The Florida agriculturist., 1908-01-01

was ready for it's flight.
Billie had erected large platform
which had a gradual slope toward the
edge of the rock, and two beams pro-
jected over the abyss some ten feet.
His idea was to start the machine from
the platform and the incline would give
it momentum, while the two beams
would allow the propeller underneath to
work freely as it left these ways for
it's flight for the broad Mississippi
In three days everythink was in readi-
ness and the flight would take place
the next day at three p NJ, which was
Saturday.
That evening, at the hotel, Billie
says:
''Well, Max, everything is all hunck-
a-dory, and of course you will 60 with
me, won't you, as [ need some one to
do the oiling and wave to the people,"
"No, not on your life, Billie" [ re-
piled. eff you must have some one,
get one who is about ninety years old
and won't be missed"
"Well who wants you? [ knew you
like a book You will be around to-
night at the hotel and try to get all
the glory"
"Well, William, would rather have
my glory there than run after it, like
yo1 will at three D. m. tomorrow"
The morning dawned bright and fair,
and at one o'clock found everything that
could carry a man, woman or child on
the water afoat. They came from
Wabasha. Reads Landing, Frontinac,
Stockholm and Lake City. and Lake
Pipen was a sight. The old ferryboat
''Union" was loaded to her gunwales,
and the Lake City Silver Cornet Band
PLAYED some of it's best music.
We took our place in steam launch
and were soon landed at the foot of
Maiden Rock, and as 7 gazed aloft at
it's towering summit could not help
but think what a fool that Indian
maiden must have been not to have
brought along her parachute.
2:45 found Billie and me on the plat
form surrounded by about twenty of
Lake City's representative citizens, and
after few we'll chosen remarks by
one of the divines. in which he very
appropriately remarked on the uncer-
tainties of life. we pushed the machine
to the two beams, and Billie, with a
graceful bow to the up-turned faces
below him. stepped into the machine.
had insisted on his wearing a life
preserver. and as he leaned over the
edge of the car and grasped my hand,
I said:
DO be careful, Billie, and try and
come through alive"
"Tut, tut, little Max, don't you wor
ry. Now when I fire this pistol give
her shove. Ready"
Bang! and with a mighty push we
gave the machine a GOOD start. At
the same time Billie pulled lever, and
such conlmOtiOn [ never heard. or never
expect to hear again. Every propeller
started to 90 at once. and while one
was striving to raise the machine the
other was driving it forward. She gave
a wild lurch to the starbOard and then
stood up on her hind feet. so to speak.
Billie was rafting around in her like
a pea in a gourd. Tt was awful. All
at once the front propeller flew off in
to space and tried to knock a church
steeple down over in Lake City, five
miles away. That old crazy machine
then made another wild Jump and Joint
ed her disabled nose straight down for
the Mississippi; and then I knew it
was all over
I think she made that six or eight
hundred feet in about two seconds, and
when she hit the water. there was
mighty splash, quick plunge and only
a few large spiral rings on the surface
Of the water told Of another "maiden''
gone to her Just reward.
AS I gazed trembling over the cliff.
old friond