The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-04
An AERONAUT'S LIFE sTOkY.
Farm Girl. Ba1loOnist, Wire-WnIker
and Nould-Be Suicide.
So. IONS Globe-DemOcra

Nine Adair." the aeronaut, whose sor-
rowfLl experience led her TO seek dea n
by drinking carboic acid Monday night.
has had a varied and interesting career.
Locally, she is known as public per-
former and bicycist, but her life has led
her into various novel situations. Yester-
day she lay in a small dingy room on the
third floor Of the business tiCck al so
franklin avenue. slowly recovering from
the effects of the poison she had taken.
The room was scfupulouSly neat. but pain
fully small-so small, in fact, that the door
can swing but partially open to admit the
visitor. About the walls are photographs
of the madame's professional triumphs.
All over Illinois and Missouri Nine.
Adair" is known an aeronaut female
boxer. bicyclist and athlete. More than
once has she met men who seemed more
than her equal physically ana defeated
them while sparrng for points. She has
also made over l25 balloon ascensions In
different parts Of the country. and In the
past two years. given remarka bile exhibit
tons as a bicyclist on the high taut wire.
Her reputation among the people Of the
rural districts and the patrons OF .he
county fairs. agricultural shows and old
settlers picnics is even greater than in
the city. Now she lies broken in health
and spirit in her little room. almost penni-
less.
tried To take her own life by swallowing
the contents OF 4 bottle of carholic acid
The arrival Of physician saved her life
As Nine Adair the public knew her,
woman beautiful i'm face and figure clad
In tights and glittering with the spangles
and tinsei Of public performer. Among
| her friends and 10 those who have
watched her private as well as public ca
reer she was "Frida" Baum wife Of Jim
Baum. Raised in a quiet town in Iowa.
she knew little OF the outside world until
she formed the acquaintance Of q couple
who owned balloons and made ascensions
One day while at Council Bluffs the man
broke his back and Alfrida was offered a
place to team ascensions'' with the wife
She was not afraid. and from the first
made successful ascensions. Her arst
dates" weTe at Bloomington. III. and
there her fearless work attra cted the at
tention of Milton FoTsman. of Peoria M
one of he great aeronauts of the North
west. He induced Alfrida TO come to Pc
0tia- ard for four years she made ascen-
sions all over the Northwest. Al Sylvan
park. IN Peoria her asceusions were made
nearly every Sunday afternoon and he
ciiizenS became familiar with Mime.
Adair's balloon floating over the city.
Those were the palniy days of the aerGll-
aut. when for each ascension from 500
To 500 was paid. Exciting incidents were
rot wanting IN her career. One day as
her balloon was leaving the rround a luck
less Peoria printer among The spectators
| became cntanEiati in the ropes and Nine
Adalr distinguished herself by keeping
him in place and not allowing him 10 dis
eBtancie himself while in nidair
II vas while In Peoria that she met Jim
Bsum, hotel Cierk At n. Peoria house a
famous obi hosiery. jim was among the
most ardent Of her admirers each Sunday
& ~ -vA
F4ine's spectacular shows was given a.
Peoria AMI Nine Adair was engaged -
give an exhibition during The pyrote chutc
display in EhF park One hot night in
August, while the show was in progress a
tornado suddenly burst over She park and
! swept across Peoria AXE near by. On
/ the LAKE a the tim- was the frankie Fol-
som A hie Illinois river excursion boat
! with *eyeval hundred people aboard TIE
boat was overturned and = dozen ar more
! people were drownsd Scores Of people
fcafed iur0 fi1e willows and hurE there
/ untll rescued ~ urtt they released their
hold an1 t~9nned fxEanSfed ir.0 the
water First among the rAseuers % the
! sufferers OF tsp frankie Folsom disaster
/ was Nine sda.r ard Tin Baum hen her
/ ACKNOWLEDGED lover. III her room on
| Franklin avenue she still preserves a strip
~ wood from fae Frankie Folsom pilot
house To those who kuaw Il tells tse
=
Baum ard the madame we've married.
! Almost Immediately Baum stopped work
I ing ana managed" hts w}fe on her
| uoney- making tours 4 year ago al ali
/ $685. Developed IN Mrs baau'S side. T;
w4s removed by 3 -. Louis physician.
/ but she ia nGt grow - A aud strong
{ LAST wear she made n8 ascens3ors hat
| did her high-wtre bl yele ACT. Recently
SIZE has eeen uEanis 60 work. AID she d.
/ elsre- that q week ago bar husband de-
serted ner. Non6ay while she and her
sister were away from her room. asr hus-
band returned aaa took her bicycle ard
frapezs bars Broken - heath and ov r
/ come hv rae}auchol4. tha ~8g1f ~ sousht
70 e~d her ut-. in jais sac ~as uusuc-
| ofszfsl pazui.e her swollen irs ard ike
rrzo~x q suffering III ner tacs sire * stsIl
q ~oal-lv woman Vet fe& o. rne thou-
| sands who have seer her would nov
/ -er7xn. q IL her the 3me- Affair whose
/ fats of daring they hs3 admired