The Van Buren press., 1902-06-28
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boy in Elwood Kan. He's division
superintendent on the Illinois Central
railroad now, and he writes his name
an. II. Emmett, Supt.," but in those
days he was known at the village
school as Mickey Emmett, OF course
Michael Robert Emmett would have
been more distingue and deferential,
but in those days he didn't go in much
for style, and with the memory OF his
dead fathers fine Irish brogue yet
ringing in his ears, mickey" sounded
all right.
Mickey's widowed mother kept
cows" Nobody called her little estab-
lishment dairy" except herself, but
she managed to exc out decent liv-
ing for herself and Mickey, and she
was proud Of her ambition to give him
an education and prouder Of the fact
that he always was first at his studies.
But when the glorious Fourth OF 1872
drew near Mickey made an eloquent
plea for some fireworks. He wanted
TO show his patriotism. He had an am
bition to make as much noise as the
other boys, and his heart rebelled at
the suggestion that "twas waste Of
money" The widow promised him
flag,
"Oi'll Civ yez a two.bit flag" said
she, "nn' take yez over { the picnic at
Lake Contrary. They's & be n bal
n.,,,.,,,, n,1 o., Il
and II will cost us both only four.bits."
Mickey preferred TO make bedlam in
his own yard, but the widow was bent
on the picnic, and the boy agreed to go.
II was the balloon that fascinated
the lad. lie was no sooner on the pic
mic grounds than he sought out the
cord-netted bag Of yellow, with its
wicker basket It's anchor and It's gap
ing mouth. When the great charcoal
fire was kndled and the pipe inherited
into the big balloon Mickey was the
busiest lad in the neighborhood His
good mother watched him and eau
toned him a hundred times, but he
hoyercd about she balloon like n bee
at an alfalfa blossom.
Finally, the aeronaut, Prof. Winban,
came forth with bath robe flowing
gracefully from his shoulders. His
spangled tights cleaned in the hot
sunlight, and he supernicnded the in.
naton OF his balloon with the careless
confidence OF master. Mickey re.
doubled his efforts to help so great
mann lie helped TO lit the sand bags
into the cnr and as the yellow bulb.
like monstrous orange, bobbed MP.
ward in It's efforts TO be free, the little
Irish boy was beside himself with de.
light, lie hoped into the basket
dozen times, The professor smiled
benmlngly upon him and oskedi
"Will you go up with me, little
mnn?"
Mickey glanced at his mother, who
shook her head flercely, and then he
lodged away again into the crowd,
| Fifty stout arms were now holding
the guy ropes which confined the bal.
loon, The day was perfect, Not a
breath Of wind disturbed the mir. The
smoke from the little steamer IN the
lake curled straight upward In a
widening cone Of gray. The trees were
mo,ionless, No cloud specked the blue
sky, the water lay ia, and shining Ike
mirror In the sun,
"Now, my friends" Numbered Prof.
Nlnball, casting aside his robe and
standing forth resplendent In the eun.
light, "when ] shout; Let got you
must all loose holds upon the ropes"
The volunteer assistants choruscd,
"All right" Then there was wait
while the professor looked Hfter some
carrier pigeons that were TO accom-.
puny him In the ascent, Somebody
shouted, "Let gol" The restraining
ropes were dropped with one accord
and the balloon, tcnnntlcss and like n
royless planet rose upward from the
ground
Then the round, brown, freckled face
OF small boy peeped over the rim Of
the basket A woman screamed and
tainted, and Mickey Emmett, the small
boy of Elwood, Kan, went sailing to-
ward the zenith alone In Slender
basket, swinging by four taut cords,
with the upward sweeping bulb o, ycl.
low silk lifting him beyond the sound
OF voices and into the measureless
tp0ce where the winds nre free and the
world IN but u sllver.strlped ball Of
green and yellow.
"Whcn looked over the edge of that
basket" said Superintendent Emmett,
telling the story yesterday, ~ didn't
realize that | was going up. For Ave
minutes or more II seemed TO me that