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rm 1TH the establishment of a United States government aviation field at College Park Md a brnnd now branch of the regular army has come Into Its own This latest innovation In Uncle Bans military establishment Is nn aeroplano squad or as It is designated officially the

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aeroplane detachment of the United States signal corps The signal corps has had for t more than a year pnst a balloon squador balloon detachment made up of en listed men of the signal corps who devote their entire time to aeronautical work but the now organization is separate and quite apart from this Indeed it Is generally considered to represent a higher development of 4 military specialization In tho same a proportion that tho aeroplano marks nn advance over tho balloon as an Instrument for use In warfare The now aeroplane detachment which at the outset numbers only 11 men or rather n corporal and 10 privates Is further notable from tho fact that it is tho first organization of the kind In the world Tho American war department has been ti criticised for being behind the tary departments of certain foreign s r aA 3 governments particularly France and Germany In aeronautical investiga tion and experiment but It has now In some degree main up for lost pres Ye r l Y7 yY tige by Inaugurating the first full wi S r J is 0Y tYiA fledged aeroplane corps The < Yak federal governments new aviation field Is 5 > for the time being as much v school kA Niwtk jvsMY4 oor instruction for tho men of the aero plane squad as It Is for tho two lieu tenants who are to qualify as ar rr1rays pioneer aviators There tho In this r4ytdifference however that the men In 4 q effect have to work out their own salvation as aeroplano mechanicians st mr < t and aerodrome keepers while Lieut w Lnhm and Lieut Humphries had a > < 33 R xw ta3 a NXbM competent Instructor In the person of Wilbur Wright to teach them tho al xjx c > PEn1VEjoo cJCitT IL phabet of aoroplaning Army officers ore already congratulating themselves effort being that the new aeroplano squad was organized at the very made to pick outset of the armys experiments In this most Important men who by branch of aeronautics The outcome Is sure to be In reason of train sY yk to contrast the history of American military ballooning k Ing or temperawar Wherein there wore innumerable disappointments l may bo ment Par t s ticularly was this the case during tho Spanish Americnn expected to dewar when tho war department sought to got Ar with velop Into genwar balloons In the hands of men who had results had no op uine specialists portunity to specialize In this unusual line of work Tho In the work newlyorganized aeroplane detachment on tho other f Much of time hand will grow up in our military aeroplano work from work which time Its inception What is more these caretakers of the sky men of tho nor sentries Have acquired experience of time most valuablo oplnno detache kind in establishing Uncle Sams first aviation field It ment are doing 4 Is not meant of course that the soldiers had much 7vrtAV land at College Park In clearing the field blasting out stumps or erecting tho r o presents unpretentious shell that shelters the 30000 craft but brand new exaF they did almost everything else connected with setting eePLen po r I o n c o to r things In order not forgetting the transportation of army them Severalaeroplano No1 by wagon from Its previous resting place of the members of tho detachment have been working at Fort Myor Va a dozen miles away Time Insight thus around this same airship for more than a year pastgained into the how of such things will bo well nigh In or throughout nil the trial and test lights at Fort valuable since It will make It possible to send this squad Myer but their participation then was very different around time country to lay out aviation fields wherever from their prevent responsibilities So long as tho time army needed by aeroplano was tho property of tho Wright brothers all While as has been explained the new aeroplane detime United States signal corps men were permitted to tachment Is entirely separate and distinct from the baldo was to wheel the machine from tho shed to tho loon squad Its brief history Is linked at many points starting point of a flight and to wheel It back to time with that of the older branch of the aeronautical divishelter after a light The starting of the motor all sion Some of tho star members of time original balloon adjustments of the mechanism and such repairs as squad havo latterly been transferred to tho aeroplane were necessary from time to time wero attended to by detachment and indeed tho new organization will have time Wrights In person or by Charles Taylor their me a sort of a dual existence ns a regular aeroplano corps chanic and emergency balloon squad since tho members will Now however that the flying machine has been havo charge of any flights that may bo made from tho capital In signal corps balloons the regular balloon squad turned over to the government all this devolves upon having been transferred nieanwhlle to Fort Omaha and the men of the aeroplane detachment They look after the weight tower haul up time weight and arrange the Fort Leavonworth The present membership of tho aero plane detachment alike to that of the balloon squad Is starting rail with dub reference to the direction of tho expected to be merely the nucleus for a much more wind Inaddltlon to moving the machine from the shed they make the preliminary Innumerous body later onwhen Uncle Sam shall have when a light is ordered spection and tests of time working parts and start tho jono In more extensively for