The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-07-10

out AlonZO amt going up they Will be
purity mad"
"Oh," says he, 81 don't think So
The American public are a good ma
tured set Of chuckleheads mostly. II
they get sore I'll talk 'em out Of it,"
The four Of us took around about
5000 bills. The doctor says they is
nothing like giving yourself a chancet.
And Saturday morning we got the bal
loon filled up so she showed handsome,
Juggling away there at her ropes. But
we had a dern mean time with that
balloon too.
The doctor says If we have good
luck there may be as many as three
four hundred people.
But Jerusalem! They was two,
three times that many. BY the time
the show started | reckon they was
nigh thousand there. The doctor
and the Blanchet Brothers was tickled.
When they quit coming fast the doctor
left the gate and made little speech,
telling all about the wonderful show,
and the great expense it was to get it
together, and all that.
They was rope stretched between
the crowd and us. Back Of that was
the Rlanchet Brothers wagon and our
wagon, and our little tent. I was jest
inside the tent with chains on. Back
of everything else was the balloon.
Well, the doctor he done a lot Of
songs and things as advertised. Then
the Blanchet Brothers done some Of
their acts. They was really fine acts
too. Then come some more of DR..
Kirby's refined comedy, as advertised.
Next, more Blanchet. Then lecture
about me by the doctor. All in all it
takes up about an hour and q half.
Then the doctor makes a mighty nice
little talk and wishes them all good
afternoon, thanking them fur their
kind intentions and liberal patronage,
one and all.
"But when will the balloon so up?"
asts half dozen at oncet.
DR.. Kirby has been getting off the
wagon, but he gets back on her and
Of 'em all to come close.
"Iadies and gentlemen" he says.
"please to gather near-up here, good
people-and listen! Listen to what |
have to say, hearken to the offerings
of my voice! There has been mis-
understanding here! There has been
misconstruction! There has been.
ladies and gentlemen, woeful lack of
comprehension here!'
1t looked to me like they was begin
ming to understand more than he meant
them to. l was wondering how it
would all come out, but he never lost
his nerve.
Listen" he says, very earnest, lis
ten to me- Somehow the idea seems to
have gone forth that there would be a
balloon ascension here this afternoon
how do not know, for what we adver
tised, ladies and gentlemen, was that
the balloon used by Professor Alonzo
Alderman, the illustrious aeronaut
would be upon exhibition. And there
she is, ladies and gentlemen-there she
is for every eye to see and gladden.
with the sight of right before you, Ia
dies and gentlemen, the balloon OF
Alonzo Alderman, the wonderful dar'
ing voyager Of the air. You can
see her, ladies and gentlemen, strain
ing at her cords, anxious to mount into
the heavens and be gone. 1t is an edu'
cation in itself, ladies' and gentlemen
a moral education-and we'll worth
coming miles to see. Think Of it
think Of 1.-THE Alderman balloon
and then think that the illustrious Ac.
herman himself-he was my personal
friend, ladies and gentlemen, and a
true friend sticketh closer than broth
er-the illustrious Alderman is dead"
Well, he went on and he told funny
story about AlonZo, which don't be.
lieve they ever was no Alonzo Acker-
man, and lot Of 'em laughed, and he
told pitiful story, and they got sollum
agin, and then another funny story.
Well, he has 'em listening, and purity
soon most of the crowd is feeling in a
good humor toward him, and one Teller
yells out:
go it-you're hull show your
self!' And some joshes him, but they
don't seem to be no trouble in the air.
I thought all chancet Of trouble was
over with. But it wasn't.
Fur they is always natcherel born
kicker everywhere, and they was one
here too.
He was lean Teller with sticking
out jaw, and one of his eyes was in a
kind of black pocket, and he was jest
natcherally laying it off to about
dozen fellers that was in a little knot
around him.
The doctor sees the main part of the
crowd going and climbs down off'n the
wagon. AS he does so that hull bunch
Of about a dozen moves in under the
rope, and some more that was going
out seen it and stopped and come back.
"Perfessor," said the man with the
patch over his eye to DR.. Kirby. "you
say this man Alderman Is dead?"
l. Inn b