Viewing page 7 of 102

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

-5-
My grade and grammar school education began in Toledo, Ohio where father became editor in chief of the Toledo Blade. This position he held for twenty-five years before going to Belfast, Ireland as United States Consul and then later to Tientsin, China as Consul General. My interests in both grammar and high school were mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Also, extra curricula events always attracted me.
      When in grammar school, I remember a professional aeronaut who appeared at one of the local amusement parks to give a series of balloon ascensions and parachute descents. This of course interested me and I went to see the performance as often as I could get away. Like everyone else, I was thrilled at the sight of the aeronaut dangling from a trapeze suspended from the parachute at the bottom of the balloon.

      Whether I attended these exhibitions to witness a scientific demonstration or whether it was with anticipation of being present at a death, I cannot say at this time. Large crowds were always present and many people expressed their views to the effect that they could not be hired to take a chance. "No doubt the poor fool of a balloonist will break his neck." they would say. Fortunately, however, this aeronaut was very successful. He made beautiful ascents, and at an elevation of about four thousand feet he would cut loose with the parachute, gracefully descent to the earth and usually land in a cow pasture as gently as a thistledown.