Evening star., 1928-05-20
BY II. J. SPERRY.

r WONDER II Col Lindbergh will re-
member tomorrow. on the first an
niversary Of his epoch-making
4 transatlantic flight the days when
he few In the circus owned by the
loouacious and cork legged Capt.
Vaughn?
Those who know him best know that
he has forgotten nothing. and the bud
dies" of his transforming career know
that he will never forget those careiree
DAYS when he was picking up little
money on the side while awaiting the
beginning of his air mail contract with
the Robertson Aircraft Co. OF st. Louis.
And lust as surely he will remember
the coup he perpetrated on the crowd
attending the annual county fair at
Rocky Ford in August. 1925.
The story opens on the race track OF
the fair grounds. which had been tenn.
porarily converted into landing neld
FOR Capt. j. Wray Vaughn's Mil-Hi
bv clouds of dust kicked up by some
8 600 shambling feet II was Satur-
day. and the holiday spirit was super
induced by the promise OF some tnrli-
ing stunt flying.
Those 1000 pleasure-seekers were
destined to get their moneys worth, II
only because Aheir attendance on TINS
day won them the subsequent privilege
of Joining the Il Saw Him When" Club
which was formed on a Nationwide
basis some two years later But even
at the moment the crowd got Its four
bits" worth Of entertainment. AS usual.
Iindy gave them more than was bar
gained for.
The race track and graz: land lay
at the west end of the fair grounds. 1t
was fenced off and two determined
looking officials. wise TO the ways OF
country crowds, held the oox once:
A few customers trickied in but the
ma iority of the crowd wandered over
the fair grounds. attracted by the
diverse interests of stock judging con-
test and the usual freak side shows.
Al the north end OF the aviation field
were two Hisso-Standafd airplanes,
which, together with their personnel OF
nilots and stunt men, composed the
circus. over one plane flabored short.
stocky fellow, with flaming red hair,
over the other bent long. slouchy, yet
somehow graceful figure. The hrst was
Lieut.. Rust, one OF the army OF care
free transformers; the other was Lieut..
Charles A Lindbergh-another barn
st0rmer.
II was about 80 In the afternoon
when Lindbergh and Rust began warm
ing up their planes. With Lindy this
was always an elaborate ceremony, IN
volving the removal and cleaning OF
he digtributor heads draining the car
btlretor wells. testing the wires and
cleaning the ship from stem TO stern
rust was usually satisfied 10 wipe on
! the thick of the oil from the iuseiage,
climb into the cockpit. wagale the stick,
/ kick the rudder few times ana yell
! for some one 10 turn her over, "hich
meant TO crank the propeller
Both ships we're In the air by 2.i5
and began circIing the grounds IN vice,
shallow banks They landtn ~ 10 10
minutes later and lined up at the start
! Ing point 10 await passengers.
These were slow in arriving. The
| few spectators who had trickled into
| The Enclosure stood about, waiting for
| the stunts To begin. Dnt thfy renamed
adamant 10 Capt vaughn's glowing de-
| scriDtions Of the thrills attendant on
! ride through the clouds IN u ship "as
safe AZ church"
! Finally about 100 had paid the ad-
| mission price and Indy and Rust went
| IN 10 begin the stunts They took on
| in formation. or simultaneously. and
! eircled until they reached about 2 900
! feet altitude. Then they l0oped a cou"
| ole Of times In unison, which brought
! them down to 900, because the air lS
! light up there In Colorado. and the
"I50- Hissos" they were flying are not
famous climbers. They followed this
| with few Chandeiies and vertical
banks. ending with the elaborate side
slip fish.tail landings Characteristic Of
flying circus teGhniaue.
sun the crowd failed 10 respond The
show could be seen as well from any
part 0f the grounds as from the grand
| stand and 50, not without reason, they
| baked al paying 30 cents gate
I.indy climbed out Of his plane and
stF6lled lelsufely over TO the gate 10
survey the crowd outside with thought
iuI and calculating eyes. Presently,
with his forehead still knit, he wan
dered back 10 the ship and began as