It was all a publicity stunt, of
course, but it illustrated the superb
showmanship of the inimitable
Haskell.
What Next, Haskell?
If anything unusual, startling or dis¬
concerting in connection with avi¬
ation happens to take place in the
vicinity of Charlotte, Haskell Dea¬
ton probably is behind it.
Bi/ GEORGE BUTLER
LIFE is a perpetual circus to
Haskell Deaton and he likes to
“keep a three-ring performance
going all the time.
In Charlotte a few months ago,
early morning motorists were sur¬
prised to see a small airplane hover
over housetops and then come in
for a landing on North Tryon
Street. "Who do you suppose that
is?" asked one.
"It couldn't be anybody but
Haskell Deaton." replied another
"That fellow will do anything!"
The pilot taxied his plane down
Charlotte’s principal thoroughfare,
narrowly missing a few cars with
his wings, and brought it to a stop
beside the Carolina Theater. Has¬
kell got out, deposited a nickel in
the parking meter, and whirled
the plane around — the tail resting
against the marquee — so it
wouldn’t interfere with traffic. He
delivered motion picture film he
had flown from Atlanta and left
the plane in that position for a
week.
Santa Claus Jumps
It was Haskell who arranged for
Santa Claus to arrive in Charlotte
by plane last Christmas and de¬
scend by parachute. Several thou¬
sand persons paid admission to
Haskell’s Plaza Airport to see
Santa’s arrival, plus other stunts,
and the receipts were turned over
to the Red Cross.
The first all-Negro air show in
the South — and perhaps the nation
— was another of Haskell’s pro¬
motions and an estimated 30.000
persons flocked- to Plaza airport to
see the affair. Haskell had combed
the country for Negro flyers, para¬
chute jumpers and other talent and
the show was a big success. A
portion of the proceeds went to
a building fund for the Negro
YMCA and YWCA.
When Secretary of State Mar¬
shall returned from Russia and
went ■ immediately to Southern
Pines, Haskell was engaged to fly
a newspaper photographer and re¬
porter for The Charlotte Observer
down to get the story. When the
pictures were developed, the
newspaper’s managing editor was
a little disconcerted to find that
they all showed Haskell shaking
hands with General Marshall —
there was no way of cutting the
pilot out of the picture without
severing a portion of the general’s
arm.
"Well, he’s done it again,” sighed
the editor, knowing Haskell’s
ability for always "getting into the
act," The cutlines referred to the
"irrepressible Mr. Deaton.”
In Haskell’s defense, however,
it should be pointed out that there
might not have been any pictures
or story without his intervention.
General Marshall, it seems, had
declined to pose for pictures, ex¬
plaining that he was tired after
his long trip and "dead for sleep."
At this juncture, Haskell recog¬
nized the general’s personal pilot
as an old buddy — virtually every
pilot in the nation, it seems, is
Haskell’s old buddy. At any rate,
the pilot asked the general, as a
special favor to him, to accommo¬
date the press, and Marshall
agreed.
Big Help to Newspapers
Haskell has done much to revo¬
lutionize newspaper coverage on
(Continued on page 24)
THE STATE. October 4, 1947
