Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-10-05
THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION.
A Negro Who Understood It Only After
He Had Been Up in a Balloon

"A 4NcSfO NuO OuueIStOOQ 1t only Alter
He Had Been Up In o Balloon.
About two years ago was billed for
a balloon ascension in Louisiana town.
was to go up and at height of 1850
feet | was to make the leap with my
parachute, SO us such an event attracted
no little attention in the town l thought
| would see if any person had nerve
enough to go along and ride my balloon
down. 1t is not necessary for a person
to do this with hot air bag (which
mine was), for the moment you leave it
it topples over, and of course the hot air
rushes out of the neck and down comes
the bag to the earth. If o man rides it
down no unpleasant thing can happen,
If he Is cool headed and sticks where he
belongs. Of course the balloon is apt to
go down into river or lake or hang up
in tree, but the rider can always get to
earth safely. never have had an acci-
dent, and have been in this line some
ten years.
- Well, after considerable bluffing |
got big negro to agree to go along and
ride the balloon down. got him to do
it by telling him he was afraid; that he
had no pluck, and in order to be big
Ike with his color, he swore that he'd 60
along. He didn't realize the gravity of
the situation at all.
The afternoon we were to go up was
pretty one, and thousands came to SEQ
the ascension. My companion was there
all right enough, and when it was known
that he had agreed to go along, the peo-
pie jeered him, and said that he hadn't
nerve enough. This made him furious,
and he swore that he'd go and show
them that he had more pluck than any
white man there.
So when the time came saw that my
parachute hung all right, that my up
line had been taken off SO the negro
wouldn't grab it and yank the balloon
wide open and dash himself to pieces,
and then we sat on the bar q use ira
peze instead Of basket because Of the
weight, and gave the signal to turn Us
loose. Up wo went with jerk, and as
the earth dropped away my negro's eyes
bulged out, and he spat out about q
quart Of tobacco juice. Now that
mouthful of juice spread out like soup
plate, and it sailed down to the ground
like big brown bird.
Mr.. Negro watched it and said: "Pro-
fessor, does you reckon dat I'd fill up
wild wind like dat if I'd drap often dis
yer bar? Hit I'D be a nifty bad day fer
dis pore niger if he'd hit de ground like
er chunk er light wood" I told him
that he'd bo all right, and as we were
now up about 5000 feet climbed down
to my parachute and told him to get
ready. Then that fellow looked scared,
and as I hung down by my knees to kill
the shock of tho drop when 1 cut loose
he yelled: "Doan' leave me up here
alone, white man! Fo' de 1ub er Gawd,
don't go an leave dis pore niger all to
hisself" But jerked my line and was
500 feet below him before you could bat
your eye. The old parachute opened
with q jerk, and then sailed down to the
earth like huge bird. There had been
no breeze at all, and l came down with
in half o mile from where started
The crowd had rushed to help me if
should need help, and we soon secured
and rolled up the parachute. Then we
watched the balloon. Down it came
the negro scared nearly to death. The
crowd yelled and cheered. and braced
him up considerably. He struck the
ground all in heap and started to run,
but some one tripped him up and he
tumbled down. Before he could get up
the negroes had him ON their shoulders,
and he was lion, can tell you. We
passed the hat around and got thirty
dollars for him.
Well, sir, that negro actually thought
himself superior to every person in the
parish after that-spoiled him, did that
trip.
was back there about six months
later to give another ascension, and l
thought I'd get that fellow to go up,
with mo again. So l hunted him up,
and told him what wanted. He looked
like he'd drop and said:
"Mr. Balloon Man, does ye expect Tze
an ijeot? / jest hainter gwinter to do
dat fool trick no mo-"
And with that he broke out for the
woods, and we couldn't find him until |
after / had made the jump. Then he
came back into town grinning, and said:
size no fule, mister; you heah me?'-.
Galveston News.