Year: 1878

Flights and Flights or Fancy,


Reporter-The report of my last
interview with you created so much
excitement in the community that
1 have been detailed to see if 1 can
elicit any more information from
you on this interesting subject. In
the first place, can't you fix the
time IN ore definitely than you did
in the last interview for the first
exhibition of your machine?


Inventor-Well, 1 am working
day and night upon it now, trying
to get one ready, so that it cun be
used by, Wilse Potts, our worthy
County Clerk, on his contemplated
trip to the East. The only objec-
tion to this will be, that perhaps
his folks there might think he had
got rather "airy" since he left
home.


HEADLIGHTS.


Reporter-There has been q little
difficulty suggested to my mind,
and that is that on dark nights the
flyers would be apt to collide in
mid. air.


Inventor-The only way to avoid
that would be for them to carry
head lights, like locomotives and
steamers, and to have code of
steering rules, like those for navi-
CATION on inland and other waters.


ELEVATED JUDICIARY.


Reporter-Do you suppose the
Supreme Court would use the ma
chine in their voyages from San
Francisco to Los Angeles to hold
Court here?


Inventor-Most assuredly. The
Supreme Court, when they get
ready to come down here, will mar.
shal themselves in line, as Is their
custom, and make grand salaam,
when the Clerk, Mr.. Woolf, will ex.
claim, "rhe Supreme Court of the





Whereupon a column of ermined
officers will be seen careering
through space towards the orange
groves of Los Angeles, each with q
mass of musty tones strapped to
his body. After reaching here,
they will be met in mid-air by
Charley Miles and special dele
CATION from the Fire Department.


BALLOONS AND BABIES.


Reporter-Would not the demag-
netizing Of children be q conven.
lent way of carrying them?


Inventor-Wby, yes. Mothers
and nurse girls would then carry
their infants from place to place in
the same manner that the toy bal
loon vendor carries his stock in
trade, which float above him, at
tached to strings held by his fin
gers. In a short time it will be no
uncommon sight to sec mother
walking the streets with five or six
children floating above her in the
air, held by twine strings tied to
her little finger.


Reporter - Supposing one of
these strings should break, or the
mother should accidentally let go
of one? You know how it amuses
little children to see the balloon
vendor lose his grip on one of his
toys and to see it soar high in the
air.


Inventor-I admit that there is
some little objection to it. But you
know that in many cities there
are officers called truant officers,
whose special duty it is to look
after stray children. The plan
would be to have particular corps
of good men, like Uncle Billy
Sands, for instance, provided with
my machine, SO that, on the blow
ing of u whistle by the mother,
some one Of them would be ready
to start off into space at light
ming rate. to overtake the lost waif
and bring it back before it butts
against the planet Mars. Inventor
laughing Spaulding could visit
the glimpses of the moon and inter-
view the ghost of that ancient cat
whose mournful tale illumined the
pages of the Express not long since.
TANNING AS THE ANGEL GABRIEL.


Reporter - Is there any other
danger that occurs to your mind to
be guarded against?


Inventor Il was just thinking
that our friend Tanning, for in
stance, when he takes his first
morning fly before breakfast, and
sings, as he so often does, In those
trumpet tones of his, will run the
risk of startling us by being taken
for the Angel Gabriel.


Reporter-WelI, good morning.
That will do for "hyer."