Evening star., 1941-04-27

Bryan, the boy orator of the Platte;
Richmond Pearson Hobson, the hero
of the Merrimac, and DR.. Frederick
| Cook, who had just come back from
his alleged discovery of the North
Pole.
Known as Daredevil.
Ross Smith, after flying for the
Chautauqua circuit, went out with
fairs and carnivals and whatever
attraction wanted daredevil
aviator. In this way he flew all
over the country. AS one of the
greatest attractions of the day there
was always staged race between
an automobile and an airplane,
usually around a dirt track. The
two stars in this game were Ross
Smith and wild Bob" Burman,
Americas greatest racing driver,
who drove the automobile Burman
had hung up the worlds record on
a dirt track by making the mile in
1.03 seconds. He did this on a half
mile unbalanced track with Ross
Smith sitting by his side. Later
Burman drove a Bitten Benz 142
miles an hour at Daytona Beach,
Fla. He was later killed in road
race at Santa Monica. Calf. Ross
Smith, who raced him time and
time again, claims that Burman
was the greatest race rider that
ever lived. They had stunt of
flying around the track with Ross
flying with one wing of his airplane
close to the top of Burman's head
as they passed. The airplane always
won.
1t was just about this time, in
1913, that Ross Smith tired of flying
over the fiat country of the Midwest
and higher places of other parts of
the country, and decided that he
would like to take a crack at the
Atlantic Ocean. In this he was 10
years ahead of any one else. He pro-
posed, through Representative Hob
son, who carried on the negotiations
with the Navy Department, to fly his
ship across the Atlantic if 10 bat
tleships were placed at intervals of
300 miles. The Navy Department
refused, considering it hair
Drained stunt, and passed it off. In
an interview which appeared in the
Terre Haute Post in 1918 Ross Smith
is quoted as saying, when the At
lantic is crossed, it will be crossed by
a flying boat and not by a dirigible
airship." At that time there was
great debate all over the world as to
the relative merits of the heavier
and lighter than air machines.
Il am sorry I was not permitted
to prove my theory" Smith said the
other day, "but later it was proved
by the Navy's NC-4's-and they did
a great job.
Il might have got my feet wet. but
I would have been glad to make the
attempt" 1t was the day of adven-
ture in the air. Ross Smith was
probably one of the first aviators to
get an offer from foreign govern
ment. President Huerta of Mexico
offered him a high ranking position
in the army if he would organize
Mexico's air force.
Smiles at Old Days.
Smith smiles when he looks back
on those days:
"Pancho Villa was then the bad
boy of Mexico, the man America
had to send an expeditionary force
after, force headed by Gen. John j.
Pershing. Villa wanted me to go
down there with him and do some
flying, but I was little bit wary of
that egg. However, he got four of
the best friends I ever had in the
flying game
These men were Bill Heath of Chi
cago, Farnum Fish, the society boy
flyer of Los Angeles; Leonard Bon
ny, an Easterner, and Mickey Nc
Guire.
When Smith mentions the name
of Mickey Mcclure, "the Wild Irish
Rose of the Skies" his eyes dampen
because this young lad who met a
tragic death at the hands of Pancho
v LID, was SI1OCO Will oil Ii loll CCllC1
voice comparable with that of the
then popular singer John McCor-
mack. Mcclure was always singing
or flying, and when he and his three
companions got mixed up with Villa
it was just too bad.
They had been promised $4,000 a
month in gold each to fly for the
bandit. After a months hard work
there was no pay. They cast lots to
see who should remind Gen. Villa of
his obligation. Mickey won-or lost.
He braved the illiterate soldier in
his tent and asked for the money.
The brave Pancho Villa whipped out
Colt As and shot the boy through
the heart. When this news reached
the three others they got their heads
together and decided to make a get
away. They burned two of Villas