The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-09
Mr.. BOWSER AND MARS
His Proposed Visit to That Planet
Abandoned.

AD3n0On0tl.
Mr. Bowser walked nine times the
length of the sitting room, when he
paused and said:
Mrs. Bowser, there may be p gen.
tleman to see me this evening.
About hive of bees ?" she queried-
mo, ma am
You have bought everything but
bees in the last ten years, and j didn't
know but what you had got around
to them
Mr. Boswer sat down and chewed
the rag for two Or three minutes and
then said:
Mrs. Bowser, there is planet called
Mars
TT had been talked of in the papers
ever since you We're born, but I didn't
know whether you had taken any in
terest in it or not. Then you have
read or heard that II is inhabited?" 4
Il think / have read something of
the sort"
II congratulate you. It is suppos ed
to be world just like this and great
nation dwells there. 1t has its noun
tains, rivers and plains 1t probably
has an ocean or two. 1t has its birds
and beasts. 1t may have its Wall
Street, its Rockefeller and Carnegie
why don't you go there ?" in
necently asked Mrs Bowser.
by thunderi BY thunder. ex-
claimed Mr.. Bowser, as he brought his
fist down on his knees. Il was just
about to talk to you on that question.
For the last two days 1 have been
thinking strongly of going to Mars"
Mrs. Bowser smiled cynically.
''Oh, you think it one of my fads,' /
continued Mr.. Bowser, as he noticed
the smile. Let me tell you, my dear
woman that 1 was never SO earnest in |
my life. i want you to encourage me. /
A dozen times over 1 have been near
fame and fortune, but you have stood |
in the way For heavens sake give |
me a helping hand this timei"
eff can, will of course" was the |
reply.
You can-you can. I know it and
feel it. The man who can reach Mars
and mingle with the people, and take /
world, wilr be a greater man than any
king who ever ruled. Money will await
him by the CARLOAD
And the question with you is how
to reach Mars % said Mrs Bowser.
mo, that question has already been
settled. L want your consent to 60"
'Oh, 1 see. Well, you can take the
next train If you have any other way
of going you may state it.
Mr.. BoTser smiled and chuckled |
ard slapped. his leg, and it was half
minute before he said:
1.-The planet Mars is in the sky, isn't |
it? have got to try the upward way. |
Won't ar air craft reach it? Ha! hal |
Mrs. Bowser saw that he had been
quite carried away with this scheme
and she got ready to give it black
eye. She therefore asked:
rs this your idea alone ?"
mo, no, an air craft man is with |
me in it"
Then he must be a fool. He ought |
to know that no human being can get |
above a certain height from the earth |
without freezing to death. 1 believe |
the limit is two miles, while Mars is
something like seventy or eighty mil
lien miles away. After certain
height the air becomes so rarified that
no one could breathe"
Don't you think we know all this ?"
asked Mr.. Bowser, with light of vic
tory shining N his eyes I'VE not
only know it, but we have provided |
for it. If we have an enclosed air |
craft and a base-burner coal stove. |
what becomes of the cold? We shall |
make science take care of the rarified |
air, and there you are, Mrs. BOwser--
there you are
You say it was an air man who
suggested this thing to you?"
1T was, my dear-one of the best |
in the world-and when he found that
I had been thinking of the same thing
he was tickled half to death He gives
me his word that we can reach Mars
in about four days, and that no acct
cent whatever is likely 10 befall us. I
am to have all the credit. He doesn't
even want his namc mentioned in the
papers. 1t will be stated that drove
the aircraft myself"
Il see," smiled Mrs. Bowser. THE
aircraf TT man does all these things for
the fun of it"
mo, not exactly. One could hardly
expect that"
Then what sum does he want? ?"
Mr.. Bowser choked up and his
Aoam's apple danced up and down,
and it was some time before his emo
lions would permit him to say:
He spoke of $500, but 1 think I can
beat him down a little. OF course,
when W. get to Mars the inhabitants
will be only too glad to put us up at
the best hotel free of all expense, and
they will give us our coal and provi-
sions for the return trip. Tell me
plainly what you think about it,
Il will tell you little story in
stead replied Mrs. Bower. Three
years ago you gave an aircraft man
$500 to take you up for little trip.
You were strapped into Il seat and
away you went. The craft had risen
ten feet when you began to yell and
sc.t>q n .,al,l shut vo1: offered the