The Sunday Oregonian., June 03, 1906, PART FOUR, Page 48, Image 48

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THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN. PORTLAND. JtJXE 3, 1900.
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Just for the Fun
Started
5 T
BALLOONING, as a sport, can he
said to be making progress
when a Philadelphia millionaire
will risk his life In a flight above the
clouds, merely for the fun of the thing.
A. X. Chandler, head of a great firm
of brokers In the Quaker City, and
prominently Identified with some big
financial deals, is the man to make the
ascent.
He broke many records on. the trip.
He went a distance of 65 miles In
only a shade less time than a fast ex
press train could have covered it.
Tie became the first American sports
man to go up In his own balloon as an
amateur.
He launched Point Breeze, Philadel
phia, as the future place where all the
great balloon tests In the Kast are rea
sonably certain to be started.
Then when the trip was over he took
the train back to Philadelphia, sent
his balloon to the headquarters of the
Aero Club, returned to his desk, and
went to work as though-he had merely
had a -spin in his automobile, a fine
sample of that sang froid, which makes
Hie most daring of sportsmen out of
the unassuming American business
man.
Ballooning Is passing the stage where
It was merely an adjunct to the coun
try fair, or the occasional exploit of
the professional, whose interest in as
cents was entirely a matter of the
money he could realize from them.
Mr. Chandler's trip through the air
Is of prime importance, because It puts
ballooning on a sure footing as one of
the recognized diversions of American
men of means. After his effort will
come similar experiments by other excitement-loving
millionaires in the
bigger American cities, and as nothing
but the best will ever do for the Amer-
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AN OREGON MISSIONARY IN ROME
Father Desmarais Comments on Various Timely
Topics; A Private Interview With the Pope.
ROME, May 10. (Special Correspond
ence of Tlie Sunday Oregonian.) After a
sojourn of two months In the Kternal
City, I Intend, Deo volente, to set out for
an excursion trip through the north of
Italy, the south of France, Switzerland,
Germany, Belgium and the British Isles.
The atmosphere in Rome is getting to
be rather pleasant, since the March winds
have ceased to chill the morning air, and
the parks and gardens are blooming with
choicest flowers. The Pincio and Villa
Horghese are crowded every afternoon
with thousands of the smart circle. The
ecjuipages of the aristocratic class make
up the Tichest display of carriages in
Home, excepting the Pope's royal car
riage, which Is now on exhibition In Milan.
Kverybody In Rome loves the country
parks and lanes, and during the recent
holidays forced upon the city by the
"Chambre du Travail" it was a wonderful
sight to see the thousands of people of all
classes wending their way on foot to
the beautiful green hills, where the dear
little folks could run, jump and do as they
pleased.
I allude to the recent holidays when
everybody had to walk or stay at home.
Tbe "Chambre du Travail" had proclaimed
a general strike in Rome, and, truly to
the surprise of the powers that be, every
citizen in the ranks of he working classes
marched out at the word of command.
This strike was declared as a mark of
sympathy for their fellow-strikers In Tu
rin, and not only In Rome, hut In every
other, city throughout Italy, the summons
was acted upon at a moment's notice. I
rerer to this "strike" to show your read
ers how the workmen in all trades and
unions are closely united and that there
exists in the Italy of today the power of
the masses against the classes. ,
Kepublic Inevitable.
The agitators are socialists, bet there is
no denying the fact that socialism is a
tremendous power in Italy as well as In
France. To my mind, it is a clear propo
sition that it is only a question of tenia
J years or more when Italy will be de
of It, a Philadelphia Millionaire Has
a New Outdoor Diversion.
lean Bportsman, the rivalry is certain
to result In the production of balloons
and airships that ought to give a big
impetus to the entire problem of aerial
navigation.
The balloon In which Mr. Chandler
clared' a republic and the socialists or
radicals will finally obtain ttie balance of
power. During this strike, which lasted
about two days, all .shops of any and
every description were closed, bakeries
were turned over to the government offi
cers, soldiers baked the bread for the
citizens of Rome; the city was placed
under immediate protection of the army,
and 20,000 soldiers began to parade the
streets, and, I must say, perfect order
reigned supreme. Italy can well feel
proud of her soldiers. They are fine-looking
men, well dressed and every inch of
them is the dignified bearing of a true
soldier in the employ of the King. I shall
never forget the sight of one thousand
cavalrymen with drawn swords and charg
ers, as they galloped forward to disperse
a crowd of 5000 men who had assembled
before the government buildings. Well,
the 1 strike is all over, and Rome is
mistress of the situation.
