Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11

--gHAT-and then Some-waS the
way the news sheets played
up that time tested out that
chute outfit for Old Charlie
Broadwick.
Makes me look like a sap. Like one
Of those guys that would test hop an
electric chair for a quarter.
Well, that's all wet
Here's the low-down:
First off, you've got to know Old
Charlie to see my side of it. Maybe it
was the way ran into him.
Seems like that was about six or
seven years ago. had been fiuttering
around like a butterfly ever since help
ing Uncle Sam in the Big Struggle,
working for spell at this, then at that.
and then resting up for couple of
spells, when all of a sudden turns up
at the old Marina flying field in Frisco
as one of the worlds most promising
students-always promising to do better
the next time around Two years as a
monkey wrench twister in one of the
ffghtingest squadrons that ever chased
q Heinie out of the sky had put the yen
for flying into my blood for keeps.
ONE day, just after I had reached
the stage where the sky was rea-
sonably safe for other flyers when I
was up, I got to prowling around the
field. The sound of the great American
razzberry being hurled to the breeze at
tracted me to a crowd gathered in front
Of one of the tin hangers.
It looked like African golf to me, SO
I hied thither drove into the crowd,
pushed a little, showed o little and
wound up in the front row, jingling
some loose chicken feed in one hand
and reaching for the luckies with the
other.
But there were no dice. found my
self face to face with an old gent, who
was kneeling on the ground and taking
this razzberrying on the chin-with a
smile He didn't seem to mind much.
Seemed to be more concerned with
drawing pictures in the dirt with a
pointed stick that he clutched in his
gnarled right hand.
Maybe it's because I'm quick, but
could tell right off the bat that he was
one of those misunderstood inventors.
Prayed clothes; an old checkered cap
pulled down over one ear, and that
twangy tone that a fellow gets after
years of talking to people who don't
believe him.
What got me was those eyes. Steel
gray and tired-looking. Had sort OF
far-away look, too.
d AzzBERRYING the old gent got my
= goat I jumped up and shouted to
the gang to pipe down.
The old gent turned that smile on
me, mumbled his thanks and went on
talking, He was telling the gang about
his experiences in parachute jumping.
Seems that he had been in the game
for nearly 40 years, perfecting old
ehutes, inventing new ones, trying TO
make flying safe for the guys who have
10 walk back He'd walked back from
All but one of 1900 jumps. He nodded
ut his twisted arms and legs.
THAT one failure had crippled him
L. for life.
Darned near got me to crying.
Then he started to tell about his lat
est invention. It was this double para
chute outfit. He drew some rough pict
it in the dust for the benefit Of the
eggs in the crowd. But before he had
me there alone. They didn't believe
didn't believe that his dream contraptior
work. told him that he was right ;
and if he ever needed any help to shoN
guys up, to blow the old bugle for Mi
patted him on the back and he hobble'
20 his shop.
Later in the day I found out that
gent was Old Charlie Broadwick and
couple of years before those tired eyes
had watched his young wife drop 10000
death when she put too much thrill
movie stunt.
That meeting kind Of drew us tog
Just as though it had lined us up agai
rest of the world.
"a FTER I had sprouted the well
wings and was able to walk ava
the majority OF my landings, got to
storming around, trying to make some
withopt hopping an ocean. During tn;
/ lost track of Old Charlie.
Like all these searches for fortune,