The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-12-28

a meadow. It was a ease Of steady
hand and iron nerve and the daring
young aviator had won out and prevent
ed q tragedy.
Mars was born in Michigan, on the
shores OF the lake of that name. His
people were seatarers and he intended
following III their footsteps. This was
not to tie, tor lie finally drifted into
Chicago and became a newsboy, first
selling Chicago TrIbunes on the streets.
lie aspired u the stage and finally went
on as singer. The circus lured Mars
away from the theater. \ traFeZe
troupe engaged him and ne was tossed
through the air from hand to hand,
turning somersaUlrs en- route.
Then he aspred TO become a second
Tod Sloane, but the fact that he had
to diet discouraged MIN from becoming
a Jockey. AZ he liked three square meals
every day. He became a high diver
with q circus. Once he studied law,
ana then about this time ne met Capt.
Thomas Baldwin. the pioneer aulonaut,
whose dnigible balIooning feats were
being discussed the world over. Bald
win took an interest in Mars, and then
he was billed on gaudy Autographs as
Mars, the Lion Nerved Daredevil, in
His Death Detying Parachute Leap
Understudy of Baldwin.
From the time he made his first as
cension and parachute leap under the
direction TO Captain Baldwin, Mars has
ueen d constant student OF aeronautIcs.
He has never been an amateur, Tor MS
first ascension was made when he was
but sixteen years old.
In 1902 he again Joined Captain Bald
win ia Los Angeles, where during the
winter they built one Of the first and
most successful airships, or dlrlglble
balloons. This was the California Ar
row. which also made flights at the
st. Louis Exposition. In 1909 he went
to Oakland where he became official
pilot of the Oakland Aero Club. In the
early part of this year Los Angeles held
the first bic aviation meet in the West,
where We're gathered Glenn Curtiss,
Paulhan, the Frenchman, Hamilton,
Willard and many others. But up to
that time he had not become acquaint-
ed with the aeroplane.
That meet ended Mars ballooning
DAYS and he went TO Hammondsport,
New York. where he became q pupil
of Curtiss. He learned to fly in the
winter time He made his first profes-
sional flight in Memphis, Tennessee,
sharing honors with Curtiss. The meet
would have been married by terrible
accident but for Mars quickness of
action. When near the grandstand he
started to descend. The wind was too
strong and he was whizZing straight for
the grandstand. He came down into
the tonneau of an auto, but his machine
was partially wrecked against the land
skidder.
Mars has been married many years,
his wife being formerly Miss Marie
Ethridge of Portland. Oregon. She was
but sixteen years of age then and
doesn t look many years older now. She
is very tiny bit of femininity, but
possessed of nerve for soaring the upper
regions only a little less accumulated
than that of her husband.
The Curtiss machines now here have
a spread Of main planes of thlrty-two |
feet, five inches.
Scully Financing Meet.
J. T. Scully, proprietor of the Savoy |
and Empire theaters, is one of the local
men financing the three-day's meet. |
The tickets will be on sale at once, the |
plan being to charge one dollar per
ticket for each day. Transportation is
to be furnished from the end of the
car line to he polo field for those who
nav wish that of nod of TING To