Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-08-15
Balloons That Were Tired of Life.

"A New York Sun reporter had an inter.
view with wandering Snowman who
makes a living by travelling through the
cauntry exhibiting four boboons. The
reporter asked the old man about his
| travels.
"Oh, yes," Mr.. Helms said, I've been
all over the world-1n South America and
Africa. I never went into the interior of
Africa, but I've travelled with my son and
the balloons on the. coast line. We got
the balloons in Africa about three years
ago, and have been exhibiting them ever
since. There are the two small ones.''
He pointed to the dingy window, and two
strangely misshapen animals were seen on
sort of scafold outside. Their long
noses and heads made as ugly picture
of brute life as is often SEEN eve have
two more full grown, in the cellar down
stairs, but we lost our two best ones sail.
ing to this country"
"How did you lose them!'
"Well." said the German, sorrowfully,
tone died of vexation."
"What did the other dog
"He killed himself. He said he was,
| tired Of the water, and we should never
see land again, and he jumped over
| board.''
The son corroborated this extraordi-
nary story, and, as the reporter looked
| from one face to the other in amazement
the old man proceeded:
Don't believe anybody" he said, "who
tells you that balloons can't talk and un-
derstand ali that is said to them. The
one that jumped overheard was called
Jack. He couldn't talk v'rv plain. We
we're coming from Port Natal to Boston,
and when about two thirds of the voyage
had been finished Jack gave US to under
stand that he was sick Of the water. He
was sick, and we intended to have surg
ical operation performed on him when
we got to Boston. We spoke about it
while we stood by his cage, and he over
heard US, and it made him mad. We
heard a crash behind US, and turning
| around we found that he had burst open
| his cage, and was bounding along the
| deck. He passed the captain and several
of the crew, and springing on the rail
jumped overheard astern. A boat was
lowered, and we lulled after him, but he
| was determined to die, and he swan away
| from US. We followed him upward of a
mile, but he kept ahead of Us, until at
last We saw him throw up his arms and
sink. We, rowcd backward and forward
over the place where he had gone down,
but nobody ever saw poor Jack again
Then we had trouble with the other bab-
| boon. His name was Joe. He had seen
Jack commit suicide, and determined to
follow his example. We begged him to
be content for short time. We assured
him hc'a soon get ashore, and at last he
agreed to wait. But he never saw land
again, for he gradually pinned away, and
at length died. We buried him at sea-
We have only four left, but tours enough
| to. take care Of"
The reporter was taken down to the
cellar, and shown to two balloons of large
proportions. One, probably on account
Of his surprising ugliness ha6 been named
Adonis, was more than hundred pounds
in weight. The other was called jimmy,
but was, nevertheless, male, and only
acted the female in exhibitions. Adonis,
his owners said, talked very we'll. but he
refused to utter a word for publication
When the younger man said: do you
love your master, Adonis?' the balloon
bowed his head gravely and scratched the
ground with his foretoot---t thereby testi-
flying Enthusiastically to the great and
growing affection HI entertained for his
proprietor but his countenance ex.
pressed nothing but craft and cruelty,
Mr.. Helms said the animal was ashamed
Of himself because he was not dressed.