Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-09


ruff, to whom the uncertain field of politics
was always mine of gold, thought he would
enter aviation and fill his pockets. Owning
and wanting to boom certain real estate
holdings near Garden City, Woodruff built
a huge aerodrome on Nassau Boulevard.
Then he organized an international meet.
Flyers came specially from Europe to appear
at Woodruff show. The papers were filled
with it. Great crowds were expected.
wise Woodruff you heard people say
ing. Hes going to make another fortune,
this time out of aviation
On bright October day the flying began.
But Woodruffs chubby face was soon dark
in sorrow. Most of the crowd were outside
the field. They could see just as WE'LL and
didn't have to pay any money. Woodruff
became desperate. He antagonized Bishop
Burgess and other residents of Garden City
by persisting in extending his meet over
Sunday Even then the crowds didn' t come
Finally Woodruff found he had dropped
sixty thousand dollars. So he groaned-
louder than he ever had in politics set
tied his heavy prize list for SO much on the
dollar
And the story of Woodruff, aviation pro-
moter, is parallel to the stories of them ALL
for in the "big meet group" failure stares us
in the face, rank failure that shows loss of
three million dollars. 1t is truism of the
business that mo money has ever been
made in big meet" To be more concise
three million one hundred and seventy-s six
thousand dollars has been lost during the
last three years by American and European
exhibition meet promoters. A million a
year gone on that most dismal of failures
an amusement enterprise that didn't
pay!
Also statistics show that this country has
been more fortunate than Europe. Perhaps
it is because the American promoter is
shrewder. At any rate, the losses in Canada
and the United States came to two hundred
and seventy-one thousand six hundred dol
lars. Still, the discrepancy between Amer
lean and European losses explains the won
derful rises of airmen abroad. There the
meet arrangements squandered their money
on enormous prizes. The Paulhans and
Vedrines, winning them, became rich, as the
promoters became poor.
In 1910 two meets were held in Canada,
for total loss of thirteen thousand dollars
A year later they were more careful; but
they lost just the same.
TO try to make money from big aviation
meet is to try the impossible. The ex-
hibition field has become sterile. There are
tell you there has been too much exhibiting
resulting in overexploitation of the novelty
of the aeroplane. To Levine, an aviation ex-
pert, l am indebted for the following:
3Too many promises impossible of fulfil
ment," he said, "were made by aviators who
wanted to see their names in print"
Then he pointed out statement credited
to Harry Atwood. Last winter it was an
nounced from Atwood's headquarters that
he would attempt flight across the Atlantic
from Newfoundland to the coast of Ire
land.
"Take statement like that" the manu-
facturer continued. II don't know whether
Atwood made it or not. don't think he
did. He has more sense. Probably it was
a press agent To make that fight Atwood
would have to carry two hundred gallons of
gasolene. That makes sixteen hundred
pounds to start with, without considering
the weight of oil, food other supplies, or the
weight of Atwood himself In October, 1911,
Frenchman named Broguiet made a record
carrying five men whose weight was not even
sixteen hundred pounds Broguiet managed
to leave the ground and remain in the air
Just Jive minutes. That was all. How far
do you suppose Atwood would get toward
Europe, carrying this een-hundred- pound
weight of gasolene?'
Cheap advertising and extravagant state