Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-07-27
BULLET-PRooF CLOTH.
A German Tailor Who Has Suddenly
Come into Fame.


Come into Fame.
The most popular tailor in Germany
today is neither Worth nor Felix; he
is Heinrich Dove. Until month
ago no one had ever heard of him out
side of the poor quarter of Mannheim,
Baden, where he followed his homely
trade, making blue blouses for work
ingmen and mending the trousers of
men of his kind. Now his name is
familiar to every soldier and war min
lister of Europe. He has been receiv-
ed in audience by Chancellor Caprivi;
he has been courted by representa-
tives of Austria, Italy and France, and
his daily mail requires the services Of
secretary. Scores of editorials have
borne his name as headline and pa
triotic Germans have eulogized him
in verse. His name has been coupled
with that of Moltke, and his achieve
ments have gwen rise to new dreams
of German conquest.
About six months ago Dove began
to experiment with a peculiar cloth,
which he hoped to make popular with
workingmen because of its durable
properties. By accident he put it
through a process-which he has
kept secret-and to his astonishment
found its power of resistance almost
incredibly great. A discharged re-
volver bullet flattened against its sur
face. Naturally-for Dove served
three years in the army-visions of a
bullet-proof uniform and hordeS of
soldiers standing up against flying
lead missiles rose before him. He
continued his experiments with great
er zeal. In the dusk of evening, after
hard days labor, he stole out to the
shooting grounds of the Mannheim
regiments, placed his cloth on the
limbs of trees and began to fire
at him with his army gun.
His lellow laborers in the lit
tie shop thought him crazy and
kept him at respectful distance. The
small boys of the town gathered about
to jecr at and mock him, but Dove
worked on. His experiments were
interrupted for weeks at time for
lack of money to purchase ammuni-
ton and chemicals. In the interval
he would ply his needle with especial
diligence, would save few marks
and then proceed with his higher la
bors. At last, half confiden% with his
success he unfolded his plans to a
physician of Mannheim, who after
considerable hesitation, lent him 800
marks with which to continue his ex-
periments. He could give no securi-
ty for money and could only promise
the doctor percentage of future
gains.
A little more than a month ago he
called upon the commander of the
Mannheim garrison and asked him to
"try his bullet proof CLOTH" The Off
Ger laughed incredulously, but con-
senLed to accommodate him. TO the
amazement of the officer and his aids
the experiments were successful and
the bullets of the ordinary rifles made
no impression on the "dark blue
CLOTH" The Lebel gun, "the terrible
destroyer of men," it is true was not
used in the shooting, but Dove is
confident that his cloth will be able to
hatten the bullets from the "Lebel
barrel"
The Mannheim commander sent the
news of the invention to the war Of
flee in Berlin, and day later Dove
was famous man. lie is about "a
years old and widower, with two
children. His education was meager
and it is probable that he understands
no physical law. He is intelligent,
however, for man of his class, and
with the wealth which seems to be in
his grasp he will be able to fit himself
for the comparatively important place
which he may be called upon to oc-
cupy.