The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-04-16

Mrs. Hibbs lamenting her husbands
impracticability and Mr.. Hibbs regret
ting that his wife had been born with
such narrow intellect as not to be
able to appreciate his efforts to lift the
family into prosperity by a brilliant
stroke of genius The want Of unanim
ity between them came from the fact
that Mrs. Hibbs' mind was always on
the providing and her husbands was
always on his inventions.
Mrs. Hibbs considered there was
trouble on hand before the advent of
the aeroplane. but after that she real
lied that her previous tribulations
had been bagatelle in comparison
whats the use," said Hibbs, "of
these fellows using all these boxlike
affairsP What we want to do is to
initiate the bird. Creatures navigating
the air have two wings for propulsion
and tail for steerage. Man has an
advantage over the bird in this. Be
sides the wings and the rudder, he may
have separate propelling force in an
engine and fans" And it must be adj
mitted, though it has never been
brought out publicly, that Hibbs was
the first man to construct a biplane
He was very proud Of this fact. not
stopping to consider that any man may
build a big bird, but not every man
can make 1t fly.
After Hibbs got the aeroplane fever
he rented a house In the country, with
a big barn attached and a ten acre lot.
for the purpose of manufacture and
experiment. He kept his aeroplanes In
the barn and had shop there. The
ground Of the premises was level and
enabled him to make starts. His wife
was compelled to view her husband in
one of these positions, either lying on
his back atching the birds he was
trying to initiate. or at work in his
shop, or cfrcling around the chimney
top in his machine. OF the three she
preferred hi lying on his back study
ing the natural inha bitants of the air,
for while working in his shop he was
continually cutting himself with his
was constantly in danger Of coming
down, to be dashed to pieces on the
earth.
Taking it altogether, the wife of an
aeronaut does not lie on bed of roses
On the other hand, it is very trying
for genius while struggling with
mighty problem to be obliged to listen
TO his wife's continued talk as TO how
she is going to keep the family's head
above water or constant reminder that
her husbands life is in danger. When
Hibbs came in from his shop with
terrible cash in his forearm made with
some sharp instrument she had the
satisfaction of knowing that he lived
and would likely recover from the
wound. But when she knew that he
was circling about the chimney top
she was never sure but that he would
not only come crashing down, but
bring the chimney with him upon her
devoted head. The consequence was
that when Hibbs went up in the air
bis wife hid her face in a pillow.
One day Hibbs went to the city and
remained away for a week. When he
returned be told his wife that a friend
"a promoter-ha organized a company
to take over his patents when they
were perfected and would supply him
with money to pursue his investiga
tons. There were to be 100000
shares and Hibbs was to have 1900,
900 Of them. If, as it was expected,
the United States government gave an
order for machines to equip an army
corps of aerial mounted men-birdlery
was the name used-the shares would
be worth par. "Then, sweetheart
said Hibbs, throwing his arms around
her neck, wen be able to fly to the
moon If we like"
Mrs Hibbs usually received such in
formation merely with a sigh, but this
time she happened to have headache
or billache, possibly-and repulsed
her husband. He drew away from her
with an expression of infinite pain. He
was a sensitive man. as such aerial per-
sons usually are. and, withdrawing
into his own room, he bolted the door,
and Mrs. Hibbs saw him no more that
night.
She had no sooner given the rebuff
than she regretted having done so. The
next morning she would ask his for
giveness. But the next morning his
door was still locked She knocked
and received no reply. Becoming
frightened, she got chair and looked
over the transom, expecting to see his
dead body. But Mr.. Hibbs' body was
not there. He had gonel Where? He
had left no information. His wife
looked for his return all that day and
the next and the next. He had flown
away on his machine; that she knew,
for the asroplane was not In the barn.