The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-09
REVIVED BY AIRSHIPS.
Double Balloon Ascension Checked
the Decline of Kansas city.
From Che New YORK sun.


of Kansas City merchant in the seven
ties. Jay Gould had completed The Mis-
souri, Pacific to the Metropolis of the Kaw,
as some had dubbed the new city, and then
pushed the line on to Leavenworth. Kan
sas City viewed this movement with
alarm. 1t had expected to be The termi-
nus of the one long line of railway in the
state.
If Mr.. Gould had walked in any street
in Kansas City about this time he would
have been hooted. Prices in real estate
fell like a plummet A few timid bust
ness men holsted the red nag. The town
struck a dead CAIN The Mayor. Milt
Magee, a combination Of the elder Carter
Harrison and Paddy Gleason, the largest
realty holder in the place became desper-
ate, and TO liven up things mounted his
spirited Kentucky thoroughbred and rode
in Main street, followed by a crowd When
the Mayor wanted a drink he rode into
a saloon and ordered for the crowd. While
he imbibed from the saddle ne ordered
bucket of lemonade for his horse. He
preached Kansas City wherever he had
drink and in the streets as well. The cru
SADIE was continued whenever the Mayor
thought the town was becoming somno-
ient
There were no telephones then. The
Mayor lived out In the west end of the
town in ''Magee's addition and when he
| started a crusade out there the news soon
reached the business center, and the ea-
| looms replenished their stock, especially of
! lemons, foe Mayor Magoe's horse had
| shown great capacity for lemonade.
Unquesuonably the town would have
come out of the blind staggers it received
/ from Mr. Gould for Kansas City always
! had grit. But the breaking of the spell
was FASTENED by jeweler of the name OF
| Holman and an aeronaut known in his
! business as Prof. Stiner The latter was
/ a gadabout Snowman. He was as tall and
| angular as Lincoln, nervous and agrees
/ i've. Holman was a dandy I'm dress, quick
| as cat and one of the first business men
! in Kansas City to wear silk hat every
/ day When he passed the square on
which the farmers congregated with their
products, he created as much fun and
comment as a circus procession. When
business was dull, as it was most of the
time with Holman then, he sailed forth
to start a breeze, and generally sue
| ceeded
Ii was inevitable that Holman and
Stlner should meet. Just as the CONNER
/ cial depression was becoming heavier a
ripple struck the town in the announce
ment that Prof Stlner and II, R. Holman
would make two balloon ascensions from
the public square on July 4. Ii was ad-
vertsed as a free stow That Stiner
would make an ascension caused little
comment If he had said that he would
/ fly no one would have questioned his in
| tenton ITO make the effort. But what did
| Holman know about balloon? He could
tinker an e.ght-day clock, or fix watch
or wear fine clothes, but at that time
/ baloonist was a scientist. -
Holmans friends tried to dissuade nim
and asked what he expected TO make
by the foohardy act He answered that
something must be done to bring people
| into town, to cOunteract Jay Could blow
to the metropolis. That Holman had his
| own boom in view was not denied, but
the waiting Kansas City merchants decid-
ed that the Holman boom was good for
the town, no matter whether he came back
dead or alive. Before a week the Western
country was talking about Kansas City
and its double balloon ascension on the
Fourth. prof. Stiner is to go up, fol-
| lowed by a crazy jeweler. who never saw
| a balloon" was about the drift of the
/ comment The balloons were to be built
in Kansas City. That was heralded and
worked although few rival towns mean
| ly insinuated that the Metropolis was
right at home in building windbags. The
industry however, hummed People came
in from the country to see the building
/ of the airShips, and of course they went
to see Holman, and Holman was smart
enough to mark down such articles
in his stock as would catch the farmers
eyes.
Business had a starter The hat was
passed and the town contributed to the
/ construction of the balloons. Prof ST.
ner received the guarantee" Holman got
the glory. Two days before July 4 the
town began filling up with people, wagons
/ and dogs. Every vacant lot near the
business center was camp. Surrounding
towns turned out big representations and
| the hotels turned away guests. Prairie
GpbnDnaFc bnckbnardG
and old coaches blockaded the streets.
4 Indians, Mexicans and bullwhackers min
gled in the crowd. 1t was a picturesque
| aggregation. Bankers stood in the door
way directing suckers to gambling or
| every kind, right in here" And there It
was. in fun view, every game known to
sports, in full blast
The ferry between Kansas City and the
opposite shore was unable to handle the
| crowd from Clay county-the home of the
James boys-and skiffs and hatboats were
| navigated to bring over the crowd On the
night of the Sd the town was hot and wi
open. Many went to the hi.ltops TO es-
cape the commotion and other things and
to have high place from which to ew
the ascension. A fence was built about
the place in which the airships were in
hated. AS the big bags began to swell
and their tops were seen above the fence,
tugging Ike living things to break away
from their chains a roar of voices went
up and was echoed to the hills.
It was afternoon before the ropes were
cut. The balloons were new, and winter
objects never went up to a cloudess sky.
The name Holman in enormous black let
ters was painted on one balloon; Suner on
the other. Every artifice of the show
man to work up the people to the neces-
sary pitch was payed by Stiner. and only
he and his pupil knew which would leave
the earth first. The public did not know
until the white ship marked Holman cut
loose and crcled in its fight.
Holman stood IN the basket alone, in fun
evening dress. He waved his silk hat to
the multitude while the multitude shout
ed and returned his salutation until his
ship Of air" looked Ike an open fan and
went out OF sight in a cloudbank above the
horizon in the southeast.
Then the ship Of sHner went up. lie was
in his shirt sleeves. But there was no car
to his balloon. He sat on bar just below
The neck Of the liz bag This intrep!dity