In Old Alexandria. .
So I pass on to say a few words about
the Orient. A3- I stepped on board the
Prinzess Irene, In New York Harbor, on
the 19th of last January, I had the pleas
ure to meet with a "Don compagnon'de
voyage," who happened to be the Rev.
Father Black, of Kast Portland. You see
these Oregonians will bob up when you
least expect to see them, on sea or on
land. So, we made the journey together
to Naples, where we found the Hohenzol
lern awaiting passengers bound for Alex
andria. It was only a question of a few
hours when we were again ' upon the
broad sea, and three days' voyage from
Naples brought us in sight of the fa
mous historical City of Alexandria. We
spent several days in visiting the old as
well as the new town. The greatest
point of interest Is to be found in the
old catacombs possibly older than any
thing of that kind in Rome. We de
scended a circular path leading down
about 100 feet, and with many branch
passages forming a perfect labyrinth of
chambers which constituted the' city of
the dead. We did not remark any signs
of Christianity in or around the tombs,
and hence we conclude that the Kgypt
iaus and not the Christians burled there.
We visited Cairo the greatest and wild
EM
made the trip is the first ever owned
by an American amateur. He purchased
It of Count de la Vaulx, the long-distance
balloon champion of France, who
used It In some of his trials.
The name "Initial" was fixed to It by
est city of the Orient. It is great In
population, having nearly 1,000,000 inhab
itants, and It Is great in historical treas
ures with its museums and mosques, the
center of one of the richest valleys in
the world. It is a wild city, beyond
doubt, as it Is the center also for all
the nations of the earth.. You will find
all colors under the sun. all languages
of the Orient, Europe and the Americas
spoken in Cairo, and for the display of
peculiar forms of dress, Cairo beats the
world. It is called by some travelers
another Sodom or Gomorroa, and it is
true, that many parts of the city are
famous for "high and wild life" but
you see, it ,1s only old Cairo, and not
Chicago. Well, human nature is the same
the world over, and I guess Cairo will
pass on with any of our American cities.
The Mosque of Mahomet All is renowned
for its wealth; the building Is of precious
alabaster, ana the dome In richest mosaic
work, compare favorably with St Pe
ter's in Rome. The Pyramid of Cheops
is the greatest work ever undertaken by
the hand of man, if you consider it from
a scientific standpoint. A French sci
entist has just discovered the fact that
Cheops was so built as to represent the
dimensions, the weight, etc., of the earth
we inhabit; also. It Is demonstrated to
stand at the central point of the earth,
according to the exact calculations made
by the scientists. If you make an esti
mate at present of all the dry land in the
world. So, scientists from all parts of
Europe and America look up to Cheops
and exclaim "What a wonder of an
tiquity!" In Desolate Palestine.
Well, we pass on to Palestine, the land
flowing with milk and honey but that
was said in ages now dead. That coun
try was, beyond question, a choice place,
a garden of Eden blooming with flowers,
rich in fruits and blessed with a delight
ful climate. Many of Its former distinc
tive features it possesses still, but the
country, under the Mahometan or Turk
ish rule as It Is now, is an impoverished
and desolute country. The people would
be left to desolation and dark ignorance,
and it would be entirely lost to civiliza
tion if it were not for the many sacrifices
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Ihe owner, in honor of the fact that it
was to be the first of balloons owned
by one of Uncle Sam's citizens to be
sent among- the clouds purely in the
name of sport.
Mr. Chandler had no thought of scl-
and efforts of the Christian races. Bei
rut possesses two great institutions of
learning one the Jesuit University. . the
other the American College, and both are
a credit to their promoters. They are on
a par with any institution in America.
We crossed the Anti-Lebanon Range and
spent 10 days in Damascus, the oldest city
in Palestine. Its bazaars are certainly
more interesting than those in Cairo.
