The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-25
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS


who got experience in the war or are
now in the game commercially, but to
the man in the street"
Just because 1 have made a few spec
tacular stunt and cross country flights,
and had the title of director of aviation
conferred upon me during the fair by
President Brown, 1 am constantly be-
ing asked to give my experience in fly
ing.
The strange thing is that so many
of my friends seem to wonder that
ever got up my nerve to try it out, when
as matter of fact all my life I have
| been willing to take chance. Some seem
to think that just because man enters
| the ministry he turns his back upon adj
venture. I am just as keen for a new
experience as 1 was when the law was
my mistress.
curious thing about the matter of
flying comes from the fact that many
whose courage is beyond question tell me
that they wouldn't make an ascent for
the world, while many seemingly timid
and cultured women have confessed that
they were just crazy to take spin in the
clouds. All this goes to show that there
is more kinds of nerve than one.
| The day flew to the rooster sale at
Demopolis to find Frank Derby in a stew
because one of his brag auctioneers had
been left, the question arose as to get
ting the pilot who had brought me down
to return for "Scotty." 1 was soon able
to arrange the matter at my end, but
the problem arose would the big man at
the Birmingham end trust himself in
Icross-country flight.
Now really think it showed his sport
ing blood for he weighed around 24U
pounds, and until the moment he was
reached over the phone he had never
given a thought to using an airship as
a passenger: but he was game and sig
nified his willingness to fly to get to see
the picked birds of the country. He ar
rived without being Inconvenience save
that for awhile his ears were tingling
bit
But one can never tell how he will be
affected by aviation, any more than can
those who make business of carrying
people up size UP those who are willing
to make trial trips. Take the case of
my friends Chester johnson of the Mont
gomery Journal He was made deathly
sick by his trip from the capital TO De-
mopolis, but I suppose the only way to
test out whether one can stand it or
not is to fly.
, / had every reason to believe that fly
, ing would "get my goat" for if I climb
a tree I have to hug a limb tight or
down I will go because my head swims.
If walk across a trestle I am in dam
ger of falling as the blooming thing be-
gins to wobble, or at least that's the
way it looks to me- If get into a ham
mock and any one swings it I grow dizzy.
If look from a high building I have a
desire to jump, but so far have been
able to resist the temptation.
l was almost sure that when I got into
t the airplane at Wrights field in Mont
: gon cry in the presence or the great
, crowd of good roads delegates that
J would be very sick man before |
: climbed out, but this did not keep me
, froa hopping in when Lieutenant Steele
said ready. 1 am glad that I had such
an artist to put me through the third
degree in the skies. for after his initiation
l felt confident that no one else could
| ever 1eaze me.
E sailor, and most landsmen are, but near
E ly every one who crosses the ocean likes
= to brag how the others had to stay IN
Y their berths, but that they remained on
deck all the way across. I had no such
lucky experience, but I can say that |
. went to table every time meal was
!, served although 1 cannot truthfully re-
: llate that I never missed a meal ! ate
. them, but some of them wouldn't stay
:, put.
e So when my friends ask me about max
n ing trial air trip merely advise that
the only way to find out is simply to try
!. it out. ] said you can never tell who
: will so up. One of the aviators who
: was here during the fair told me that in
. Louisville he was acting as passenger
/, agent and a man wearing blue glasses
: bought a ticket and made flight al
though he was totally blind. He said
he just wanted the feel of the thing
e Some sport.
= There certainly is something fascinat.
ing about the thing, for ever since tool
my first trip ! have been an enthusiasts
for aviation. I used to watch the clouds
r but largely to TRIP and discover whether
v it was going to rain or not, or merely
I because of their beauty. But now fine
. that I am constantly loking up with I
view as to the air currents, and at tine
when I see fleecy bank / have grea
y yearning to be sailing above them.
just saw picture on the screen show
. ing the tie-up in England when the rail
9 way men went out and one showed al
airship loading up to fly to the grea
metropolis 1t carried eight passenger
and a dog, and underneath it was lin
saying. THE airmen have not gone o.
a strike In view of the rumors in tn
~ papers that the chieftains of the fou
/ railway brotherhoods viii soon confer Il
z Washington, it is a bit interesting t
= wol Ge- how long it will be before Their
will be a strike in the air.
n I saw another film in which airplane
Is were being used to drive away grea
fiocks of ducks which were threatening