The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-02-10

The mechanicians were looking them
over and we found we were to GO upI
in Pilot Partridge's plane.
Lee Priest, the farmer who made a
community show all by himself and
his wife at the last fair, was in the
crowd, and tried to scare US out Of
flying We think Lee wanted to take
our place-at any rate he tried to
whisper something to us-tried to
bride US, probably. But we wouldn't
have taken any sort of bride then.
Too many people looking.
The alert and clever young mocha
njcian of the plane induced US to swap
our hat for a hood, which our friend
Priest assured US made him think of
the black cap. A pair of goggles
went with it. and just before we pull
ed them down tall young man had
Us pushed up against the plane and
| SHOT US with a kodak. We knew about
| how that picture would look and the
| thought inspired US with a fierce re-
solve to come down alive, lest such
| picture be printed with our obituary.
Then they helped US into the for
ward berth of the ship-not so easy
| job, when one is old and stiff and not
so sylphlike as thirty years ago. 1t
is not a very commodious place-the
front stateroom of an air liner. While
in it. your thoughts may wander, but
you can't. We don't believe Bonnie
| Condor can get into one Of them
places at ALL We looked around for
life preserver. but rejecting that
the plane would fall at least ten thou
of our snuggery, we refrained from
asking for one. Having previously
obtained two chews of Spearmint and
put them both in our mouth at once
to keep our teeth from chattering,
we pulled the goggles down and wait
ed for the procession to start. A few
minutes later we forget and swallow
ed the gum, but our teeth behaved
anyhow.
! Now, to tell the truth about it. we
were neither scared nor nervous. We
knew that with thousands of people
going up every day, it was not likely
we were going to meet any accident.
This feeling of confidence was added
to by looking at the pilots and their
planes. The men looked exceedingly
competent and seemed to consider GO
; ing UP in the air a very commonplace
; proceeding. In fact, Pilot Partridge
looked rather bored. He seemed like
just then he would rather have gone
off in a quiet corner and had long
cold ice-cream soda and chat with
his friends. It was easy to see the
machines were better than the rather
fllimsy planes our airmen at the train.
ing camps practiced with, and by the
faults of which more than one gallant
boy came to an untimely death. Sc
we felt safe and comfortable anC
prepared ourself for a novel anc
: pleasant experience.
We were not disappointed. The en-
: CINE began to hum. the propeller
= whirled and the machine moved down
= the field, the mechanician running
alongside. When almost to the fence
it turned and pointed it's nose west
ard started at a slow gait that in
= creased to a rapid run. It jolted yer!
4 little over the field. The hum of tn,
:. engine increased to a roar. the Sigh
humping ceased, the nose of the plan'
: tilted and the ground began to drop
, Before we fully realized that we wer,
g flying, we were looking down on 1
! grove of tall pines which appeared
= like so many big weeds. Then tn
- world turned a quarter-way aroun'
: and we were off for Ocala.
" The powerful engine throbbed witt
" an incessant beat that kept the shil
: atremble, and a racing river of al
streamed back on either side, bu
: down in the little cubbyhole every
y thing was snug and comfortable. TIL
~ air boat felt as safe as a seaboat an
=. a whole lot more pleasant to ride in.
p We didn't know we were going t
Ocala when we started. We knew w
= were up for fifteen or twenty minutes
% and somehow we had an idea that tn
q trip would take in a circle of An
# thony, Sparr and other places in tn
Il neighborhood. And looking down W
v didn't seem to be going fast. In fac
q we didn't seem going at all. The land
X scape was unrolled in front and role
is back in a very leisurely way.
III SSSIIlSu HlONIIS dDOuC Jill &C q
II hour. But the landscape looked Xix
~ map and we would be over plac
Il we recognized one minute and ar
,o other place more than a mile off tn
next, so we decided we would hav
* to arrange new mental speedomete
rs By the time we took the next tril
30 There was a freight train on the Ses
~ board. and it seemed to be standin
IS still. 1t was some distance ahea
a when we noticed it, and then it We
o. behind, meantime certain points alon
the line shifted in a way that mao
,e US think it must be rafting along /;
10 good, freight-train clip.
TT The airplane was almost as stead
as as church. Sometimes it would drc
sr, just a little; we could feel it giI
lie. down something like but more gent
~. I