The silk and fine brass works of Da
mascus are noted the world over.
the work is done by hand.
At the Crater of Vesuvius.
I close with our trip to Vesuvius it is
the greatest sight to be witnessed in the
world and we paid well for the Journey
to the crater. Through ashes almost knee
deep, wet with perspiration, almost chilled
at times by the cold winds, but ever un
daunted as the Americans are bound to
be, we pushed on and up the steep moun
tain, until wo stood on the brim of its
yawning gulf only for a moment to look
Into what some people call the Jaws' of
Hades, and back we fell at the word of
command given by the government guide.
There is a roaring, hissing noise, and a
column of smoke, fire and ashes is again
shot into the air and a stream of red-hot
lava is pouring down the mountainside.
Such was Vesuvius as we saw It about
ten days before the disastrous eruption
which ' destroyed . several flourishing vil
lages around its base. Once seen by night
or by day it can never be forgotten. By
the way, I met an American who advised
that a channel be dug from the sea into
the center of Vesuvius, so as to put out
those infernal fires and prevent future
disasters. When I asked the gentleman
where he came from, he answered firmly
and abruptly, "I am all the way from
Kansas, sir." And that settled the ques
tion. I did not seek for further informa
tion. Private Audience With the Ponp.
En passant, I will add that since my
stay in Rome I had the pleasure to attend
by special privilege the mass celebrated
by Pope Pius in his private chapel on
Holy Thursday. After services we were
ushered into the private dining apart
ments of the Vatican, where we were
iprved with sweet cakes and chocolate.
This is an extraordinary privilege and
goes to show that the present Pope i.s
really democratic in more ways than one.
He is a venerable-looking father, upon
whose brow serins to wih heavily the
burden of the many solicitudes for the
wel'Hrc of the church. On another occa
sion I wau given the privilege of a private
N77 .
entific. experiment, any more than has
the man who buys a fast auto or a
speedy yactit. He was out for the ex
citement that goes with the unusual.
Only recently Mr. Chandler joined
the New York Aero Club, an organiza
tion of wealthy men, who have deter
mined to make ballooning a fashion
able sport. Members of this club have
made ascents, but always so far with
professionals or In hired balloons.
Mr. Chandler promptly became one
of the most enthusiastic members of
the club. Talking ballooning wasn't
good enough for him, nor did he hope
to find the right measure of excite
ment in going up In the air in care of
a professional balloonist, like a boy
making the round of the amusements
at a fair. He wanted to be the owner
and manipulator of his own air craft.
Hence the purchase.
Took All Hots.
When it- became known that the
wealthy broker was going up Just for
fun, conservative Phlladelphians
gasped. Some of his friends sought to
dissuade him, and worse still, scoffing
members of Mr. Chandler's clubs made
open bets that he would not come back
alive. As soon as Chandler heard of
this betting he promptly hunted out
some of those who put money on his
audience, and found his holiness manifest
ed much interest in the American people,
especially for the many sorrows which
had been experienced recently by the peo
ple of San Francisco.
RHV. Li. P. DESMARAIS.
Her Insrratltnde.
Madeline Bridges in the Smart Set.
She sketched and painted, up and down the
the river,
I rowed the boat
Where willows dip, and deepening shadows
quiver.
And lilies float.
Cliff, cottage, sail, and bridge, and sea-sanda
yellow
Her studies were
And, oh, I thought myself a lucky fellow
Adrift with her!
Lon-r hours, with oars at rest, I sat and
waited;
Bhe painted on,
With now and then & smile absorbed, elated
Till, daylight gone.
She'd raise her eyes reluctantly, and murmur,
"Oh, must we so?M
And, I I'd only plant my feet the firmer.
And tart to row. .
Last nlsht we met. ' Of art, she crattled
sweetly
Of what she'd done
In way of Summer work, accomplished neatly.
Of praises won:
But, when I shyly dared my part -to mention
' As oarsman true.
She vas-ucly smiled, and said, with . In
attention "Oh was It you?"
Invocation.
St. Iouls Globe-Democrat.
Almlehty God, whose mercy led
The. PilErims fathers to this land,
The feast is in Thine honor spread,
Our fate still bides within Thy hand.
