Professor Slatton Remembers Rusty's Space Ship

I'd like to dust off the old book shelves and pull out my copy of "Trails to Treasure, 1957, Ginn & Co.  This book was required reading in my primary school, I believe around 3rd or 4th grade.  One story that particularly stands out was, "Rusty's Spaceship," illustrated and written by Evelyn Sibley Lampman.  It appeared on page 356, under the category, Outer Space Fun and Fact. 

The story opens as, Susan Clinton peers into the garage where Rusty Adams is working.  They appeared to be about the age group of the target readers of this story.  She inquires to what he's building and he replies in a matter-of-fact manner, "A Space Ship."  The space ship was about eight feet long and three feet wide, made of boards fashioned in a rectangular design, with a periscope affixed to the top.  The design looked very much like the card board spaceship ads you used to see in the comic books of the 50s and 60s. Interestingly enough, the story makes mention that the control panel was purchased by sending in a box top and 25 cents.  The buttons on the panel were marked, freeze ray, electric ray, take off, steady course, and landing.  The important part of the ship was a metal plate which Rusty had found in the junk yard.  Rusty was nailing it to the upper side of the ship's nose and refers to it as a meteor deflector.  It would later be determined that this piece of metal will energize the ship with special powers.

The scene changes to a strange visitor, dressed in an over sized fur coat and hat, which was explained as belonging to Susan's mother.  All you could see was his green nose peeking under the hat.  Undoubtedly, this image must have inspired several scenes in the movie, "ET," in which the alien character would find itself in interesting over sized disguises.  In our story, the alien mentally communicates himself to the children as, Tiphia, servant to Mighty Gwump and he had come for his saucer.  The alien demands that rusty give him back the metal saucer that Rusty had nailed to his ship. This becomes the premise for the adventure yet to ensue.  To fully enjoy this adventure you need to read the rest from an original copy.

Here are some interesting comparisons to the Rusty's design and those found in comic book ads of the time:

Rusty's Space Ship

Magazine Ad from 60s

If you would like to see my other blogs dealing with nostalgic themes, go to this link, which will take you to the adventures of collecting A.C. Gilbert Chemistry sets.     Fun With Chemistry by A.C. Gilbert Co.