Jichard H. Thornton Library
Oxford, Vortfi Carolina
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OXFORD
FOR A BIGGER, DETTEROXFORD
VOL. I.
OXFORD, N. C, DECEMBER 9, 1921
NO. 5
v
CAPTAIN -FILLMORE TALKS
ABOUT AVIATION
SY IT I TIIK MOST FASOVAT
(JUIK IN TIIK WOULD
Not many of us are likely soon to
forget Capt. Bill Fillmore, the "bird
man," who camped just outside our
city walls for several thrilling weeks
and deserted us only a few days ago
for Henderson. For some of us, Capt.
Fillmore's ship afforded our first
glimpse of a plane in action. For
many more, it provided the first rea
sonable opportunity to taste the joy
of a new species of tnal de met: There
is something jaunty and debonair
about spreading one's wings and
scouring the earth. A good many
Oxonians proved that they were will
ing to be separated from five bucks
to experience the sensation.
But to return to Capt. Fillmore: Ic
seems that by assiduous scouting a
round, Edgar, alias "Old Sleuth"
Reece, struck up quite an acquain
tance with the airman. "Old Sleuth"
is capable of luring a stone man into
conversation of a violent character.
At any rate, here is what Reece says
Capt. Fillmore said:
"Everybody remembers how com
paratively a few years ago, the auto
mobile was looked upon as a high
priced toy, not likely to be of much
practical use either for pleasure or
business. A year or so ago the aero
plane was regarded with even more
doubt. Owing largely to its use dur
ing the World War, it is now rapidly
becoming standardized. The good
year 1921 finds it in dally v, tarry
ing mail, express, and passengers, pa
trolling, mapping, advertising, and
performing hundreds of other ser
vices which can be done with more
ease and dispatch than by any other
method.
"What is to be the future of this
man-made machine which rivals the
bird in swiftness and mastery of the
air? It is not an exaggeration to
say that new uses for the plane arc
being found every day. It is now
proposed to fly to the North Pole.
"Research work is going on and ex
periments are being made in sustain
ing planes on the new aerodynamic
system which may, if the commercial
application proves successful, bring
down running cost to an almost revo
lutionary extent.
"Much interest in flying circles is
centered in the progress of Profes
sor Raimund Neinfuhr, the Austrian
scientist. His theory is that we can
not attain the fullest efficiency in fly
ing until we are able to imitate me
chanically the methods of birds and
insects. A pulsating wing is the chief
feature of the Neinfuhr theory. Com
mercially, the wing will be hollow
with a flexible membrane forming the
underneath side; inside air bags will
be operated by an air-compressing ap
paratus that permits them to be' fill
ed and emptied very rapidly. As the
wing moves through the air, a cush
ion of compressed air is formed un
derneath it. The pulsating action
(i. e. emptying and filling the bags)
communicated to the lower side of
, the wing imports vibration to the
lower side. , This gives not only sus
taining, but propelling, force. It is
claimed by the friends of this theory
that air screws (propellers) will ev
entually be done away with. A plane
using the wing just described would
need only 10 horsepower, whereas the
type of plane in use today entails an
expenditure of 200 horse power This
principle applied to my ship would
enable it to carry four passengers
bes-ide the pilot. A powerful syndi
cate in the United States is behind
Professor Neinfuhr and his experi
ments. "Strange to say, the United States
is the least advanced of the big na
tions in commercial aviation. This is
because capital in America is not yet
supporting aviators as it should. This
attitude of capital results from the
fact that there is no real public de
mand for air transportation because
the means of creating public confi
dence through actual operation, i. e.,
a department of aviation with a back
ground of national legislation fixing
legal responsibility and liability and
regulations for controlling operations
and personnel are non-existent. Ae
roplanes should be required to carry
licenses and should be inspected as
to their air worthiness several times
a year. Pilots should have somewhat
the same status as that of the captain
of a steamship. A large majority of
accidents and deaths is due to inexpe
rienced pilots and planes that are not
air-worthy. Figures based on civil
ian flying in England show that pas
sengers have 66,666 chances to one
of surviving a trip through the air.
Laws pertaining to aviation are very
stringent in England.
"Last year out of 37 accidents, the
United States government analyzed
22 per cent as being due to "stunt
ing"; engine trouble 16 per cent; ad
verse weather conditions 13 per cent.
"Th general impression is that hU
bout $583,000,000 was returned to the
federal treasury. The net cost of
our aeronautical endeavor during the
war was a little over $598,000,000.
National legislation with the use of
some of this returned money as sun
lions of dollars were spent for air
craft during the war and that the
production program was a colossal
failure. Of the amount available, a
sidies for commercial aviation as i
the case in foreign countries would
have prevented the many failures of
commercial aviation companies in the
United States. Fully 95 per cent of
all such enterprises in Virginia and
the Carolinas have failed in the past
two years. The majority of peop!e
who consider taking an aeroplane ride
have visions like the darkey soldier
in France who always said when he
went over the top, 'Good morning,
Lord!' National legislation will cor
rect this impression."
CHRISTMAS GLTTS AT BAPTIST
PARSONAGE
If you want something dainty and
distinctive but not too expensive for
that very special and particular
friend, call at the Baptist parson
age Friday afternoon and look over
the lovely Christmas things on sale
there. We guarantee you will find
something which will please the most
fastidious.
WOMAN'S AUXILIARY MEETS
WITH MRS. OGLESBY
The Woman's Auxiliary of the
Presbyterian Church met with Mrs.
S. R. Oglesby on Monday afternoon.
Mrs. J. R. Hall was leader and pre
sented a most interesting program
on Brazil. Following the study hour,
a social hour was enjoyed and dainty
refreshments were served.
