Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1908 — Daring Balloon Ascension. [ARTICLE]

Daring Balloon Ascension.

Monticello Herald: The prettiest ballooh ascension ever seen here was made by Gecrge S - mons Saturday afternoon. Ge rge has jusj; lately erne ed tie field as an aeronaut, and this was his fifth ascension. He u;ed ti e semn b. 11 on and parachute that was made he e for Jas. Degeiing’s aseinsion on Old Settlers’ Day. It was inflated near the Monon depot, and the air was sn still that the ascent was almost perpendicular. Af.er reaching a height of about 4,000 fert the young aeronaut cut his parachute loose and shot downward. For some time .as er the parachute opened he stened to the people dite.tly under him to b. almost stationary in ti e air. Then as he veered a li* tie northward he was seen to be making a leautif.il huh somewhat pedloua descent, for. he seemed doomed to alight on the court house tower. He was pulling at tiie ropes anti making every effort to avoid it but apparently in vain. A breath of wind finally wafted him clear of the building, and he came' down in the southeast corner of the court bouse yard, his paiachu e catching and hanging on ti e limbs of tiie big elm. It was a fme spectacle for the crowd but a trying one for his' parents, who no doubt would much rather their venturesome son would content himself cn the earth.

Mr. Arbuoklt teleg ap! s ihe Navy Department that le h s great hopes of raising the cruiser Yankee. Why, certainly. It’s impossible to keep a Yankee down.

A Cleveland man explaining the failure of the 3-cent sire't car fare catipdign in Cleveland, declares that it was due to the fact that 3-cent coin is minted by the government and he proceeds to urge the country’s crying need of tie “trkkei,” as he proposes to call the new coin. There is a suggeetiveness in the word tpat might not add to its popularity.