military aeronautics motor Finally it tails to tho lot of this group of young Time aeronautical division of the signal corps of which men to procure time needed material and make all neces new aeroplane both the detachment and the balloon sary repairs There Is no doubt that they will get plenty squad aro branches was established as a result of tho tinkering with tho sky scout for It is pride and Interest aroused by Lieut Lahms victory In of practice In once the army olllcers have the new veexpected that the first great International balloon race held In Europe hicle to themselves they will Inaugurate a series of exin 1891 The young American army officer then barely periments and introduce new attachments designed 28 years of age who unknown and unheralded defeated specially to adapt tho aeroplane to tho exigencies of the most experienced aeronauts of Europe Is the selfsame Lahm who Is now qualifying at College Park as our military service Tho members of the aeroplane detachment are depremier army aeroplanist and who Is In general command of the aeroplane detachment Ho had made about cidedly alert and take a real Interest in their noval occupation Corporal II Marcus who is In command hails 40 balloon flights ore ho ascended for time first time In an aeroplano and he has tho complete confidence of his from Detroit and has been In the military service of the or 13 years although ho has only been menan Important requisite In a now and untried realm country for 12corps in tho signal about a year and a halt Another such as military aeronautics who has had considerable experience In tho army Is ti The order formally creating the aeronautical division man D C whereas IL O Eldredof the signal corps was Issued on August 1 1907 and D T Hyde of Washington of Denver a member of the old balloon squad has now the new organization was launched with a membership and a half years of practically continuous aeroof a solo individual Sergeant Edward Ward who has had two work Other members of tho aeroplane detach- nautical to position graduated of head chauffeur for the since of Brooklyn Hoy J Hart of WashBrown are ment Bert membership the chief of tho general staff Gradually tho ington D C Eulle P Gomerlnger of Brooklyn K L grow to a dozen or more At first tho work of the now Ga organization was merely with tho old balloons of foreign Kintzel of Tamaua Pa Bruce Pierce of Atlanta F G Clark of Gloater Mo and S J Idzorek of New make which had been purchnsed by tho United States during the Spanish war and had been In storage over York City since Thom came army dirigible No1 which the war The boys have their own cook In tho person of Wildepartment purchased from Capt Thomas Baldwin and liam A Abolln who enlisted In the army from Jersey finally the Initial Wright aeroplane which Is now at ColCity and while the quarters which have been provided lege Park At the outset tho headquarters of the aero at tile new aviation field arc not perhaps quite as comnautical division were at Fort Myer Va and tho non fortable as time barracks at a military post they servo commissioned olllcers and enlisted men of tho aeronauthe purpose very acceptably and are a big Improvementtical division displayed their ersatlllty by handling InThe frame building over a camp with canvas tents discriminately spherical balloons dirigible and aeroplane College Park Is about aeioplano at the houses which now corps plant completed Its signal tine the When twice as largo as the aeroplane shed which was con for generating hydrogen gas at Fort Omaha It was decided to make the western post the headquarters for nIl structed at Fort Myer Va when the Wrights first brought their machine there lime rear portion of the army balloon work and the dirigible was transferred College Park structure is given over for sleeping quarthither With It went the halloos squad Consequentlyters for the men Just back of the building Is a double when tho Wright aeroplane was accepted by the governtent which serves as kitchen and jiiess or eatlpg tent ment and preparations wore undertaken for establishingTime nero A good well lens been provided clogetatdmamd a government school for aeroplanists it was necessaryplane shed Is perhaps a third of mILtf across the avato organize an aeroplane detachment as a new adjunct tlon field from tho railroad station at College Pork and As has been explained some of tho most capable men Is several hundred yards farther distant from the trolley were transferred from the balloon tquud and others However b YlWaiid nutomobllns were selected from tile ranks of the signal corps every line to Washington

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are employed by tho army officers to cover the dis1 tance quickly and the enlistedmen have the use of a motor cycle a type of vehicle which Is fast coming to havo an Impor tant place in tho activities of the signal corps By reason of condiweather tions and otherc r c u instances will bo there many days when aeroplane flights at College Park will be few and far between but tho men of tho
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Idea that the Britisher is tho most ready and willing of all men to part with his money to a sure thing gamesterbut when it comes to competition against all comers the average American hits tho bullseyeknow this The sure thing men of today Incorporat and build upon It One of the biggest i v iJin claimednot long ago that If he were given time ho could sell worthless stock to three Americans out of every five provided the gullible three had the money or could raise it
