Sedgwick High School - Comet Yearbook (Sedgwick, ME)

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12 THE COMET one attain to a complete realization of the vastness of the continent, of its everchanging panorama, and of its thousands of beautiful scenes. -A. L. S., '28. ...-1-0.i..... SEEING LINDBERGH. At last! At five-thirty in the morn- ing, here we were speeding towards Old Orchard, in the hope of seeing Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh, the famous trans-Atlantic flyer. Having learned that he had landed at Old Orchard only the night before, we started early that we might be sure to sec him. When we reached the resort, we parked the car and walked up the beach to the hangar. How hot and tired - but expectant - we were! How great was our disappointment on reaching' the hangar to be told that the monoplane was there, but that Colonel Lindbergh, after having spent the night in the hangar, had left at four o'clock to go to Port- land. He was not expected to take off until about 11 o'cleck. What a long wait in the hot sun! VVe sat down on the sand and tried to be patient. The crowd was already gathering. Soon the officers opened the rear doors of the hangar. Everyone flocked around to see the aeroplane. How small. it seemed, with its silvery body and its one broad wing! Was it possible that it had really crossed the wide Atlan- tic? We went back to our seats some- what encouraged. Before long the front doors of the hangar were pushed back. This time, as we had a front view, we could see the name. The crowd pushed against the ropes, anxious to see everything. We took pictures, how many .cam- eras we saw! We sat down again for the seemingly interminable stretch of time that must pass before we should first see the hero of the day. Nearly four hours! Could we ever stand it? We walked down to the drug store to get another film, we watched the waves break, we watched the bathers, we listened to the specu- lations as to what Lindbergh would do. The time passed somehow, for at last a member of our party who had strolled away returned with the wel- come news that Lindbergh had ar- rived. The young tlier, he said, had ridden up to the rear entrance, had paid absolutely no attention to the crowd, and seemed to be anxious only to see if his plane was safe. Soon we heard shouts and the clapping of hands. Oh, why weren't we near the ropes so that we could see? VVe might have saved ourselves that worry, however, for everyone had a chance to see the famous avi- ator that morning. He walked the length of the roped-in section, climbed upon his escort's plane, and looked the length of the beach, to see how far out the tide was, apparently to judge how soon he might take off. How young he looked! He seemed to hurry, as though he wished to finish his business and return to the seclu- sion of the hangar. He did not give us the privilege of seeing his famous smile, but looked as if he resented the presence of the crowd and as if he would prefer to have the beach cleared of the last person, thus mak- ing it perfectly safe for his plane. All too soon he jumped from his vantage point and walked back to the hangar. Then followed more wait-

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THE COMET 11 As he flew over the summer White House in the Black Hills, Lindbergh dropped a message to President and Mrs. Coolidge. Approaching Salt Lake City and the Great Salt Lake from the moun- tains, the planes descended slowly, and Lindbergh and his companions watched the old Mormon city take form. The great tabernacle stood out distinctly. On their left they saw the Bingham copper mine. In order that they might see Yellow- stone National Park and Glacier Park distinctly, the planes cruised over them leisurely. on the Montana plains Lindbergh saw a large flock of sheep. He swooped down to wave to the shepherd, but the result was different from that expected. The sheep ran in every direction and the angry herdsman, all unaware of the distinguished occupant, shook his fist at the retreating plane. To repair the harm done, Lindbergh circled to the other side of the herd and in his usual efficient manner brought the sheep together again. Old Faithful Geyser disappointed them, as it was the wrong time for it to be in action. They visited Port- land, Oregon, and spent the follow- ing day in flying around San Fran- cisco sight-seeing. On the day that the planes' left Santa Fe, the fliers had to get up at 1 o'clock in the morning. By means of automobile lights and flash- lights, they succeeded in hopping off. Touch stops were made at Dallas, Abilene, and Fort Worth. The roughest air of the tour was en- countered beside Stone Mountain, on the side of which the Confederate memorial has been carved. Rain fol- lowed them to J acksonville, Florida, xphich was their next stop. The girl students of Converse College, Spartanburg, S. C., of- fered their dining room to Colonel Lindbergh for the banquet, on the condition that he walk through a lane which they would form. Wlieii Lindbergh learned of this he came near withdrawing his consent to the plan. The rest of the tour was an al- most direct flight north, the last of- ficial stop being at Philadelphia. Lindbergh has said that great credit is due to all the cities through which he passed. All these showed a great interest in aviation, and did their ut- most to have everything possible done for the entertainment of the Colonel and his companions. On October 23, the planes were back in their hangars at New York. It has been proved that the modern airplane can keep to a regular schedule as well as can a railroad train. The Spirit of St. Louis had covered 22,350 miles, and had made the trip in 260 flying days. One fact which had impressed the fliers was the advantage of the air- plane over other forms of transpor- tation, especially in mountainous country. Some day air tourists will follow many of the invisible trails along which Colonel Lindbergh passed in his nation-wide tour. They will look down upon the garden spots of America from comfortable trans- ports in which they will travel with the same feeling of safety as they do now in railroad trains. To such travelers alone will come the fullest appreciation of this beautiful coun- try of ours. Only from the air can

