The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-07-22
Race With Automobile Was
Magnet Which Drew Great
Crowds 1
INTERESTING STORY Of
HOW He BEGAN WORK
Worked From tho Ground Upward
and Thoroughly Prepared Himself
for the Arduous Task Before He
Attempted to Reach the Clouds.

Hoxsey made his last flights this af-
ternoon. For the fourth day he is
giving the people of Grand Forks and
Of the northwest an exhibition of the
Wright aeroplane and his ability as
an aviator. He is showing the thous-
ands of fair visitors Just what to ex-
pect in the future in the way of aerial
navigation and to what extent the
conquest of the air has already pro-
gressed.
The announcement of the race be-
tween the automobile and the aero
plane for this afternoon brought add
ed numbers to the fair grounds. This
feature will be one of the biggest that
Hoxsey will put on and 1t is sched-
uled to take place just as soon as the
wind goes down sufficiently to allow
it's being successfully staged. The
wind during the early part of the af-
ternoon has been rather high, and is
from the east, SO that Hoxsey will
very likely make his start of in that
direction.
There will be practically two flights.
the race and one to demonstrate the
regular work of the machine, but
whether these will be put on together
or separately had not been determined
at the hour the Times goes to press
How He Started.
The story of how Hoxsey chances
to get into the flying business is rath-
er interesting. His home is in Pas
adena. Cal, and he had been interest
ed for some time in automobiles, and
SO became an expert mechanic. When
the aeroplane became a success, Hox-
sey wanted to own one, SO went to the
east to get one Of the Wright Bros.
There he was Informed that he could
not purchase one. as thep were not
for all, all of the machines put out
being for exhibition purposes only.
They promised, however, that later
there would be an opportunity to pur-
chase one.
When Hoxsey found that there was
no chance to purchase a machine he
decided hat probably there might be
an opportunity Of getting into the ex-
hibition business. No sooner had he
decided to make try at this than
he acted, and as result he is now
one of the Wright aviators. There
are quite number Of young men in
the employ Of the Wright Bros, fly
ing machines, but Mr.. Hoxsey and
Walter Brooliins. the younk man who
made the worlds record flight at At
lantlc City recently with the very
same machine that is now flying in
Grand Forks, the only two aviators
who are allowed by Wright Bros. to
make their own flights without regu-
lar assistants. All Of the other men
employed by the company have as
sistants with them, but Hoxsey and
Brookins are so thoroughly familiar
with every detail that they are al
lowed to do thei rwork alone. Hox-
sey and Brookins, by the wap, are
close friends and long have been.
In determining his chances for be-
coming an aviator. HoXsey inquired
as to the qualifications. One of the
most important of these was that he
must be an expert mechanic and that
he must have nerve and he able to do
some extra fine headwork. Immedi-
ately he learned these. he got inter-
ested and asked hem to bring out
their quizzers.
After taking the quiz, Hoxsey went
to New York City, and two days later
he received a telegram to go to the
training camp Of the Wright Bros. in
the south. and he did go.
The first few flights of a new man
are made with one of the old hands.
and he is not allowed to touch the
levers or attempt operating until af-
ter he has shown that he is quite
familiar with everything. Then he
has chance to finger the levers af-
ter rising from the ground, but some
time must still elapse before he 10 al
lowed to make the entire flight alone,
When aeroplanes are sold to the
public at large, Hoxsey expects to go
into the aeroplane business. and he
believes that the fact that he has had
the experience in exhibition work will
fit him most satisfactorily for the
Continued on page 10).