The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-03


brother to enter the Boston Harvard
contests only after much cajoling.
Aviator Willard does not care to have
his pretty sister take the risks that he
himself takes without thought. Miss
Willard is ambitious to become the first
American bird-girl She says there is
no reason why woman should not be
as successful at aviation as man.
i have been studying aviation ever
since my brother took up the science
of flying seriously" said Miss Willard
discussing her plans for the proposed
Boston flights. He says himself that
am as well versed in the theory Of
aerial navigation as he is himself /
have accompanied him wherever he
has gone and have watched him at his
work. / am always called into consul
tation with him on any subject that
arises pertaining to aviation. can see
no reason why should not put my
knowledge to the same practical use
that he does his. want to be the first
American woman to handle an airship.
Il am delighted at gaining the con-
sent of my brother to entering the
Boston Harvard contests. / feel GER
| tain that / shall take down some Of
the big prizes. 1t will be a great thing
to be the first woman to dare the open
spaces of the air-and me mere girl.
All the other girls in all the country
will look at me with envy hope some
day to be recognized as an aviator, and
to be able to enter any contests with
out having to obtain the consent Of
anybody. If am successful in my first
attempt my brother is going to give
me machine of my own.
WAS ever girl more fortunate ?"
she asked, naively. TT is my greatest
ambition to be able to do what my
brother does in the air. And that am
bition is now about to be gratified.
entertain no doubt of my success Sue
cess in aviation after the science has
been mastered, is largely a matter of
nerve and confidence. / feel sure that
l have all the nerve necessary and
am certain that / have the requisite
confidence. l am not at all afraid Of
what / have undertaken to do. / am
merely afraid that something will hap
pen to make my brother decide to for
bid me to make the attempt. If he
does / shall weep my eyes out
And why shouldn't a girl fly? It is
the same old opposition, that forbade
woman to work and to do numberless
other things that she wanted to do
And yet women are competing with
men in almost every line of endeavor
There Is no more danger to a woman
in the air than to man. 1t is merely
a technical question of knowing how
TO handle your machine. 1t is a glor-
ious thought for a girl to know that
she can sail with the birds. Girls
come nearer to being birds than men
anyhow, They call aviators bird-men.
propose to be the first bird-sirl."
Miss Willard Is as pretty and popu-
lar as she is daring and fearless. She
is a social favorite in her own com
munlty. She has many masculine
friends upon her string, but says she
VIII have none of them until she has
found one who is willing to try
night with her. She has not yet ruin
across an admirer with sufficient dar-
Ing to make the attempt. Miss Willard
says she is glad there is no sweet
heart to interpose objections to the
fulhllment of her ambition. If there
had been, she AYERS, there would GER
tainly have been been a rupture when
she secured her chance at the Boston
Harvard meet.
1t is possible that other women be-
sides Miss Willard will enter the Bos-
ton-Harvard meet, which begins the
nrst Saturday in September Two
women of foreign birth, names un-
known, are said to have made inuuir-
les concerning the construction of
tent large enough to hold an aero
plane. Although they could talk but
little English, they made known the
fact that they intended to fly at the
Atlantic meet, and said that their ma
chine would come from France. The
announcement that two mysterious
women are making arrangements for
flying has caused no little comment at
headquarters.
Thls announcement will have no eff
rect upon the plans of Miss Willard
She does not believe that there win
De any other women than herself en-
tered as contestant in any of the
events. If these women are earnest in
their intention to enter machines. she
says, they will be in the names of hus-
bands or brothers, who will fly them.
Miss Willard says that women are not
yet sufficiently advanced in such mats
tiers to seriously attempt as hazard
Gus an undertaking as aviation. Miss
Willard remains content that she viii
entered by Claus P. Larsen OF Cleve-
be the first girl-bird to fly in America