The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-09-25
FOR
AN AIRSHIP

The directors of the fair have had
a hard fight for an airship at Black
foot the past two seasons, and to
those of the public who are inter-
ested the following statement will
explain:
For the fair of 1913 they had
bird man engaged for the four days
and he failed to arrive or render any
account of his absence. They were
not in position to secure redress
and the whole community was dis
appointed.
For the fair of 1914 they had
contract made by a man named
Johnson, representing the Moisant
Aeroplane company of New York, and
the same people contracted to fly at
Rexburg and Mackay, whose fairs
came ahead of ours. The bird man
failed to keep his engagement at
Rexburg, and Mackay received notice
when too late, that they had found
the altitude at Mackay was too great
for flying. The B1ackfoot men sup
posed he would disappoint them also,
and they spent some days trying to
get assurance on the matter and fail
ed. Assuming that he would not be
here they engaged with The Young
Aeroplane company of Kansas City.
The machine belonging to the New
York company arrived some days in
advance of the fair and the other
one did not come at the time it was
booked to, but came day late. The
first man released the board and made
new engagement at Red Lodge,
Montana.
The second man, represented by a
Mr.. Weaver, had violated his con-
tract by arriving late, the board
could not prevent the rain the next
day, and by reason of the man not
having arrived on time a new con-
tract had been made by wire with
the New York office. When the
board paid for the, first flight Weaver
took the money and then set up a
claim of foul, demanding the pay
ment of half of the weeks engage
ment on completion of the first fight.
This clause had been changed in
making the new contract by wire and
did not apply, the payment of 5000
a day having been substituted.
Weaver agreed to accept it that way,
but the next day when it was time
to fly he refused to go ahead until
the terms of the revoked contract
were complied with. Neighboring
towns were trying to get him away
from us for fights Of their own, and
the board refused any advance pay
nlents but still held the cash ready
to deliver at the end of each fight.
The wind blew and the clash con-
tinueds One race followed another,
the machine was tuned up to fly, the
money was not surrendered and no.
body flew 1t was feared that If he
was given the advance payment he
would Immediately ship the machine
out of town, and as the contract was
Clear and the board within their
rights they had papers of attachment
prepared and an officer standing by
the machine ready to serve them If
it seemed necessary to protect
against such move. The board fin
ally told him that if he did not fly
right away they would start suit for
damages for his failure, he defied
them, the attachment was served and
he retracted and said they would as
cend. The start was made, the ma
chine wrecked, and there was gen.
eral conviction among those watching
maneuvers closely, that the aviator
purposely raked the first fence, and
Chen hit the next one with more
,<lamaging results than he had intend
led. One strong point of suspicion
was that the aviator did not strap
himself in the seat as usual, and was
prepared to jump which he did.
According to the terms of the con
tract he would have been entitled tc
5000 for that fight If 1t was consid.