The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-21
A Race at the
Aero Club
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

Down at Wellington they've got the
aeroplane craze. There's a concern
that has made a machine with lot OF
safety appliances that is especially
fitted for amateur aeronauts. The wo-
men have taken up the fad the same
as the men. They've organized club,
with first rate starting grounds, and,
although it's all brand new, there are
a 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 club
house porch with opera glasses In their
hands watching the tiiers and flirting
A race between two individuals,
| Beverly Yorke and Jim Springer. took
place not long ago, on which there was
lot Of money placed. 1t wasn't a
fair race. but there was nothing that
came within the rules as being foul.
A 200 mile course was laid out. start
! ing from the clubhouse. 1t first went
to Arlington. then south to Jonesville,
then southeast to Merryman. then
northeast to Hilton. then straight west
to harrington. then to the clubhouse
The fliers were to 60 over certain
church spire in each town, except
Jonesville, where there was big
factory, and they were to pass above
the 200 foot chimney that belonged to
It, Yorke was to start westward and
Springer eastward The one who got
hontf tn tho alnhhouca arct unc RI ho
declared the winner AS to the fiers
observing all the rules, this was Sc
cured by club member being station
ed at the different points they were to
pass over.
The machines, being merely for
pleasure, were not especially powerful.
There were machines with strong en-
gines In the club, but this race was
limited to the pleasure class. 1t wasn't
expected that the race would be made
In less than three hours At 10 o'clock
the club grounds were full of members
and guests to gee the race, and a num-
Der of machines were flying about,
dashing hither 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.
IOrke was the favOrite at odds of
five to four. At least these were the
odds up to the day before the race
But that night they suddenly changed
to two to one on Springer. The queer
thing about 1t was that no one could
lind out why this change should have
come about. There were rumors about
Yorke not being In a condition to race
or bis 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 about to see the fun started of |
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 Of 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.
and 1t was expected by their observers
that she would keep In touch with |
MIN In the contest to encourage him |
But In this they were disappointed. |
She followed neither of the fiiers,
lowering over the club grounds and
by signs communicating with those be-
low how the race was going. When
the racers had been out a couple of
hours she was seen to fly away In the
direction of Merryman and was soon
out of sight.
when she came within seeing dis
tance of the tliers they had met and /
h"' pdSsSu Tue HALLWAY DOlnf
greatly ahead of Springer Kate made
a bee line for Yorke, who had started
westward and was nearing Hilton. He
mad 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 nm
within hearing distance.
s.nh Nr
gladr'
Glad about whatY i
You're going to win"
That's very nice of you."
They sailed along in company sor
awhile when something seemed TO 90
wrong with Kate's machine. It CA.
reened first on one side. then on the
other. 4
I'm afraid I'm going to fanr' she
cried In voice of terror, and. true
enough. she went down rapidly tin abe
struck the earth. but managed her ma.