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[106]

gates. I was told there was quite a number of plain clothes men also on hand. The ship had been lifted over the fence into the ball park and just at three one of the officers, evidentally [evidently] the captain of that district, told me that we would not be allowed to give the exhibition and make a charge for it. However, if I felt like giving a free flight they would not offer any interference.

This conversation was in the presence of a number of newspaper men who were keen for a front page story and it was my intention to give it to them. However, I did not quite realize the limitations of the press in matters of this kind. I told the captain the entire story from my point of view and emphasized particularly the injustice to myself in not letting us know before it was too late to cancel the exhibition. However, the reporters could not publish anything of this nature.

Quickly carrying the ship back again over the fence we transferred the gas into the spherical balloon and then I made a flight just to satisfy the crowd. I ascended two miles and selected different air currents which carried me back and forth over the city and finally made a landing at Flushing, L.I. 

I was quite ill at the time and after this flight in the balloon I was confined to my bed several days. The outfit was shipped to Ft. Wayne. Indiana and set up at an amusement park to await my arrival

I PILOT DR. THOMAS

I had a caller during my sickness, Dr. Julian P. Thomas, who had purchased an eighty thousand cubic feet racing balloon from Leo Stevens which he called Nirvana. He told me that he had planned to make an ascent the following day and wanted me

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