The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1897-04-17
Above The Clouds.

Sfand said the judge as he looked
around at three or four guests after
dinner, is why every body seems to ex-
pect q man when telling a story orally
to conine himself strictly to the truth,
while no one ever demands anything
of the sort from a writing story teller.
It isn't fair. Besides it is based on
wrong principles. When man tells a
story, he ought to make it just as inter
esting as he can regardless Of all con
siderations of TRUTH 1870
Dangerous doctrine Might be ex-
tremely demoralizing," observed the
dominic. s@.5 "a S & IT, .-&...5.. .s.s
II can't think so,'' returned the Judge.
:. Take the case of host, for instance.
hold that it is not only his privilege
but his duty to entertain his guests
with the best stories he can tell, and
give no thought to truth. And I'll un-
dertake to show you that it is not de-
moralizing in any way. You remember
having heard me mention the tramp
trip which I took around the world
when was a young man, I presume"
II believe So" answered the major,
doubtfully.
II wasn't Of course, exactly what we
picture when we think Of a tramp, but
Il didn't have much money, and natur-
ally fell in with all sorts and condi-
lions Of men. I reached my lowest
ebb financially in Sydney, Australia.
At a cheap boarding hous became &C
quainted with a man who was by pro-
fession an aeronaut. His name was
Mudgett, though on the bills he scin-
tillated as Signor Campanella.
He was an excellent story teller and
a good fellow, though, like myself, he
was passing through a regular Oak
hurstian streak Of bad luck. He had
lost his balloon. It seemed that the
thing had blown away one particularly
windy afternoon just before the as
cent, and the poor fellow was waiting
in hopes that it would be found out in
the bush somewhere and brought in
IT used to be quite pathetic to see him
search through the want ADVERTISE
ments in the morning papers, looking
for the heading of 3Found-Balloon,'
but he never came across it. He also
advertised it himself, giving a full de-
Scription Of the balloon and Offering a.
reward Of f1O for it's return, but in
this he was equally unsuccessful.
''At last he gave up all hope. Some
woman found that balloon he would
say, 'and couldn't resist the tempta-
ton to cut it up for silk dresses. Well,
she's fixed for good while anyhow;
that balloon ought to make an ordinary
sized woman about 200 dresses, though
I'll bet a shilling she'll get tired Of the
color along on the last half Of the Sec
opd 100. It was before the day Of big
sleeves. SO I dare say A6 was right
about the number.
"But my friends fortunes changed
finally, temporarily at least. He found
q man willing to furnish money for a
new balloon, and after it was finished
he made regular daily ascents for
fortnight. He asked me to accompany
him, and did so several times. How
ever, illluck still pursued Campanella,
and two weeks after he got his new
balloon he one day had a row with a
drunken sailor and went to the hospital
with a broken head.
"Ihe manager came to me in despair.
Could not make the ascent? I agreed
and went over to the grounds. Here
put on the signors gorgeous apparel
and climbed into the basket. There
was trapeze below the basket on
which the signor was won't to be-
s,.a .ves uae1 o1nerw1se to playrIliv ais.
port himself while goinSs up, But +
5udieiously kept of ..sld stuck to the
basket.
b. THE ,&EpTd made a great uprGa&
a AT3$f fhT, Int ~
getting their moneys worth unless
could hear the manager explaining that
I would begin to perform as soon as I
was up high enough to make it worth
while, and later I understood that aft
er had passed out Of sight above the
clouds he assured them that I was
then doing the most blood-curdling
feats on that trapeze that any human
being ever attempted.
'"There was rather stiff breeze blow
ing and I sailed along at a good rate.
far below was a mighty ocean Of white
cloud. Where I was the sun shone
brightly, and it was cool and pleasant,
der growl. I had no desire to go down
Into thunderstorm, so sailed on.
AT the end Of two hours was still
driving along at the rate, estimated,
of fifty or sixty miles an hour. had
GROWN tired Of watching the raging
storm below and looked off toward
what suppose may call the horizon.
Far away against the sky saw a
speck. I thought it was a bird at
first, but as we approached nearer
what was my establishment to see that
It was another balloon.
81 awe were being driven by currents
blowing at right angles and were rap
idly coming closer together. Soon T
could make out another person in the
other balloon. I waved my hand at
him, and, as he was hundred feet
above me, threw out few handfuls
of ballast. rose and instantly saw
that we were going to meet. I pre-
pared a rope, and as the sides Of our
great bags touched I threw one end
into the oncoming basket. AS the 9TH
er aeronaut Strengthened up from max
ing the end fast I was further aston
ished when my eyes met those Of a
beautiful young woman. x =.
The line was holding us only 10 or
12 feet apart. I took off my hat and,
as total stranger, apologized for adj
dressing her, but hoped that the I'M
usual circumstances OF our meeting
would excuse nv apparent rudeness.