A. G. B.
i THE BIBLE AND THE PUBLIC
SCHOOL
'i For a number of years one of the
'.ost fundamental questions confront
ing patrons of the public schools has
f bi-en: Shall the Bible be taught in
our public schools?
It is manifestly impossible that any
'one teacher should find her religious
(tiews in absolute accordance with
those of all the children whom she
; eaches. Consequently the state has
'eemed it unwise to include the study
f ; ie Bible in the public school cur
ilum. Nevertheless, many Protes
' t parents have realized that their
, !dren are being defrauded of their
, st sacred inheritance because of
ban on Bible pedagogy in the
i u ilic schools.
I The problem has at last been solv-
ftd by an experiment which has al
Iready been tried out and proved suc
cessful in Durham, Raleigh, and oth-
er representative cities in North Car
olina as well as in Virginia. The
plan is to give the student credit for
work done in his own Sunday school.
Thus he receives religious instruc
tion from one of his own denomina
tion and, in most cases, from a spe-
Icially trained teacher. As a result.
"boys and girls are encouraged to put
fcareful study on the best of all books
V- i -
the only book that is aoie to mane
?!us wise unto salvation.
Ij Jack Usry
it
4
1
IDLE COMMENT BY THE AUTHOR
. .( idly pwuler-by an idly burn
ing (iic, and as I think how idle it
would be to peruse Caesar's 350th
Gallic war, I idly decide to take my
pen in hand and comment idly upon
sum of the things that every now
end then drift idly into my idle mind.
For instance, there's Frank Slaugh
; ter. But it is absolutely useless for
i nie to trVtmment on n'm because
! whenever I think of Frank, I can t
I figure how in the world he manage
I to get such high marks, when I study
! twice as hard as he of course (of
'course).
J Well, there's Miss Harriss; but
! evcrytime I think of her, I feel like
i a Bolshevik. Rpd jacket, red sash,
' red hat, red feathers, and J. D.'s red
Ford! No inspiration here!
Of course, I'd like to comment on
Frances Jackson's eyes; but gracious
me! She won't comb her hair out
of her face. I can't see through that
barrage. That's what she gets by
i having her hair bobbed nobody but
Tig to investigate her occulars!
Now, Mr. Barnhart, ought to le
good subject matter. Great! I'll
write on why I think he should be al
lowed to teach school. Say, I wonder
why he doesn't shave oft his side
whiskers. Shucks! I've gotten clear
ofT the track. Such is life! i
How about Mr. Livingood? I'll
try him. But first, why in the world
doesn't that man talk civilized? Why
can't he say "students" instead of
"stoodents," and talk like an educat
ed fellow ought to talk like Mr.
Barnhart for instance? Great Cae
sars! Why didn't you stp me? I'm
not getting anywhere.
Ho, hum! I'm rrtting sleepy. Guess
I might as well study my Latin
here goes! All gall is divldeJ into
three parts the one of which !
P. S. If the editors publish this
mess, they're an idle bunch of er
er editors.
The Author
CRITICISM OF CURRENT POETRY
For the benefit of some of our read
ers who are of a literary turn of
mind we will publish in this space
from time to time a criticism of cur
rent poetry.
A recent work which has evoked
considerable favorable comment is
Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tale.
These tales, although not quite up
to The Tattler's literary standard, we
have judged worthy of comment here
because the author shows such i
marked improvement over writing of
the vem libre school. There is such
a superfluity of inferior work be
ing produced just at this time that
it is really a pleasure to find some
thing a little above the average, ev
en though it has no particular mer
it. The following passage with its
translation will serve to illustrate th'
literary style of the man:
"But greet harm was it, as it
thoughte me,
That on his shine a mormal hadd'.e
he;
For blankmanger, that he make
with the best."
In the vernacular this reads: "But
it was great pity, as it seemed to me,
that he had a bad sore on his skin;
he made minced chicken as well as
the best." This passage serves to
bring out three characteristics which
perade all his works; namely, his
tine literary style, his remarkable
versatility and his keen appreciation
of the intellect of his reader. The
above passage brings out all these
qualities to advantage. As to his fine
literary style there can be no doubt.
Which of his contemporaries can de
velop such a .sensible thought and yet
in such an elevated style that it
makes the reader feel as if he were in
love or under the influence of much
good wine? His versatility is sug
gestive of the earlier influence of the
renaissance. What other poet of the
modern school can combine such deli
cate subjects as a broken skin and a
chicken pie and immediately pass on
to such an entirely different subject
as Chaucer does when he continues
his discourse in this manner. "There
was a thoroughly religious man, a
parish priest," etc. And he goes on
with his narrative in the same elevat
ed style. Surely such ability should
be recognized in the columns of a
progressive pai.-r like ours.
One other quality we have not dis
cussed is his appreciation of the in
tellectual ability of his reader. Cer
tainly it takes only an average intel
ligence to recognize the relation be
tween a sore skin and a chicken pie.
We will not offend the dignity of
our readers by attempting to explain
the difference. It is so evident that
it needs no explanation. If Chaucer
is proficient in the other two quali
ties, he is supremely pre-eminent in
this one and we should all be flat
tered by his high estimate of our lit
erary taste.
Let us have more from the pen of
this rising star in the literary firma
ment. Ivey Allen
THANK YOU, MR. PEELE
When one editor extends the glad
hand to another editor, then is there
time for Rejoicing. The entire staff
of The Tattlec wish to thank Rev.
Bob. Peele of Clarksville, for his
words of kindly criticism. Long may
his banner wave!
I