The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-08-23
5000 WATCH
JOHNSON FLY
ShOemakerS' Picnic at
Lake LOdOre a Huge
Success
GREAT CREDIT is DUE, AS
USUAL, TO THE LADIES.
The best place
To see the birdman fly
Out on the open lake.
Get a boat.
While you navigate,
Watch the
Aviator aviate."

Lake Lodore Lyrics.
Five thousand people, some afloat,
but most ashore, " watched the avia-
tor aviate" at Lake Lodore last Sat-
urday afternoon, when the ninth
annual excursion of the Boot and
Shoemakers' Union, Local No. 377,
was featured by the first airship
! flight in Wayne county.
" We can say we saw an airship
fly" q think if l understood it,
I'd go up every day." He came
down fine" These were only few
of the many expressions of delight
occasioned by the performance of
Walter E. Johnson, Bath, N. Y, in
the Thomas Headless Biplane.
1t was fully six o'clock when the
the base ball grounds. The ma
chine, which was housed in knock
ed-down shed in front of the grand
stand, was viewed by thousands of
people in the course of the day, at
the cost of ten cents per view.
1t was not until 500 p. m. that
the side of the frame structure was
demolished, and the quesr-looking
object trundled out into the field.
Willing hands wheeled it to the top
of hill several hundred yards
from the grandstand. 1t was kill
ing to see the people chase it. Men,
women and children ran after it.
Pouf! A cloud of dust arose, as
down the gentle decline the artificial
bird sped, and away it went, up, up,
into the air to a height of about 100
feet; travelled couple of hundred
yards, and alighted, right side up,
by the barn, at the edge of the
woods. The wind was so strong
that the aerial navigator expected
to be shipwrecked. But he came
! down as gracefully as a dove, un-
fastened himself and walked back
to the grounds, none the worse for
his short fight. .l-
"I'd rather not fly" said Aviator
Johnson to committeeman, late in
the afternoon. THE wind is dead
against me. l wouldn't go up for
$1,000"
In view of the fact, however that
such large crowd was present and
in order not to disappoint the peo-
pie, many of whom had come long
distances to see an airship fly, he
was prevailed upon to make the
attempt.
Well, I'll only make a very short
flight" he said. And so he did.
According to Aviator Johnson,
ascensions are usually made after
four o'clock in the afternoon. THE
later it is, the better we like it," he
said.
For his aerial trip, Birdman John
son received $500; $500 when his
airship was ready to fly, and $500
when he landed. The payments
were made with certified checks.
Aside from the airship fight, the
Shoemakers' excursion was a great
success, socially, financially and
needless to add, politically. This
was the seventh year that Lake Lo-
dore was made the scene of their an
nual outing, the first and second
picnics having been held at Lake
Ariel.
Well, are you a shoemaker too?'
"Ain't the airship great?" I'm
coming again next year" This is
the best picnic we ever had" Such
were some of the questions asked
and comments made by the happy
crowd of pleasure seekers, many OF
whom took the first train out OF
Honesdale at 8 o'clock, Saturday
morning, so as to be on the grounds
early, and not miss anything.
AS usual much of the credit for
the financial success of the affair be-
longs to the women. The Labor
League, which is affiliated with the
Labor organizations, had charge OF
the refreshment stands. Mrs. Ed
ward Keltz and Mrs. Archibald Mar
kle were assisted in their labors by
a corps of enthusiastic and efficient
helpers. The League has an active
membership of twenty-five.
The Boot and Shoemakers' Union
Local No. 377, under whose auspices
the excursion was held has a mem
bership of 105. The officers of this
society are: President, Frank j
Hall; vice-president, Peter Sutton;
secretary, Charles B, Boyd; treas.
urer, William Hovlein; recording
secretary, James Orchard; trustees
John Boos, John Sonner, John Tier.
ney.
The committee in charge of the
excursion consisted of j. d. Orchard
chairman; Frank Holl, vice-chair-
man; Fred S. Cory, treasurer; ]
Boos, secretary and Messrs. d
Vicinus, Chas. Boos, d. Lohman
William Moran, William Hoeflein
L. Wagner and Fred Theobald.
Friday night, headed by the
Honesdale Band, a large number oi
shoemakers paraded the sidewalks
of Honesdale, carrying japanese
lanterns, and banners advertising
the excursion of the morrow. Hun
dreds of people made the uptown
thoroughfares almost impossible
and swarmed the streets to hear the
band concert given on a fiat cal
near the Union station.
Early in the evening the Carbon