Whirligig
This little device might also be called a child’s aeroplane, for it soars up into the air over houses and trees, and makes everybody around crane his neck in wonder. The parts consist of the flyer, a spool and the handle. First, get an ordinary thread spool, bore two holes in one end and drive in two six-penny nails. Cut off the heads 3/8” from the end of the spool and file the ends round and smooth. Take a piece of strong wood (yellow pine will do) about 7” long and 3/4” square. Whittle down one end for a distance 3/8” longer than the length of the spool and so it will make a running fit.
For a flyer, get a piece of soft wood 3/8” x 1-1/4” x 8”. Bore three holes at the center to fit onto the two pins on the spool and the top end of the handle. Whittle both faces down to a slant like a windmill so the blades will be less than 1/8” thick. Put the parts together. Wind about a yard of string around the spool in the proper direction, and then set the flyer spinning by pulling the string quickly off the spool. If all parts are properly balanced and adjusted, the flyer should go “way up high.”