St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-07-03

y
"Let me hear about that first trip, for
I've a notion that there is a good story
attached to it,
My seatmate was "Prof." Raymond,
the aeronaut He had made Fourth
of July ascension that afternoon from
W, and had gone up with him in
my capacity as reporter on the W
Daily Tribune.
We had landed uneyentfully in tur-
nip field, about 80 miles away, and
had packed up the balloon and it's ''fiN-
ings' just in season to catch the even
ing train for the city.
WELL" said Mr.. Raymond, there
was story attached to that first bal
loon ride Of mine, thirty-odd yea1e ago;
but l don't tell it very often, for the
reason that, even after all these years,
it brings back some of the sensations
that | experienced at that time-ex-
periences that You will soon see were
not particularly agreeaae + while was
undergoing them.
MY father and mother both died be-
fore | was IL years old, so that was
thrown entirely upon my own re
sources. Even at that early age / be-
gan to hire out for various kinds Of
service in my native town in New
Hampshire, where | worked in this way
until / was IS years of age.
Il had been working inca sawmill,
the year thatI was1 y, and my time
expired the third day of July, and,
though / expected to hire out again
at the same place, it pleased my fancy
to take weIl-earned holiday on the
Fourth, when Icou1d feel myself en-
tirely my own master. 1T wohld be!
time enough, | thought, to hire out
again when the holiday was over.
There was to lbe a celebration in
neighhoring town, with a balloon as
cension, races and all the other attrac-
tions that are usual on such occasions,
with Grand display of fireworks in
the evening.
The balloon ascension had special
attractions for me, as | had never seen
anything of the kind, and / was up
carly on the morning of the Fourth,
and, setting out, for town before SIX
O'clock, resolved to take in the whole
affair, from the early parade of An
tiques and Horribles TO the last rocket
that should be fired in the evening. |
had earned holiday by hard work, and
had good right to feel light-hearted.
II don't think that anything in the
way Of entertainment escaped me that
dav. | was unused to the sights and
sounds of Fourth of July celebrations,
and I drank IN everything With the
keen enjoyment of boyhood, with an
especially keen enjoyment, probably,
because Of the plodding, uneEeEtful life
had been leading so long.
THE Antiques and Horribles were
properly appreciated. The efforts of
those who tried to reach the five-dol-
lar gold piece, said TO be reposing on
the top of very greasy pole, were
greatly enjoyed, as Were also the efforts
of certain men and boys to possess
themselves of a fat young porker,
whose entire surface was III the same
slippery condition as the pole with the
five dollars atop.
There was a contest of fire engines,
or tubs as they were called, manned
by red-shirted Young fellows from sey-.
e1al neighboring towns. There Were
foot rasces, sack races. and a ball game
upon the common; bnatrace upon the
river, and then the great balloon ascen.
sion. sas s
3 1T was about two o'clock in the after
noon that the crowd began 10 gather
around the big balloon that was slowly
being filled with hotair. Such balloons
stay up only a haff-honr or so, and
land moi farsaw way frofa the point where
they 60 mp unless The wind is blowing
hard. This was one of the largest Of
the hot.air baIloons then in use, and il