Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-03-24
A Race at the
Aero Club
81 ESTHER VANDEVEER

Down III Wellington they've gor tn
aeguplaue craze There's a cOncerl
thar has made a machine with lot OF
safety appliances that is especially
fitted for amateur aeronauts. The wo
INca have taken M the fad The sam,
as the men. They've organized Il club
with first rate starting grounds. and
although its all brand new. there are
Z dozen members who own their ma
chimes, and in good weather some OF
them are flying all the while. Those
who haven't aeroplanes sit ON the cluo-
house porch with opera glasses in their
hands watching the hleys and flirting.
4 race between two individuals.
Beverly Yorke and Jim Springer. took
pace not long ago. on which there was
q lot Of money placed. Ii wasn't a
fair race, but there was nothing that
came within the rules rs being foul.
i 9n0 mile course was laid out, start
ing from the clubhouse. Ii first went
"a Arlington. then south to JoncSyillc,
then southeast To Merryman, then
northeast 10 Hilton, then straight ives;
TO Darlington, then To the clubhouse
'.he Hers were 10 go over a certain
church spire in each town, except
Jones, Tile. where there was a biz
factory and tEcy were TO pass above
the 200 foot chimney that belonged to
It. YOrke WAS TO start westward and
Springer eastward. The one who got
back 10 the clubhouse first was to be
declared the winner. As to the tiers
observing all the rules. this was SO
cured by club member being station.
cd at the different points they Were to
pass over.
The machines. being merely fer
pleasure, We're not especially powerful,
There We're machines with strong en-.
gines in the club, but this race was
limited to the pleasure class. Ii wasn't
expected that the race would he made
In less than three hours. 1t 10 o'c .ock
the club grounds were full OF members
and guests 10 see the race, and Il mum
Der OF machines were flying about
dashing lithcr and thither. rising
ducking and doing different stunts.
One Of these belonged to Kate Win
terton. who in the air topped every
other woman member for flying and
on terra tirma topped them all for
flirting, She had every man IN the
club by the ears, and it was generally
conceded that when she undertook to
bring man to his marrowbones he
might as well come down at once.
lorke was the favorite at odds of
five to four. At least these were the
odds up to the day before the race.
Eut that night they suddenly changed
to two to one on Springer. The queer
thing about 1t was that no one could
End out why this change should have
come about There were rumors about
iorke not being in condition to race
or his machine having been found
wanting in some particular, but they
were nothing but rumors and were
looked upon as mere jockeying for
odds.
At II O'Clock the two machines were
rolled out on the starting grounds, the
one pointed west. the other east The
racers took their seats, and half
dozen men did the starting for each
machine at the same moment. As
they rose the aeroplaneS that were
fitting aboU to see the fun started off
in different directions, either to inter
cept the racers or to take some central
point where they hoped to keep the
machines in sight by means a glasses.
Kate Winterton's last victim was
Jim Springer She had been seen on
the clubhouse porch during the even
ing before the race spooning with him
ana 1t was expected by their observers
that she would keep in touch with
him in the contest to encourage him.
But in this they were disappointed
She followed neither Of the iliers
lowering over the club grounds and
by signs communicating with those be
low how the race was going When
the racers had been out couple OF
hours she was seen to fly away IN the
direction OF Merryman and was soon
ont Of sight.
When She came within seeing dis
lance Of the tiers they had met and
Yorke had passed the halfway point
greatly ahead Of Springer. Kate made
a bee line for Yorke, who had started
westward and was nearing Hilton He
had met his opponent so far ahead Of
the point he should have been and felt
so certain OF winning that he WAS not
pressing his machine. Kate sailed up
within hearing distance.
"0h, Mr. Yorke," she called, I'm so
g.ad"'
Glad about WhatT'
YOU'RE going to win"
That's very nice Of you"
They sailed along in company for
awhile when something seemed to 60
wrong with Rates machine. 1t ca
reencd first ON one side, then on the
other
I'm afraid I'm going to fair she
cried IN voice Of terror, and. true
enough, she went down rapidly till she
struck the earth, but managed her MA.
chine so well that there was no ALSO
Lutte drop. Yorke was too much Ct
mnn To lcaYp hnr In disirpee and fol.