Though from Thy ways our wayward feet
Have often strayed toward evil things,
Tet to Thine altar we retreat
yvhen time its mighty duties brings.
For years of plenty Thou hast given.
For harvests of the sea and plain;
For haufrhty foes before us driven.
For tempered pun and kindly rain.
For all the blessings we have knewn.
For ills from which we have been free.
With humble hearts, dear Lord, we own,
Our sratituiie and praise to Thee.
And as the larger visions rise
The dreams of empires we shall win.
Lord, keep our leaders Just and wise;
And keep our people's hearts from sin.
Thoujrh we must comjuer to make free.
To jumce consecrate our sword.
And if we cease to honor Thee.
destroy us with it mielity 1-ordl
" " is 111
mmwmmmmim. 111
. V s f I ' HI
' r V, f t I ? ill
chances of death and plnced a number
of wagers himself, placing even cash
that he would come back unharmed.
The ascent was made from Point
Breeze. This Is a place destined to be
heard from In the future of American
ballooning. It has all the natural ad
vantages to make.lt the ideal spot for
future tests.
While most American amateur bal
loonists live In New York, and are
members of the New York Aero Club,
they frankly admit that their city Is
a poorly adapted place for balloon
flights. Count de la Vaulx pointed out
during his American stay that the
metropolis was too near the sea to
make ascents safe.
Neither is West Point, where tests
have been made, fitted with the nat
ural requirements. The gas plant is
small and Is down In a valley, so that
the only current of air they get Is up
or down In a hollow, and the balloon
ist cannot tell what condition he will
strike higher up.
Besides there are obstructions which
make it hard to get away without dis
aster. Point Breeze has none of these
faults. There is open ground, steady
air currents and plenty of gas.
The- First Outing.
To Point Breeze Mr- Chandler re
tired for his start. He was accom
panied by his friend, Henry S. Gratz;
M. Charles Levee, another friend of
Queer Customs in Flowery Kingdom
Chinese Auctions Far Beyond Understanding
of a Foreigner, Writes Mrs. I.' Frohman.
ACCORDING- to Mrs. I. Frohman,
who writes Portland friends from
Pekln under date of April 16,
an auction in China has the methods
of the Society of Japanese Art In
Portland entirely "faded" for Ingenu
ity and expedition, and she Intimates
that she would rather take chances
on drawing a box of toothpicks or paper
napkins with a sure thing ticket than to
attempt bidding in a bargain with John
Chinaman on the block. The conduct of
a public auction in the Flowery King
dom is such that foreigners have small
opportunity to either purchase or realize
what Is going on until It is all over.
There is no familiar cry of "Last
chance" or "fair warning," for all the
bidding Is done by the laying on of hands
and the only talk is purposely mislead
ing. Thb Chinese are themselves as anxious
to possess rare pieces of art porcelain
as their foreign neighbors and visitors
are, and on the occasion of which Mrs.
Frohman writes an unusual collection
was put up at auction and attracted a
large crowd, of native buyers. Not know
ing the craze of Chinamen for their own
wares, she attended, thinking to' pur
chase some choice pieces to bring home
with her.
Poor Chance for Foreigner.
"If anyone thinks he can get things
cheap In China, let him come here and
learn as I have learned," she ' writes.
"They are simply crazy over their own
things and bid them out of our reach
entirely. And the way they bid is the
funniest and the most annoying thing
1 ever witnessed.
"To begin with, the owner sets a price
In his mind not telling anyone what it is.
Everyone makes a rush to get near him
and the auctioneer. Each knuckle on the
auctioneer's hand means a.different price,
and the first one ready to bid puts his
hand up his sleeve, while he pinches or
presses the knuckle Indicating what he
wishes to pay. In the meantime another
bliider has hold of the auctioneer's other
band, making known bis price. While
they are doing this sleight of hand work
Mr. Chandler's, and a member of th
Paris Aero Club, also werit along.
It took four hours for the bag to All.
and then there was further brief delay
while an experimental balloon was
sent to Kauge the air condttlons.
Then while the sand ballast was ca.t
off the three men took their places
comfortably In the basket'of the bal
loon, waved a good-bye. and shot up
into the air to win a new victory for
American sport.
