The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-01-02
pr,zes ana lad 60. me aviators to

prizes ana lad gos tne sviators to
gether. the promoters would hire
field a mile long by half a mile wide
and build grand stand around It that
would hold a million people, more or
less. Did they pay people to come and
sit for hours watching a few ma
chimes in the air? They did not The
people paid for the privilege.
"The first day never brought out
the biggest crowds. People didn't
know whether anything worth seeing
would happen. But suppose one OF
the boys took tumble. Or, better, IL
half a dozen OF them fell. Next day
the police would have to fight for
their lives to keep the falling-feld
clear. That's what they called the
space where the fiiers landed-some-
times.
.All the gentle and refined people of
the day who had the price would be
out there waiting for things to hap
pen. The ladies' would be there by
thousands. 1t was before they could
vote, and they had to find excitement
some way. i hope there aren't any
of those frightful accidents today one
lady would say to her friend, so do
r. says the other. oh, look! There's
one Of them falling now. Here, you,
don't get in my way; ] want to see.
| too
"sWas your meet a success? says a
man to a promoter of the day.
"'Seven smash-ups,' was the answer.
We turned them away
Sport? Why, lads, after success
full flying meet the field hospitals put
out the Standing Room Only sign.
Those were the happy days-for for
lists and doctors.
"You may ask why the promoters
ever were able to find men willing to
indulge in the sport of flying in those
days before Durang overthrow the law
of gravitation and made air-sailing
safer than the crude, dangerous travel
on land or water. Well, lads, I can
best explain that by little incident
in my own experience. had young
friend who became an aviator. He
was bright young lad, and everybody
naid he had brilliant career before
him. By brilliant career in those days
people meant to have reporters sit
ting on your doorstep waiting for you
to get up in the morning, and hiding
in the bathroom when you went to
bed at night. II this happened to you
everybody said you were famous, and
wives asked their husbands why they
couldn't go and do likewise. This
young friend of mine-Jim, by name
4 saw that the quickest and surest way
to become famous was to go up in the
air. He did. He went higher and
faster than anybody had gone before
and the papers printed his pictures ali
over the front page; and he came
down farther and harder than any
man was meant to do and live to tel
the tale.
Have you any last words to say
Jimg said, bending over his hospita
cot.
Then Jim showed himself a tru,
hero Of that age, and his words ex
PAo1hO0 why AhCh AlohN0 IuClI hONh IL
the sport of aviation: Don't mine
me- says Jim; but see that the Sun
day papers get a picture Of ths
wrecked machine"
did all the inventors take chance!
by flying their own machines?" asked
one of the audience.
NO." replied Captain MacManus
"The Wright brothers didn't; the.
knew too much about the game"
Didn't you ever make any fiightl
yourself, captain?" asked someone.
Captain MacManus shook his heat
and winked
"Oh, no." said he. that's why In
still here"
Copyright. by W. G.. Chapman.)