Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18
AIR MAIL PILOT
ONCE DROVE OXEN
Startled Neighbors With Rub
ber- Tired Carriage and
Later With Auto.
gpec,al Dispatch to The star.


EMPORIA, Kans., May II (N.A.N.A)
--On a bright afternoon recently sew
sral thousand spectators from Emporia
and other parts of Lyon and Chase
Counties motored out to a new landing
field about five miles south Of this city
to see young Duane Carpenter OF Hart
ford, 20 miles southeast OF Emporla,
give a flying exhibition in his new
monoplane.
Among the most interested specta-
1ors was a prosperous looking man of
r11ddy complexion, good physique and
iron-eray hair, who looked at least 10
wears Younger than his 81 years -
REYNOLDS D. Carpenter, the young
mans father. 49,,
A Young woman, who, with otner
passengers, had Just taken her t1rst air
blame trip with the young aviator, ap-
preached the older man and sara
"That was wonderful, Mr.. Carpen-
Ger. You ought to try 1t some IIme'
"It's old stuff with me-" Il. ~.
e.rnenter replied with smile. Il
cwn that plane. you know, and already
have travelled hundreds of miles IN IT,
Most forms of transportation are old
stuff" to Mr.. Carpenter, although ne
doesn't appear to have lost any OF ms
Enthusiasm for the marvels OF locomo-
tion's science. AS boy, more than oO
years ago on his fathers country place
near Bennington, VT, Reynolds ID; Car
nenter drove q yoke of oxen to plo"'
Beaches Kansas in 1880.
He came to Kansas in 1880. bought
q stock ranch south of Hartford, IN
southeastern Lyon County, and soon
beesn to make good profits on ms
cattle Then, few years later, ne
moved to town. Catalogues OF the gay
COS" displayed pictures OF tne MCesO
thing on Wheels rubber-ured run-
about. drawn by two fast-steppnis
horses. Carpenter was 1ascinaVeu Sii -
ordered. 1t arrived in due time ana Is
SAID tn have been the first rubber-ureo
yericIe in LYON County. He hltcneo
e. A. his team Of spanking bays ana
dashed through the town.
SsI,snd sakes!" some OF the Haruo[o
~a,ghhors exclaimed, "R. D. certaln!y
is putting on airs. What VIII ne "o
ne What nextp They had to wait only
q few wears to see. In the early geals
of this century, city folks began 70 az
to "horseless carriages. Inc o au ~ tpe
bile was making its advent, even III C,,t
west one day r. D. Carpenter wens
18th several other men to the kay
raiIroad siding in Hartford, ana WIN
-oanv gr,lrts and much sweating they
AnaIIv rolled out Of box car an open,
tyo-seated buggy, with SOHO rup o;,a
tires all around and q gasoline ehs.n lt
in front. It wa, doubtless Ine LSs
motor car to be purchased III ASo''
County. ,,.+r,ction
Au a mechanic sent out from the 1ac-
torv Mr.. Carpenter climbed into tne
$ro1t seat behind the steering deVlCe
and sped away down HARTFORD sCreeC.
- Again neighbors looked at the new
StTaption and gasped. r. ~. surrey
<Zepping out in style now" they sag.
Nhst was in 1904. The next oecaoe
.rourht rapid improvements IN moor
.ars and Mr.. Carpenter in turn bought
SeveraI models. Five years ago ne
ho,,rht a big sedan--the most luxurlous
ear IN his part Of the country. he was
Still "stepuing out" you see.
ant wait, AS AL Jolson would say
ssYou amt heard nothing yet
Extensive Car Dealer.
Arr carpenter, among other business
a,,ternrises. Is q motor car dealer selilng
ali over the south part Of Lyon County,
his trade territory reaching TO Empora
on the northwest and 70 Burlington Oh
'''T The cars he sells are distributed out
of Kansas City ana In oruer 70 1e1uNo
freiQht costs It was necessary Tor nun
to have his assistants go to Kansas ClCy
by train and drive the new cars BACK
TO Hartford. ,..,,
This required getting up at 3 o'clock
IN the morning, driving six miles 70
station on the Santa Fes main nne'
because the train schedules from AarS-
ford are not practical to make a round
trip to Kansas City in one day.
Mr.. Carpenter liked to get nus GAYS
work Of delivering the cars done ana
return to Hartford In time for dinner.
THAT meant early rising to get 70
kansas City on the train and marc,
last driving to make the return trip 10
Hartford before dark.
So his son, Duane Or. D. Carpenter,
M, having completed his course 81 an
aviation school in Kansas City, wnat
does Mr.. Carpenter, senior, do but up
and buy an airplane! 1t was delivered
a few weeks ago-a trim looking cabin
fnonoplane, q sister ship OF the 81.
Louis Robin that established the en-
durance record last year-and when the
Carpenters, father and son, came roar
ing over Hartford at low altitude, there
was commotion aplenty IN the village.
(copyrtght, 1890, by North American News
paper Alliance.)