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THE COMET 13 i11g, this time, with less impatience, for we knew that we should soon see him for the last time. The crowd spread along the beach, waiting for him to hop off. When the tide was nearly at its lowest point, the State police rode up and down the beach, pushing back the crowd, which surged forward again as soon as the motorcycles passed. Suddenly the silver-colored mono- plane was wheeled out into the open. How bright it looked with the sun shining on it! After a short time Lindbergh climbed up to his seat and an attempt was made to whirl the propeller. But what was the trouble? It didn't whirl! Then Lindbergh jumped out, gave the propeller a little twist, a turn, and - there it goes! Now it is running along the beach. See! it is rising, rising! The people are cheering, waving. See! Lind- bergh waves! He flies out over the crowd, out over a little steamer which is blowing. There he goes, almost up sideways, not straight up in the air. Here he comes back over the crowd again. Once more he waves. How perfectly at home he seems! A bit more stunt flying, and away he goes -off to Portland. Good-bye and good luck, Lindbergh! -M. L. C., '28, . 0-Li ONE SIDE OF A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION. Hello! Is this you, Cora? No, I didn't ring four, I rang twelve. Hello. Cora? Yes, I rang two or three times. What? Your cow is sick? I'm sorry. What is the mat- ter? Have you had the doctor yet? Hello, -hello -Q What is the mat- ter with this line? Why, your voice sounds a long way off. What say? Yes, sl1e walks to school, it is quite a distance but she doesn't mind it. When is your brother coming? Some one told me he was coming tomor- row to stay a mo11th. What? His tooth bothers him? Is that why he is coming? Yes, I understand, you said nervous breakdown. Oh, I for- got to say that a social is to be held at the K., of P. hall tonight fring- ring-ringj . IVhy do folks always want this li11e when I am talking to you? We never talk long at a time. What is that terrible noise? The telephone never works well whe11 we try to talk, I'm going to call up the operator when I get through talking with you. What? A rat ran off with all your little chickens? Oh, excuse me, I can 't hear very well today. It was a cat in- stead of a rat. Have you heard one of the new radios yet? Yes, Hiram went down to Ralph Buck's yester- day and brought one home, and we've got it set up. All I could hear last night was a hive of bees and some- thing called static. NVell, they said last night was a bad night, but they always have some excuse if they want to sell something. Just before I called you up I said to myself, 'I'll turn one of the knobs,' and, my, what a noise! A woman was singing and she sounded just like a sereech-owl. What's that? You'd like to have a radio? Well, I'll let you have this one. Did you say your husband doesn't like them? Well, I don't much blame him. Hiram wants to keep this one, but I'm afraid it will keep him up late nights. What, you don't go to bed