The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-11-29
The MeddLer
,.If ihs eoai M, YOU, pm q on. =


There are in Brattleboro several
boys who are likely TO get into serious
trouble il they continue to destroy
the glass In the key.boxos connected
with the village fire alarm system
This is practice which has gone on
for some time but the superintendent.
Of the system has at last dlscoVereu
the identity of certain OF the cuiprits
and intends TO bring their noses smack
up against the municipal court grind
stone IL they do not at once menu
their ways. The desire to destroy pup,
lie property seems TO have powerful
hold on certain Of the local youth
And when il is not the fire alarm sys'
tenn il Is the electric lighting appara'
tus or the telephone and telegraph IN,
sulators that suffer. A little taste OF
the law might prove an effective cure
for this disease.
The two balloons which have "passed
oyeru Brattleboro this fall are 80
pleasantly remembers" hereabouts
that people are becoming greatly IN
terested in aeronauties. On DAYS
when balloons are scheduled TO ascend
from Pittsfeld or North Adams men
and bows are developing the habit OF
taking careful note Of the preVaiilng
air currents as denoted by local weath'
or yanes, and if there is any llkeh.
hood Of this town being included in the
aerial itinerary the horizon is care.
fully scanned at brief intervals.
Many people took frequent glanees
skyward Tuesday in the hope of catch
ing a glimpse of the All America
which went up from Pittsheld, and the
local telephone exchange was the re-
eipient of numerous inquiries for news
relative to the balloon's progress II
was not so many years ago that the
/ passage of an automobile through
| Brattieboro aroused as much interest
as balloon flight does at present.
How long viii It be before balloons
become as commonplace as automobiles
now arei
The frequency with which the CUES.
ton is heard, Is the balloon scheduled
TO pass over Brattleborof, shows that
many people still retain the belief that
aerial conveyances are entirely subject
TO the wishes of the navigators. This,
Of course, is not true. The direction
taken by a balloon depends entirely on
the prevailing air currents and It's
course can be guided only in so far as
its pilot takes advantage Of the vary
ing currents at different attitudes.
Most aeronauts do what they can 10
determine the direction Of these cur
rents before making a fight but II
| frequently happens that their deduc'
tions are greatly at fault. For in.
stance, on one of the first aseensions
| from Pittsfeld the balloonists felt
positive that the wind would take
them westward over New York state
and they carried maps of New York
with that idea in mind. When some
distance above the earth, however
they discovered that their reckoning
was at fault and they finally landed
in New Hampshire. That most of the
flights made from Pittsfeld and
North Adams have ended in Vermont
or New Hampshire is due to the fact
that the prevailing air currents at this
season are from the southwest.
There is in Brattleboro young mar.
ried woman whose ability to depend on
herself when in strange places is sad
Ily deficient. Apparently she has no
sense of direction and she has become
so impressed with this fact that she
dares not rely on herself to any extent
when outside her home town. Recent
" she and her husband took trip to
New York city where the latter was
called on business. Being confronted
with the choice of staying in the no.
tel all day or finding her own way
about the metropolis the young woman
bravely chose the less irksome alterna-
tive and started out. So well did she
succeed that she gained considerable
confidence in herself, and on the way
home from the great city Dragged to
her husband not a little about her &C
complishments. But alas for misplaced
confidence! A few days later the young
woman started out to visit friend in
| Hinsdale. n. H., and became so en-
tangled in that town. maize of streets
that she lost her bearings completely
and was finally overtaken and brought
home by the Brattleboro and Hinsdale
stage.
The heart of certain 6-year old boy
was recently gladdened by visit from
his uncle who lives in the west. So
pleased was the youngster with the
presence of his relative in the house.
hold that he insisted that the uncle
help him dress every morning. One
morning after the usual formality had
been completed the lad made this in
quiry at the breakfast table: "Pa, is
Uncle Frank a doctorR" "Why no, y
replied the head of the household,
"what made you think he VAST" Be
cause, +" asserted the boy, "his breath
smells like one. )" Evidently Uncle
Frank and the family physician were
in the habit of taking the same kind
of appetizer.
The Meddler.