The record-union., 1897-09-12
GETS RID or CATS.
4 CLEVELAND BOY SENDS THEM
UP ON A KITE.
One Old Rooster Came Down Con-
siderably Shaken and Nervous
Ingenious at Kite Making.

With all the boys within a mile in any
direction from his home Spencer Gray,
aged Il years, living in Cleveland -
something more than nine days Won
der, says the ''Cleveland Plain Dealer
AS it has been in other cities, so kite
flying has been a craze with Cleveland
boys this summer Spencer Gray can
teach all of them He not only makes
kites which excel any made by other
boys but he couples with his Kites
amusements that are entirely original
Spencer sends up parachutes attached
to his kites with all sorts Of small llVe
animals in baskets attached TO the para
chute. There is no longer stray cat IN
the neighborhcod
The mode of their deportation IS
unique indeed. Spencer's neighbors
who have cats they do not want take
them to him He places the unloved
creatures in one of his parachute bas-
kets. attached the basket and
parachute to his Black Tom,
the name he has given his largest kite,
and in fifteen minutes kitty is sailing IN
the air high above the hOusetops. Spen-
Ger lets out about 1900 feet of rope; he
doesn't sail his kites with strings, be
cause the kites are too large, and then
he pulls the string which detaches the
parachute from the kite. Parachute,
basket and kitty gently descend to the
earth half mile or more from nome
and it is seldom that the cat comes back.
Occasionally. Spencer sends up chickens.
His favorite amusement is sending up
pigeons in a basket and by means OF his
env string opening the basket and per
nitting them to fly out when they are
= 0D0 feet or more nearer heaven than ne
is. Sometimes he sends UP two kites at
tached to one string, the kites connected
by a cross string on which are suspend
ed flags and streamers, or, if it is night,
japanese lanterns.
Spancer is the only boy in the city
who has enjoyed this novel form OF
amusement. because he is the only BOY
in Cleveland who has as yet been abe
to build a kite that would stand the
racket" He makes kites and sells them
10 the other boys and other boys make
kites that are exact duplicates OF Speh-
GERS in every way, except that Wheh II
comes TO flying them, they won't work
for some reason. He has reduced the
kite building to a science and ms eye III
Judging weights and distances IN tue
concomitant parts of his kites beats any
scale or measuring stick ever construct
e6 There are several hundred poSS III
cleveland who will affirm the truth OF
This for they have measured and
weighed their kites against MS ana
cru]d not discover the slightest fractloh
% an inch difference in size or traction
of an ounce in weights. but Spencers
kites would fly with weights and theirs
would scarcely fly at all without WelghtS
attached. Spencer mainly builds EDDY
kites which are diamond shaped He
also builds box or HargraVe kites, #hlch
are square. but he viii not waste ms
time on any kite which stands less thah
three feet. Most of his kites are five or
six feet tall his favOrite one, Black
Tom being seven feet tall and as many
broad. He holds in utter scorn kites with
tails such as we and our fathers used TO
fly. Another thingwhich he does not use
in his sport is a ball of twine. He has
reels OF all sizes, his largest turning Oh
six feet of rope at every revolution.
Professors Lynch and Weimer OF the
Central High School have for some time
past been conducting experiments II
kite flying and delivering lectures on
the subject before a class interested
in their scientific efforts. They en-
ployed a kite about two feet high, with
a tail attached. and thought they were
making progress. When they heard
of Spencer's successful experiments
they were amazed They extended him
an invitation to speak before then
class. He has not yet acted on the
invitation Spencer received his first
lesson in kite building a couple OF
months ago at meeting at the Y. M
c. A A gentleman delivered learned
discourse on the subject, telling the
boys how he had constructed kites and
sent them up with lanterns attached
and rockets with slow fuses. Spencer
went home and the next day his moth
er called in vain for him to go to the
grocery and get the customary article
which she had forgotten to order wher