The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-08-01
Corrigan Has Sunday Suit
 But Neuer Time to Wear 1t
By HUBBARD KEAvY

LOS ANGELES, Gal, Aug. l. Aviations ne west and strangest hero-Douglas Groce Corrigan, un- employed airplane welder-a always dresses the part
 He wore the clothes an his un- expected flight to Ireland that he always wears, rain or shine, work or wedding. He owns a good suit, but he just never finds an occasion to wear it. Even his brother Harry's wedding wasn't important enough for Douglas to put on his blue serge.
 q really believe he wore his checkered pants and his leather jacket to Harry's wedding" says the Rev. s. Fraser Langford, Doug las uncle. But, my goodness, we're so used to seeing him in that outfit, we didn't pay any attention to him."
 Douglas doesn't have any hobbies, except flying. He's an omniverous reader - of books about aviation. He's great talker,o too-about flying. Gre
 Laughed at Crack-Up
 Douglas is a great fkidder. AL ways laughing Why, nothing both- CTS him. Gracious, he even laughed about the time three years ago he was caught in a storm in Virginia in the old crate. He plopped the machine right down between two big trees and smashed it up some. He laughed and said something like, Boy, I'll better be careful of this baby or she ain't going, to last" That was his only crack-up. Got a few scratches.
 In Douglas room there's ven- erable brass bed, a folding card ta- ble-which Mir Langford referred to as "the boys desk"-a dresser and a small bookcase Not even a chair
 Douglas sits on his bed when he works at his desk. He may worship Lindbergh, but there is no evidence of his devotion-not a picture of Lindy in sight. Corrigan helped to build the Spirit of St. Louis-as a machinist's helper-in San Diego Il years ago.
 Plane Cost S31O-Plus
 On the dresser are picture of Douglas sister, Evelyn. who gave birth to a daughter the day the flyer landed in Ireland, a baby picture of Douglas, a topographIcal map of California. The bookcase is damned full of books-about flying and navigation.
 Corrigans outstanding character istic is his determination Folks told him that the 1929 Curtiss-Robin which he bought in New York seven years ago for $310, wasn't fit to fly.
 He said, "Shucks, I'll fix that" And he took 13 days to ferry the antique from New York to Cali forllia. He tinkered with the plane, after taking it apart and putting it back together again. Then he de- cided it's 90 horsepower engine wasn't powerful enough. So he bought two used Wright engines, took the best parts of each and made one good engine. Total cost of repairs and overhauling, $590. All together, the plane set him back 5000.
 Corrigan was and probably is determined to be a transport pilot. He's told friends he'd rather fly a big plane than do anything. Tank Replaced Passengers MT. Langford, a Baptist minister who used to be a newspaperman, traded" rides in his little yawl for rides in his nephew's airplane. Douglas learned practical naviga- tion from his uncle and theoretical navigation from books. The trade deal ended when Doug put an ex- l tra gas tank in the cabin, which took up the passengers place. Silent Doug" is five feet six inches tall weighs 130 pounds, has blue eyes and wavy brown hair. He is of Irish and German descent mostly Irish. His forebears came from the north of Ireland. He sold papers to pay his way through high school His parents died when he was young. His father was killed by a freight engine in New York; his mother died of grief a l few months later.
 He got a job making deliveries after school. It was dull, so he quit when he heard that company, building metal monoplanes, might ake on some hands. Sure enough, he got a job in the Ryan plant. He [helped bolt the gas tanks onto many planes, including the one destined for Lindbergh. From the day Lindbergh flew to Paris, Doug was a goner.
 Acted Like Lindy