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lIe actually counts upon one victim for every 60 circulars sent out through the malls Tho common average as the postal officials tell you is one dupe for every hundred circulars Not bad considering tho cheapness of print ing and postage There Is a firm in New York that collects and sells addresses of people who buy things through the malls or who have at some time evinced a desire to do so Theso addresses aro sold at 8 a thousand They are assorted under various headings If for example 12000 men have sent In applications for wives to a New York matrimonial bureau that list is worth 6 to a 3 diamond ring concern that Is setting up a circular mill The sure thing operator line passed through various The now unsafe shell game gold stages of progress brick and green goods swindles which he operated with such profitable results In the eighties and the early nineties made way for the halfInterest game which flourished 10 years ago and the employment game which is still going on though not to Its former extent Tho half Imtierest advertiser sold j Tr you n partnership in anything from e a peanut toad to a piano factory a When you had bought It the next 4r thing was to find It or if you found As it you discovered that it belongedto somebody else who know nothing abflut tho men who sold Jt to

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long 1Ie NBtWzY1rt77oN IJT signed n territory generally a 2 you have Alter distance from tho company omco aeroplane detachment will have something to occupy gone aL your own expense to Milwaukee Dubuque or their leisure time on such occasions Foremost among AllKansas City there to await telegraphic orders as to telegraphy In practice Is occupations the planned what to do next you take It out In waiting The orot the men of the signal corps aro expected to know ders never come and when you get back to the com something of the practical side of telegraphy and this panys office you find that tho company line floated accomplishment will be especially essential to the memaway on the magic carpet nobody knows where bers of time aeroplane detachment because of the impor tant work In wireless and other telegraphy which the But It was soon found by the swindlers that these United States army officers propose to carry on by devices like the green goods game were rather crude means of airships and war balloons In order to qualify and almost equally unsafe So to tho education of the time men for this work slant telegraph Hues have been man who ran the half Interest or employment scheme constructed at the College Park field with sending and was added a postgraduate course In high financereceiving stations at opposite ends of tho building and It came to bo recognized by the swindling gentry at almost any hour of the day members of the detachthere was nothing like a corporation when one that ment can bo found at the keys at these stations wanted to do a really safe and prosperous business How Into in tho autumn tho aeronautical activitiesThen too the corporation must have something some- will continue at College Park will be dependent of where course largely upon the weather The government has If it is a mining company It must have a hole In leased its aviation field until next March with privilege tho ground If It is a rubber or coffee company it must of renewal and in the event that tho coming winter Is have some sort of concession from tho Mexican or n an open one it would not be surprising If work continues South American government which It Is always very off and on all through tho winter The men of tho nero easy to get If It Is a cotton concern It must have a ten piano detachment can bo made comfortable In their pres corner somewhere down south entent quarters and tho machine Is well housed The These things are actually necessary In order to show experience which the members of the aeroplane detachIn court when the time comes that tho men who have ment aro gaining will undoubtedly prove valuable In enyour money have endeavored to carry out their part abling them to take charge of the field when the next taken international aviation meet Is held in this country next of time contract and that they havo failed Is merely their year as the result of tho victory N of Glenn Curtiss in misfortune For to fall In business Is not necessarily crime France a few months ago It will be remembered that the United States army WHAT INDEED balloon squad did efficient work In connection with aeronautics at time Jamestown exposition and at the start of James was always kind of morose said Mrs Page The the great International balloon race at St Louis to her caller but now hes married again seems as if same proficiency could be expected of the army nero ho couldnt bear to have anybody smile There you go pianists In handling tho machines at the meet next year Especially would they bo qualified to render such ho says to Almlry the other day always singing them secular songs in this vale of woe What if you was took aid to tho avalalors If time meet Is held at tho College says lmeamid called to your llast account with the Park ground Washington and Baltimore are now co sudden Soldiers Tear In your mouth Exchange operating energetically for the selection of this territory as the scene of the aerial freeforall of 1910 and It Is expected that one of the strongest claims for Its selecCHIGGER HAS MULTIPLIED tion will be found In the fact that Uncle Slim has ready College acceptable aviation field to hand at Park an Since Its introduction from America the chigger hits I familiar not only manned by soldiers who arc thoroughly fur and wide along tho west coast of Africa and with local conditions but also with tho technical side of spread Is now n greatly dreaded pest aeronautics
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