The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-03
A Race at the
Aero Club
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

bdIepy Appliances tnaJ is especially
fitted for amateur aeronauts. The wo
men have taken up the fad the same
as the men. They've organized a 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 fliers 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 fiiers were to go over a 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
II. Yorke was to start westward and
Springer eastward The one who got
back to the clubhouse first was to be
declared the winner AS to the niers
observing all the rules. this was Sc
cured by a club member being station
Oh ~ inf hnu 70
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 see 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 firma topped them all for
flirting. She had every man in the
club by the ears, and 1t was generally
conceded that when she undertook to
bring a man 10 his marrowbones he
might as well come down at once.
Yorke 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
find out why this change should have
come about. There were rumors about
Yorke 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 Jockeytng for |
odds.
At IL O'Clock the two machines were |
rolled out on the starting grounds, the
Dne pointed west, the other east The |
racers took their seats. and half a
iozen men did the starting for each
at the same moment. As
hey rose the aeroplanes that were
lifting about to see the fun started of
n different directions. either to inter
.ept the racers or to take some central
,oint where they hoped to keep the
in sight by means of glasses.
Kate Wintertons last victim was
lin Springer. She had been seen on
he clubhouse porch during the even
ng before the race spooning with him,
md it was expected by their observers
hat she would keep in touch with
linn In the contest TO encourage him.
But In this they were disappointed.
The followed neither of the fiers.
covering over the club grounds and
" signs communicating with those be-
DIV how the race was going. When
he racers had been out q couple OF |:
ours she was seen to fly away in the
ERECTION of Merryman and was soon
ut of sight.
When she came within seeing dis
ance of the fiiers they had met and
'orke had passed the halfway point
realty ahead of Springer Kate made
bee line for Yorke, who had started
and was nearing Hilton. He
ad met his opponent so far ahead Of
be point he should have been and felt
D certain OF winning that be was not
ressing his machine. Kate sailed up
'ithin hearing distance.
"oh. Mr.. Yorke," she called. I'm so
ADJ
Glad about what?'
You're going to win"
That's very nice of you."
They sailed along in company for
while when something seemed to go Il
rong with Hates machine. 1t ca
'ened first on one side, then on the
her.
I'm afraid I'm going to fair she
led in a voice of terror. and. true Z
Tough. she went down rapidly till she
ruck the earth. but managed her ma
line so well that there was no abso-
te drop. Yorke was too much of a
an TO leave her In distress and fol- 4
wed her. finding her lying on the =
ound beside her machine in a state =
collapse. y
Well. TO make a long story short, 3
ate kept him ministering to injuries z
at were not serious till he had lost q
e rnce. But he came out ahead In q
e game OF love II be lost the race. s.
? refused to say a word about what
ate confessed was a frame m re-