The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-10
Air voyaEing yupps late Favor as Popular sport--Raa on the oyster suRpiy by reafi seekers--city saf- fers from Plague of Eeis--Larsest soda-water FountsIn in the World --Two Mnilsn Cavities in Teeth of New Yerk school Children.

New York. Nov. 9.-(Speciai. )--Bal- looms may soon be as common in the sky as clouds. even If the rest of the country does not follow the example of this city. which appears suddenly to have become balloon crazy.
 In the recent international balloon racesE at St. Louis, together with the numerous ascensions hereabouts lo- cal amateurs who have begun 10 find autornDbiling unexciting even at ninety mffeman hour. have discovered the lead for new sport, and, leaving terra sfirma. expect to have their nerves stim- salated hereafter in the air. The strength of this sudden craze for ball. looming as pastime is sufficiently in- dicated by the fact that at the auto show now being held here ten balloons have been actually sold, with many others ordered.
 Balloon men have been kept bdsy ar. ranging for der1onstrD ions of their gas bags. necessarily a little more dif- ficuit of accomplishment than in the case of an auto. since New York does not countenance proFniscuous balloon ascensions.
 Contrary to general opinion 1t is not necessary to be millionaire to in dulge in aeronautics in ones own bal- loon. as very good one. 1t Is said, can be purchasedAfor about S10. A single ascension costs about $50, or s25 apiece if divided between two owners so that the new sport does not become so financially terrifying after all. Then, too. there wilINbe ho speed laws, po- iicemen or fines in the air, an afgu- nisnt which will appeal to many auto drivers hereabouts.
 One of thes most enthusiastic bal ioonists or @balIoonatics" as they have already been dubbed is Rear Admiral Chester who having retired from the seas has now announced his intention of navigating the air in his own ball. loon just as soon as he has served his apprenHceship.
 The run .on- New York financial in- stitutions last week has now given place to a run on the city's oyster sup ply.
 For two nights and those parts. of the intervenpg days during which the succulent ba$alve Is eaten, all New York, which frequents hotels cafes and even common restaurants, seemed to have but one desire in life; to con- sume as many oysters as possible. Worst of all from the standpoint of the "400.Y the oysters were actually chewed instead Of being swallowed whole like pill, as society demands.
 The end of the first night of this unique run foHnd the oyster supply seriously menaced. while on the sec- ond 1t seemed probable that 1t would become necessary to suspend the filling of the oyster orders. Patriotic oyster men of Long Island Sound. however, anxious to avoid national calamity, boIstered up the tottering situatfon by furnishing large amounts of ready oys- ters.
 The whole affair arose from the fact that Norman G. Thwaftes, an English man. while consuming his oysters at the Hotek Astor, discovered in one of them black pearl. valued at s200. The. chagrin which he felt at crmnching on Joy upon examining the cause. A
 No question was raised coneerning the right of the lucky finder to his trophy, the hotel people stating that even had not this point been settled by law. they sh hould consideY that the pearl belonged to MT. Thwaifes. As result, tfe E;nEiishman has had the gem mounted in q scarf pin and figures that he is about $19S ahead on his oys- ter order--a very good investment in these times,
 Unfortunately for those persons who consumed several hundred thousand oysters hoping for Q similar piece of luck. no. further finds have been re- ported. 3
 Father Knickerbbcker is now the proud possessor of the largest soda water, fountain in the world. As com pared with the sum of $1,0OO,000, which he spends every day on drinks which are Ihard. the mere hundred thousand dollars which Is left over for drinks which are soft is still one of striking proportions.
 Banks may fail and stocks slump, but there seemsfto be no diminution of the consumption of food, and drink, es- pecially the latter. The new founain from which soda water will be dis pansed to thirsty thousands, costs more than house and lot. $3O,000 being the figure named. It Is indeed something