SEEING BALDWIN.

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 529, 9 February 1889, Page 11

SEEING BALDWIN.

By The Observer Man. HOW many people is a tram- car licensed to carry ? Are tram cars licensed m this *%?? car held about two hundred, at a moderate computation. They were not all inside, of course. Many were on the platforms, the rear platform being so crowded that had an accident occurred-that is, had the car taken it into its head to indulge in violent jerks, after the manner of even the best regulated tram-cars- -we unfortunates who had to put up with standing room, and couldn't even get enough of that, would all have been spilled into the road— with consequences unpleasant to think of. The crowded condition of the cars on Monday afternoon may have been very satisfactory to the Company, but the passengers were for the most part in purgatory. And the stoppages ! Somebody wanted to get clown every five minutes, which, while it exasperated the passengers anxious to reach Potter's Paddock in time for the great event, was decidedly rough on the unfortunate horses. Did you ever watch tram horses making a fresh start after a pull up ? The strain upon them is terrific, and must be far more exhausting than any other portion of their work. ' Conductor, screams some 'inside,' 'put me down at the corner of Kyber Pass.' The order is obeyed. The car comes to a standstill, the 'inside' alights, the whistle sounds, and the horse 3 brace themselves together for another start. Watch their quivering muscles, note the way it affects their legs and Two minutes later somebody else signals the conductor. He or she couldn't think of getting down at the last halt. It was only a matter of a hundred yards, perhaps, but no matter. So there is another pull up, another blowing of the whistle, and another start. lam glad lam not a tram horse. I wouldn't care to have been born in that station of life. But what has all this to do with Professor Baldwin and his drop from the clouds ? The road from town to Potter's Paddock, between five and six o'clock on Monday evening, was like a fair— in motion. Every description of vehicle, from the little pony-cart to the four-in-hand, from the dray to the heavily-laden omnibus and frightfully overcrowded tram, was to bo seen making all haste for the scene of operations. Some one-horse conveyances held tenant! even twelve persons, for, as Dickens remarked long ago, the question on these occasions is not what the horse can draw but what the vehicle will hold. Mount Eden was worth looking at as we passed. Its top reminded me of a well- filled and piled up sugar-basin on which a swarm of ilio are regaling themselves. It was fairly black with people. Aucklanders arc great believers in the deadhead system. Wo were thankful to arrive at our destination. The attendance inside the gates was large, but probably ten times as many people saw all there was to be seen for nothing as those that paid their shilling like men — and women, for the ladies, bless them, speaking generally, you know, of course, are like John Gilpin in one respect: when on pleasure they are bent they have a frugal mind. We hadn't long to wait. The Professor was bossing the final arrangements for the ascent when we got there. A dozen volunteers from the crowd held the ropes attached to the struggling monster, then the Professor, looking in his aeronautical costume a good deal like a railway guard and not the least in tho world like a ehowman, hurriedly kissed his wife, snatched up a hoop, and seizing the rings of the balloon and of the parachute, called out ' Let go !'— and away she went, very rapidly and gracefully. A cheer broke from the crowd at this moment, all eyes being fixed on the balloon, with the Professor dangling at the end of the rope. Even the deadheads on the surrounding hills cheered. Under the circumstances it was the least thing they could do. At the height of I should say 1.200 feet, the Professor east oil' the balloon and was seen clinging to what looked at that distance like a big bag, all doubled up. Another cheer .'—the deadheads again joining in. Now the big bag begins to unfold and to assume shape. It has become a huge umbrella, and the Professor is rapidly returning to earth. '] hero is no oscillation of the parachute ; it comes down steadily but quickly, and but a short distance from where the ascent was made. The whole performance was over in two minutes. Five minutes later the Professor, looking as cool and collected as if he had been eating his dinner, addressed the crowd from the grand stand. He told them all about the parachute, which he claimed as his own idea ; said the /Eronautical Society of Great Britain had conferred its gold medal on him in recognition of his invention ; spoke of his negotiations with the English War Office, and how the parachute was to be used in military service ; and also casually referred to the high opinion entertained of the invention by the ' Eye-talian ' Government. He also referred to the deadheads. He said that in all his travels he had never performed in a place where so many people preferred to see him go up and come down free, gratis, for nothing. This produced cheers, laughter, and applause, and one gentleman in the crowd observed : • You must blame nature — Auckland is built that way.' . This was a double-edged remark with some unconscious satire at the bottom of it. What the speaker referred to were the convenient hills surrounding the paddock from which a cheap view of the entertainment could be had, but what ho might have been well understood to say was that when it comes to paying, ' parting is such sweet sorrow ' that very many Aucklanders cannot make up their minds to ' part.' Two other gentlemen connected with the Professor also addressed a few words to the people, announcing that on Saturday next he would give another performance on the Takapuna racecourse, when it was to be hoped that owing

to the position of the ground, the deadheads would be foiled. These speakers were Messrs Parini and Akroyd. The latter brought Baldwin to the colony as a speculation, having seen him perform in London. And then the band, which had been blaring away at ' See The Conquering Hero Comes ' ever since the Professor came back to earth, struck up ' God Save The Queen,' and a rush was made for the waiting trams, busses, carts, carriages, buggies, horses, brakes and drays, and we all got home. [Since the above was written the Professor has abandoned the idea of making an ascent from the North Shore, on account of the difficulties connected with the gas. He proceeded to Sydney by Tuesday's boat.]