Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1899-10-13
8 4 THE BOUNCING BOY
Amazing Story of a Lad in Pneu-
matte Suit Told BY Traveller.

NAhtAeAhA 9NUHl VI ~ AAtAu ~ ~ hRh~
matte Suit Told BY Traveller.
was stopping at the worst hotel In
Dubuque, and you can't know what
that means unless you've been there.
After dinner, as was my wont, | went
out to get something to eat, and at the
restaurant my vis-a-vis was a queer
looking little man with a patriarchal
beard, honest-looking eyes, one of them
green and the other blue, and an eX-
preston of the most childlike inno-
cence. am not averse to talking with
strangers, and we soon fell into conver-
sation. When he heard that l was
from the metropolis, he said
New York? l had more fun in that
town one afternoon than you could
shake a stick at"
do you mind telling me what you
did?" l asked, scenting a story.
Mind telling you? Why, you couldn't
stop me; honest, you couldn't" He
tucked his napkin under his chin, tied
his beard behind his neck to keep it out
of the soup, and began:
Five years ago l was living in New
York. I've lived three months in ev-
cry state in the Union, taking 'em in
turn, and it was New Yorks turn to
have me- That's how / came to be
there. Now, I've never cared for chill
dren as children, but I've often thought
that there were possibilities laid up in
a boy that to a person with an inven-
tive turn of mind and no compunctions
might yield good results. l had just
invented a pneumatic suit and | wanted
a boy to try It on. | went to an orphan
asylum and picked out boy. l asked
for one extraordinarily light framed
and with small bones and l got him.
He weighed 40 pounds and he was 10
years old. l took him to my lodging
and began to reduce his weight"
How did you do it?" | asked.
How would any one do it, l starved
him. fed him just enough each day
to give him strength to get about and
that was all. In six weeks he weighed
fifteen pounds and was ready for my
purpose. He was a smart lad, but very
good natured. He'd let me do any
thing to him without complaining. He
seemed to be grateful to me for giving
him enough to keep him alive; said
some men would have starved him out
right. l was glad to see he was not an
migrate, and l really liked him as well
as | can like anybody but myself. Well,
when he was so light that | could lift
him up with my little finger, l dressed
him up in the pneumatic suit. 1t was
made in such a way that it could be
inflated with gas, and Billy-that was
the Boys name-wOuld then look about
as well developed as any boy of 10. He
didn't look fat at all. Then over the
rubber suit put light cloth suit, and
we filled the inner one with gas, and
there we were. Well, sir, when he was
inflated it was all he could do to keep
his toes on the ground. He went
swaying round like balloon when it's
being filled and l held tight on his hand
for fear I'd lose him"
"Where'd you take him?" l asked.
My friend finished his soup and then
said:
why, l took him down to Madison
Square to give a public exhibition of
him. You see there was to be a re-
view of the firemen, and l judged that
the o,An space opposite the Fifth Ave-
nue. Hotel would be the best place to
show him off. On the way down l told
him what he was to do, and he seemed
to enjoy the prospect. Poor fellow
He didn't know what was in store for
him. But neither did l, so l don't
care. / left him in the crowd and
started to walk across Fifth avenue and
Broadway to Madison Square. OF
course a policeman yelled to me to
keep back, but l kept on. Then Billy
ran up behind me, and tried to pick my
pocket. l turned and caught him in
the act, and taking him by the nape of
the neck hurled him up in the air.
"The cops all stood still and the
crowd forgot to breathe. He came down
| like a bit of thistle down and | landed
a kick in the middle of his back that
sent him over to the Worth monument.
| He laughed as If it were great fun,
and half the ragged urchins in the
crowd wished they were as light as he.
| The cOppeTs were too astonished to say
a word. l kept up a running fire of
scolding at Billy, and every time he
came down l sent him higher until at
| last he landed on the Fifth avenue roof.
! Then | yelled, you'll pick my pocket
again will you? Come down here and
| I'll teach you"
BILLY grinned, and to the great joy
of everybody he jumped off the roof of
the hotel and started down. But a storm
had been brewing over toward Long
Island and now there came a mighty
| gust of wind that caught poor Billy
and blew him seaward. l never saw
him again, for l took an afternoon
train for Pennsylvania, which was my
next state. But I'll bet that New York
crowd never forgot the fun l had with
little orphan Billy. I've often won
deTed what became of him"
My friend beamed expansively at his
| fish, which had just been brought in,
and l went out and pondered on the
| example of Ananias