Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-15
.omads Of the Sky
Wh0 Pr0vid d
aerial Thrills in
Parts ofAmerica
Where II 0iatioE
Was a Mystery.


doing They grew thicker and thicker.
Under ordinary circumstances 1 would not
have attempted a flight in such weather, but
this was my first independent job and wanted
to make a go Of it, especially since 1t involved
no less parsonage than Mr.. Baker. Fog OF no
fog 1 decided the task had to be accomplished
somehow.
had a very serious minded young mechanic
named Kenneth, working for me at the field.
Boosting him into the Observers seat, I handed
him the wreath-a huge ring Of forget-me-nots
and roses, with the golden key of New Bruns-
wick ensconced in the center.
'TWhatn do with tt?" he mumbled, half
ssnothered IN flowers.
Hold it," I said, until tell you to throw
it overheard
He was certainly trooper. He followed m
structions He hung onto that giant bouquet
through the widest ride any young mechanic
by the name Of Kenneth ever experienced
As soon as we left the ground we were hope
lessly lost in the murk Locating the New
Brunswick railroad station was just about as
possible finding a four-leaf clover Tark
night soon deserted that angle of the situa-
ton. Mr.. Bakers welcoming committee would
have to say it without flowers, as far as I was
concerned. All hankered for was safe place
TO land again. I tried to ger back over the
flying field, but missed. Then things began to
happen to Kenneth and me in swift succession.
A sand crane on the Raritan River happened
first. We SKINNED it so close that laborer
working on deck appreciated the necessity OF
jumping overheard to escape being beheaded by
our right wing tip I hoped he could swim, but
did not investigate the matter. An my atten-
ton was Immediately concentrated on clearing
the opposite bank.
There was a back yard on that river bank.
The yard was full of clothes lines. A large,
matronly woman stood there hanging out the
family wash. She waved her hands and then
dove head over heels among her tubs as we
came roaring out of the fog. swooped through
her domain and disappeared comet-wiSe across
the housetops, trailing a long festoon of wet
underclothes behind us like the tail of kite.
Through rift in the fog glmpsed marsh.
aimed for it thankfully and sank the nose Of
my Jenny deep in the mud close beside a small
wooden shed. Out bounced Kenneth, eyes bulg<
ing, lips muttering unintelligible prayers. Ter
ror fairly oozed from his pores, but he still had
the giant wreath of roses and forget-me.nots
clutched to his breast. 1 couldn't help laughing.
Kenneth" chortled, you look like a man
carrying flowers to his own fuseral."
Kenneth stared at me mirthlessly. He pointed
a shaking finger at the little sh-O6 we so nearly
had hit in our descent. "Say, Dutch" he whis-
cred weakly, do you know what this swamp is?"
did not.
IT'S the Nixon nitrate dump" he told me-
Here's where they store high explosives. This
Sned you almost landed on Is full If picric acids
No wonder Kenneth felt weak in the knees.
I began to wobble, too, when realized what
had done
For year or two after the war transforming
was quite lucrative occupation if you played ID
where the money lay. Small-town celebrations
paid the best prices for aerial entertainment,
but they were hard on planes and pilots because
they always required stunt work of the nose
spectacular kind.
Our ships didn't last long at that game. Dur
ing my four years of gypsy flying 1 used up six
Jennies two Standards and two Canucks-IO
planes in ALL costing from $500 to SIS 600 apiece.
What became of them? They met various des-
TIMES. left my second Jenny floating upside
down in the Monongahela River
The Monongahela River flows through Star
City, W. Va. One Summer Star citizens made
whoopee under the banner of old-home week
To show the returning home weekers what an
up-to-date town dear old Star City was getting
to be, the entertainment committee offered me
$500 for one exhibition Of stunt flying
With a partner by the name of O. K Blake,
1 was then transforming through the Southern
States. Cotton had been poor that season. 20
cash was short. Consequently, O. K and were
tickled to get the Star City job.
Not far from the center Of activities we found
the Monongahela River Spanned by a new steel
bridge with a wide, commodious arch The
grand parade, so we learned, would cross this
bridge.
Here's our STUNT" said
''Where?" asked o. K
Wen loop-the-loop under the bridge" an
nOunced while the parade's marching over ne
Swell he enthused THAT ought to knock
r
an d.