The evening world., 1921-03-23
Evening World Artist Gets
New Thrills in Race on
Motor Parkway.
BIZ Thornton Fisher.

IT is said Of a certain man that
when told ne could live 10 longer
he replied: 81 don't care-l've seen
everything" and so passed peacefully
out OF the scheme Of things. II
wasn't a very wise crack at that, for
every day produces a new thrill, a
fresh vision or an unexpected adven-
ture, and It is the Unsuitable craving
for these things that MI the box
offices Of the fight clubs. race tracks
and baseball parks. To see Ruth lean
on the leather, Leonard send an OPP
ponent crashing to the floor, or watch
the brilliant Man o. War come speed
ing down the stretch, the spectators
pay millions Of dollars. All of which
seems to prove that the thrills the
hing. II makes sport the factor it
is to-day.
Until a few days ago | thought /
had graduated from The school Of
sensations--and then / raced with
Ray Howard, the noted speed mani
ac, against an acceptance going l5U
miles an hour. But let me begin the
yarn, mates. OF what proved to be a
day replcte with hair-raising Incl
dents. Not a breeze was stirring at
I the usually windswept field at Min
cola when Lieut.. Bertaud and l
strapped ourselves into the seats Of
, the little speed plane pulsating with
impa tience to be up and away. Into
/ the air we went. II was a glorious
! day TO play and we did. Over In
/ loops we turned, sometimes pointing
her nose 10 the clouds and then drop
ping OF on one wing to the right OF
to the left. One moment the sky wa
above, next below, as the little crafl
obeyed the pilots skilful touch.
Into long nose dives we fell only tC
pick it up and go flying along a few
feet from earth. Then we "Zoomed'
over the hangers until the plane huns
as II suspended by an invisible strand
as we butted the high altitude winds
At times the mechanical bird raced
but Ave or six feet above the FIELD
so fast that only blurs marked thu
passing objects on each side. Land
ing, half an hour later. | felt that VI
had had enough thrills for any pefec
day, and then Ray Howard threw hi
kelly into the ring. He wagered tina
he could beat the ship with hi
French Peguot on straight-away
Bertaud accepted his challenge and
was agreed that | accompany How
ard in the racing car. II was to b
my function to sit in the mechanic
seat and operate the pressure pum
when IL showed signs of weakening
SO, with a snort, we roared along I
p the Motor Parkway, whore the fool
killer pays one berry for the chanc
e to see how far he can go withou
e manning himself for life. The lieu
d tenant hoped into the air and man
oeuvered about until we were unde
, him. Both plane and machine starte
II from scratch" Away we few.
Shades OF Stevenson! Faster an
faster we hit the road. Round curve
,e and under culverts that roaring d.
mon sped. Up grade, over
bridge and down again, until the col
~ perspratiOn began TO flow from ~
Ae palms of my hands. And then 7
" forget to work the pump. Ninet
ne one hundred. one hundred and Il
miles an hour, while overhead ar
far to the fore Of US the amber-Co
Is ored plane, glisteuing with the sun
e reflection, cOnternptuously spat
:, exhaust at us below. | couldn't he
de but think OF the JOY OF living and
in the future and unfulhlled ambition
ds The friends I'd left behind. l kne
what would happen II the steerii
n, knuSlIle broke, or wheel rolled o
NJ The slightest swerve 10 the right
y, left spelled but one thing. / hop
that no short skirted frail might pa
that would take the drivers mind (
no the road. And the curves--we
them without decreasing our pa
yn which is exceedingly demOralizing
w one whose idea OF speed is a nii
n. twenty five miles an hour. The sire.
=. In which we were travelling made I
= Administrations boys on the par
sy. way look az though they were Standi
Tes pAEhA0a asiASR nalAs - 4