The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1901-10-03


winter Ianoo was, for one thing,
noted rendezvous for commercial ira
elers, who took trains there for the
drumming tours In the extensive PoN
der Woods district; and for anotLe
the big base burner that stood In IL
middle of the combined waiting an
sitting room was surrounded by
wide nickel railing, which invited th
heels OF takers and listeners.
One evening my own chair was bac
tilted there, when handsome, care
less looking young man came In
limplng badly, although obviously 4
no pain, and sat down silently, blu
with friendly glance about him, be
tween myself and Old Hernly, whit
travels for Carratracca Water, and Il
everywhere known as the Interroga
ton Mark.
whats your llne?' said Hernly ia
the young man.
"Aeronaut, or used to be. Gone out
of the business now"
"Why|
"Got hurt"
"How?"
"That's quite q story"
OF course Hernly made him tell 1t,
and 1t run thus:
When l said / was an aeronaut, 1
should have said a parachute jumper.
1t is a dangerous trade, but fellow
can make a good deal Of money by 1t
In a few years IL he doesn't have the
bad luck to get smashed by a fall.
The average life Of a parachute jump
er, after he goes into the trade, is two
years. They generally get killed by
some sort Of carelessness Of their own,
usually some neglect to see that the
parachute will open all right, but
followed the trade for five years with
out accident.
was always careful to examine all
the filings, Of the bag and the umbrella
mSN l--'et in spite Of my care I
W. lowing more and more reckless
without fully seeing it. l could not
bear to dlsappoint the people, and took
too many chances in the way Of
weather, but everything went till last
September. l engaged with the mana
gers Of the Chipathee Annual Fair to
make the ascent every day while the
show was going on.
While | was In the air the first time
noticed something l didn't like, and
that was the spread Of the forest south
of the town, which extended, with
mighty few clearlngs, as far as 1
could see. A large forest is one Of our
worst enemies, for In descending, IL
the wind lands the parachute In a
grove, 1t is sure to catch on the tons
or the trees, and the poor aeronaut.
coming to such sudden stop, often
loses his seat, and gets caught on a
limb, or goes crashing to the ground,
III by chance he escapes getting his
neck broken, his balloon and nara
chute still remain outspread on the
highest branches Of the trees, and TO
get them down without tearing takes
time and labor.
For three days I made good trims.
Tor the wind continued to blow from
the SOUTH thus carrying me away
from the woods. Friday morning /
stood on the fair grounds, congratulate.
ing myself on the fine weather I had
had so far and hoping 1t might TO.
main calm till Saturday nlght-Satur.
DAY afternoon was to be my last ascen.
sion at this place, but now the air
had an unreasonable and suspicious
neat and calm. l was to 20 up at A
O'Clock, and at It was pretty clear
that thunderstorm was near: Indeed
1t seemed so near that 1 then boned n
would come and go before ascension
time.
Inc air, however, remained in the
same still, brooding, electrical conyI.
ton, and at 1856 o'clock, when TX 400
or 10000 people were expecting me ~
go up, the storm seemed near II n
should not come, the people wopId
thlnk me rank coward In case I did
not go up, and the fair MANAGERS
might hold back my money; and above
aii' my reputation as a man who could
Ue depended on to ascend as adver.
tlsed would suffer.
1t wanted three minutes to 4. the ad.
vertlsed hour, when gave my assist.
ant the word to let go the guys, and
an the next instant the earth and the
crowd OF people began to sink. IN |
went The air was so still and calm
+. seemed to be floating away. II is n
neilghtful sensation. and 1 had learned |
60 love my balloon and her easy bird'
like flight. D''u
! rose rapidly, and after vaz,n,
LOW az the old earth awhile, took or
my cap and waved It, Then per.
formed few rimpIe feats on the tra-