The balloon went straight up for 200
feet, and then moved off in a north
easterly direction. The three aero
nauts had with them a small basket of
provisions. Instruments for registering
ascent and descent, and ballast enough
to make manipulation of the balloon
possible.
Carrying Its millionaire owner as
safely as if he had been seated in a.
trolley-car, the balloon passed Trenton,
N. J., at 2 o'clock, and landed in South
Amboy, X. J.. at 2:S0. The total time
of the journey had been one hour and
3" minutes. The distance as me crow
flies is i;r. nvles.
Mr. Chemiler wouid not have come
down when he did. but for a turn in the
I wind that forced him to a choice be
tween a descent or a trip to Europe. Not
being quite ready for the lnttrr, he came
straiRht down from a height of feet.
The hnlloon landed in a salt grass
meadow five miles south of Perth. South
Amboy. end settled down so gently that
it would have been possible to hold a
full glass of water without spilling any.
The owner of the balloon, who had been
the first man in the basket, -insisted on
brir.K the last.
From the start of the trip until the
finish he had attended to all the handling
of the balloon.
The "Initial" was not damaged in ihe
slightest by its trip. Neither was Mr.
Chandler. To prove this latter fact, he
made it one of hin first acts upon his re
turn to, Philadelphia to make the round
of his clubs, and collect all the bets that
had been laid against his safe return.
His complete success has still further
stirred Mr. Chandler's enthusiasm, and
he Is making preparations for several
more trips. On his first ascent, nobody
wanted to go with him, now he has so
many applications that a basket five
times the size of that which hangs from
his balloon would not take care of them
all.
It Is even said that a number of Phila
delphia society women want to go along.
Mr. Chandler thinks Americans are cer
tain to. come to the fore as the world's
best amateur balloonists.
"There Is no reason why the French
man should have a monopoly of this most
exciting of sports." he said In a recent
interview. "Americans are admittedly
the most daring athletes In the world.
Why, no other boys would have the nerve
to play football, our favorite collego
game.
"No sport offers so many attractions
as ballooning. Nothing "can compare with
It In the power to- thrill. The flight
through the air is the poetry of motion,
and a sense of having mastered the ele
ments, a feeling somewhat similar to
what man gets when he first becomes a
proficient swimmer, is worth all the ex
pense and the danger.
"We shall probably form an Aero Club
In Philadelphia, with Point Breeze as lis
rendezvous, for we have there what is
destined to be the great starting point
for the American balloon tests of the
future."
they are talking very fast and loud
about what. they will pay, but it is all
misleading and no one can tell what they
are really offering for the article on sale.
The auctioneer does not have to do any
thing but keep tab of the secret signals
up his sleeve and on his knuckles."
"The banks here have a good Income
exchanging money for foreigners. They
exchange your gold Into taels and of
course you lose on the exchange; then
the taels are changed Into Mexican dol
lars, and again there Is a shrinkage
Needing copper coins, these dollars have
to be exchanged, and when ready to
leave there Is a last exchange for larg
money. It all goes If one keeps chang
ing long enough."
Describes City of Pekln.
Mrs. Frohman writes a long and ex
ceedingly Interesting description of the
City of Pekin and of her visit to the
Temple of Heaven. The letter was fin
ished on the day of the San Francisco
earthquake, news of which had reached
them by way of London. Naturally all
Americans there were greatly distressed
and most anxious for a confirmation of
the particulars of the disaster.
Mrs. Frohmart visited the Philippine"
and Japan before going" to China and is
expected to return in a few weeks. She
was In Japan during the visit of Prince
Albert of Connaught and his suite and
was one of the guests at the famous gar
den party given in Tokio in honor of HIh
Highness.
Exchanging Honeyed Talk.
Minneapolis Journal.
Mrs. Knocks (condescendingly) My hus
band has a beautiful new auto, t hope
your husband will soon feel as If he could
afford one.
Mrs. Rocks I'm afraid not. He says
that it i.s as much as he can do to own
the mortgage on yours.
" I
Just a Baby, No More.
New York Press.
A baby is never as pretty as its mother
says .it is. and hardly ever as ugly u th
neighbors think.