The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-05
IN a HOr AIR BALLOON.
Enough of a Good Thing.
From the Galveston Netos.

The Negro Knew When He Had
Enough of Good Thing.
From the Cohesion Eeios
Said professional aeronaut to a Ne1Vs
man:
About two years ago was billed for a bal
| loon ascension in a Louisiana town. | was to
| go up, and, at a hight of $500 feet or 80 was
| to make the leap with my parachute So as
such an event attracted no little attenti On in the
| town, l though would see if any person in the
| town had nerve enough to go along and ride my
balloon down. 1t is not necessary for 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 rusues out the neck and
down comes the bag to the earth. II a man
| rides it down no unpleasant thing can happen IL
he is cool-headed and sticks where he belongs
| OF course the balloon is apt to 20 down into q
| river or lake or hang up a tree. but the rider
| had an accident and have been in this line
some ten years.
Well. after considerable bldfiing l got big
| negro to agree to go along and ride the balloon
down. got him TO il 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 20
| along He didn't realize the gravity Of the sit
uation at ALL
| Tae afternoon We were to 90 up was a pretty
one and thousands came to see the ascension
My coon was there all right enough. aud when
! It was known that he had agreed to go along
| the people jeered him and said that he hadn I
nerve enough. This made him furious and he
| swore that he'd 60 and show them that he had
more pluck than any white man there.
So when the time came saw that my para.
chute hung all right. that my up line had been
taken off 80 that fool niger wouldn't graz it
and yank the balloon wide open and dash him.
| self to pieces, and then We sat on the bar Il use
a trapeze instead of a basket because of the
weight. and gave the signal to turn us Dose.
| Up we went with a jerk. and as the earth
dropped away my negro's eyes bulged out and
| he spat out about quart OF tobacco Juice.
| Now that mouthful Of juice spread out ike a
| soup plate and sailed down to the ground like a
big brown bird. MIR. Niger watched 1t and
I'd fill up wild wind like dat amber il
| I'd drap often DIS yer barr Hit I'D be nifty
bad day fer dis pore mig zer If he'd hit de ground
| like or chunk er light wood" l told him that
| 5000 feet climbed down 10 my parachute and
told him to get ready. Then that niger looked
| scared, and as hung down by my knees to kill
| the shock of the drop when / cut loose he
| yelled Doan leave me up here alone white
man! TO de lub er Gawd, doan go an leave dis
pcre niger all to hisself;" but jerked my line
bat your eye. The old parachute opened with
jerk, and then sailed down TO the earth like a
huge bird. There had been no breeze at all
and came down within a half mile from where
l started.
The crowd had rushed to help me, IL
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 aud LIE tum-
bed down. Before he could get up the negroes
had him on their sheul ers and be was a hon, l
can tell you We passed the hat around and
| got $50 for him.
Well, sir, that niger actually thought him
self superior to every person in the parish after
that; spoiled him di that trip.
was back there about six months later to
! give another ascension and thought I'd get
that niger to go up with me again. SO
hunted him up and told him what 1 wanted
He looked Ike he'd drop, and said
Mr.. Balloon man, does We expect Use an
iieoty jest hainter gwiue ter 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 grin
ming, and said:
us no fule, mister, you hesh me-"