Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-06-21
MADE CROSS COUNTRY
FLIGHT WITH $4,000
A. A. Stone, Jr. Says That on the
"Aerial Pay Route" the Danger
From Hold-ups is Slight


country by airplane according to .
letter received by his parents. Mr.
and Mrs. A. A. Stone. Sr. Under
date of June 8, he writes from San
Diego
81 had a very thrilling and wond-
erfully enjoyable time yesterday.
Yesterday being pay day. We had
been pretty busy around the ONCE
ms 1t requires a good deal Of work
to get the pay roll ready. About IL
O'Clock in the morning the Command
ing ofacer came out Of his ONCE and
hollered, Stone, get your Tying
clothes on, I want you to go down
70 Otay Mesa with me to pay or the
men there
1--WE have two outlying fields, one
ut Otay Mesa and one at Imperial
Beach. We went out to the line and
found q ship and after I got into
the front seat and securely buckled
in, the G. O. handed me the money
bags, containing some 100000.
Then we started OF and circled
around till we gained an attitude OF
about 5000 IT. and then headed
down the coast. As had never
really had a Joy ride before, it was
q great treat to me, and this was also
the drst time I had ever flown above
the clouds. It surely is some sensa-
ton to see clouds below you instead
Of old Mother Earth We crossed
over q little mountain range or
rather range Of large hills, which
looked liked deld Of rather rough
cloddy blowing from that attitude.
There is all the difference in the
world between cross country trip
and the ordinary training work espe-
cially in the amount of pleasure
gained from them. When we arrived
at Otay and had made the landing I
found that it had taken us just 80
minutes to cover the 80 miles, which
was considerably. faster than so
miles per, as several minutes are re-
CURED to gain the necessary attitude.
Needless to say this aerial Day
route was very much appreciated by
the boys at the Mesa, and we were
given a cordial welcome. It surely
! is an excellent way to transport
money as the danger of hold-ups is
very slight.
Coming back we dropped down
at Imperial Beach, where the stunt
lying instruction is given, and paid
OF the men there. The clouds were
pretty thick there so they were not
dying very much then. Stunt flying
requires considerable attitude and it
needs real clear day. We then
struck out for home and glided into
the island and the C. o. landed the
ship in exactly the same spot as we
had found it. He is wonderful
aver, and probably will soon win his
J. M. A. which is the goal of all aspir-
ing aviators.
II have not been on regular fivins
status since getting back here on ac-
count of orders from the medical
of1cer, but hope to get back on
again soon. Am going up for some
stunts tomorrow with a young Can
adam who has completed all the
course here, but is still awaiting a
commission as his naturalization is
not completed.
Our post is an extremely busy
place now and a rapidly growing
one. New buildings are springing
up every day. We now have rail-
road train and engine on the island.
III the Kaiser could see all this actiy-
1ty, ] think he would at once begin
looking for hiding place.
They are sending a bunch of N.
A. men here soon SO I expect some Of
us 'old-timers' here will be moving
across pretty soon. Well, I'm ready
TO go anytime, although ] naturally
would like to get my commission
nrst, as one could have a little more
change with him then.
L surely would like to be at home
now to take hand in behalf of Sen.
Thomas J. Mangan. think Tom
would make great success in the
Senate and would like to helm in mt
ting him there.
Flying has got politics beat
though, and / am sure Tom Womb
agree with me. I never saw a more
disappointed man than Tom. when
we were in Chicago together and the
medical examiner told Tom he could
NOT pass the physical examination
Tor the aviation service. He was :
mighty poor companion for. save,al
days thereafter. did not receive the
last copy Of the Morris Tribune n
90 not know how the campaign "a
progressing. ! should imagine that
Dorweiler would have easy shedding
Tor the House. as he certainly would
DC an ideal man for the place. being
actively and personally in touch
with most Of the problems Of Stevens
county.
well whnovnr $ho AoAn~&~A .-a -