The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 18, 1906, Page 9

oD D0 B I T T CROUN D TR the FIRST 70 JBEAK WAYS TEDDY- G ; AND LANDED I/ CHICAGO “SAFE AND <SoUND. " THE EARTH HAS DROPPED SOMEWHERE.® SAID HE ¥ # # THE BEARS IN A BALLOON s (Copyright, 1905, by SBeymour Eaton. All rights reserved.) And to study maps and examine hooks, iy HE balloon sailed up above the crowds And to learn the way to go up, or down, t lew And the county fair and beyond the clouds. And how high they were above the town, . . : PZ::‘::;::X ::;': i‘,‘:: ";ox, The sky around was clear and blue, And how to &nohar and the, thing to do. Wi AridVwitartal 200 Darkways wie The earth below was lost to view. If-a storm came up and.the,wind it blew, ‘ Ana llttl:rl:kes on s:erv side. 3 No sound was heard; the air was still; It was nearly dark when Teddy G ‘g 0 B g ¥ i = v % Those towns I know.” sald Teddy B, The space about was too big to fill Sald he’d like to walk around and see 1 A A et s vl o i With sound or house or town or hill What the sky was doing and move his feet . Lol b 2 ““With their parks and hills and buildings tall . And shake himself and get thi: 2 ¥ g Distance was gone and direction, too; & ngs to eat ¥ Are’ Minneapolis and St. Paul.” The bears had nothing left to do; “We're on short allowance,” sal b x “Like shipwrecked' sailors out a: :r::dy > ; (itanstinine asic Feady. O, There wasn't a thing to fasten to. . “Let’us change our course or we shall bs The sun alone and dazzling bright You can have five cakes and two chicken’s legs IniCariada or Hudson Bay And an apple ple and six hard botl o Soemed to be laughing at their plight. . pple pi ed eggw 16 Anottor Right shd Ahithe day. And a loaf bread and doughnut: And & poun:!nt nuts and a c:» o(-t::“ - Aot auite so Sokced wap Teaay ¢ g x “Chicago's your thunder cloud,” said he; “That’s all right,” sald Tedd: b Yis o 2 e s i ¥ “Look hard and see the buildings poke e . - gt throum, Their lofty heads through the city’s smoke: But at breakfast time let this shipwrecked crew Wit Al bitt e s et Land oz a planet or & twinkling star, \ We'll 1ana at eight If the gas holds out” Or any place where there's a dining car, The air is pure at this skyward helght But it doesn’t feed one's appetite.” Or viewing the moon through telescopes, “A storm below! Good gracious me! Will it rain up hill?” said Teddy G. They pulled some ropes as the directions read And down they went like a lump of lead, Clean through the clouds where the storm had beem To the biggest lake they had ever seen. >y “Throw out the sand,” sald Teddy B, “Unload the ship or we're in the sea’” And off went traps and ballast bags, And telescopes and wraps and flags, Anad boots and gloves and coats and cape And guide books ten and rolls of maps. The balloon went up but It fell again And ducked the bears in Lake Michigan. The wind was high and the balloon it flew Like a lifeboat sail with a shipwrecked crew Or up and down and round and back Like a scenic railway without a traclk. The first to speak was Teddy G; “The earth has dropped somewhere,” said he, “Fell through those clouds; I saw it go’ And where it's gone I want to know.” “Don’t ask me,” sald Teddy B, “I never learned astronomy: “There’s trouble ahead,” said Teddy G\ “A thunderstérm on the lake I see; The clouds are gathering as black as night; Another storm will smash our kite.” The storm had cleared: it was growing dark When passing over Lincoln Park Their anchor caught in a maple tres “Let us get out,” said Teddy G, “Chicago is good enough for me; I have seen too much of moon and starp I'd rather ride in a Pullman car, Or go on foot or stay right here And eat and‘sleep for about a year." “I'm your chum,” sald Teddy B: “There® are children here I want to sea I have heard of folks who love to rise And soar in clouds and beyond the skies, Or byild fine castles in the alr; We're off for good; dear knows how far; The sky will have another star. They sailed along for an hour or more; Hungry as bears and wet and sore. But the wind it changed ten points at least, And the balloon sailed south or south by east. Some clouds came by and hid thelr view, And there was nothing left for them to do But to curl up warm in the basket small And wait for the old balloon to fall, They ate some breakfast and took a nap, And were called at five by a thunder clap. I suppose we'll have an orbit soon And revolve around the sun and moon ve day &nd night and spring and fall, 11 about like a rubber ball; ay with Jupiter or perhaps Mars, They sailed along at a rapid rate; There were no delays; no place to walit. The sun had gone clear out of sight; The moon was up and the night was bright. The earth below went sliding by: They could see the fields and a great big Y Where rivers joined; and citles four With a hundred million lights or more ‘When Teddy B sald he’d bet his paw That the biggest town was Omaha. It grows day and night without a rest And is the smartest place In the Middle West, ide on comets through the stars ars will Jook through telescopes, tell our weight and count these ropes, easure time back to our birth. o LIRS The bears jumped up with startled look; They twisted ropes and threw out a hook. And pulled down flags and tightened strings, And looked aloft and did other things That sailors do in an ocean breeze say we're peopled like the earth.” “Don’t lose your head,” said Teddy G, “For here’s a chart which tells how we Can steer this ship with greatest ease And land at any point we please. The earth’s down there, I know, somewhere, ¥or I saw the town and the county fair- A birdseye view as the clouds went by And covered up the under sk The bears sat down to read the books, “We're traveling north,” said Teddy G, Or north by east, for a star I see: The northern star, the central hub, I learned its place when but a cub.” And thus they chatted through the night, Counting cities that came In sight, Or climbing up the basket ropes. When the ship is rolled by angry seas. “I believe I was dreaming,” sald Teddy G, “Two hunters were shooting at you and me; Those fellows we caught on the mountain side Before we started on our Eastern ride.” “That shot was lightning,” said Teddy B; “Look down below and a storm you'll see.™ But it doesn’t suit a country bear. The thing's all right for an experiment, But for steady life give me a tent.” They slid down roves and hit the grouné And landed in Chicagd safe and sound. (Continued Next Sunday.)