fogg looked over the edge of the
elf to the ground thirty or forty feet
below and shuddered.
Joshua she said. 'syou had better
give up this foolish notion OF yours. If
you jump over there you'll be killed
sure"
Fogg was feeling rather dubious him
self, but he wouldn't let on TO his wife.
''Oh. pshaw!s he said, there's no dam
Ger Whateyers That's whore the beauty