The Red Cloud chief., 1901-10-25
FROM CLOUDS

The parachute jumper Is a compsr-
stivciy recent product in the profess
sion OF %bsll0onipg. The first parachute
Jumper, the first man literally to make
the leap from the clouds. WAS Sam
Baldwin. now q successful manufac-
,urer OF balloons at Quincy. III. Bald
win. his brother and Prof. Van Tassel,
three gas balloon men, happened to
meet In a Los Angeles hotel In the
summer OF 1887. Each had a hard
luck story TO tell and II was unsni-
snousiy agreed that the business had
gone to the dogs. As . of re-
suscitating II and rescuing II from the
canine grasp Baldwin suggested the
parachute leap. The others did not
believe II possible for a man to make
the Jump and live.
Out Of the chsfiing anne a determin-
alton TO make the experiment. None
Of them was willing to offer himself up
"A a sacrifice. SO a bag of sand was
substituted. The balloon was sent up
from the commons with a long string
attached to the parachute rope. When
the bag had risen In O height Ut three
quarters OF q mile the cord was pulled
and the chute cut loose. II dropped
like 4 log for q hundred feet, then
opened and came slowly down to earth.
Repeated experiments convinced each
that Il was O safe trick with q man In
place OF the has OF sand. Van Tassei
then went to frisco to interview the
newspapers and get them to send spe-
sials 10 Los Angeles. hut while he was
away che impatient Baidwins expert
mented themselves aud Sam nsade tho
FIRST jump In history safely and easily.
The Baldwlns we're quick to realize
the money value of being nrst In the
Acad and they started EAST TO inaugur-
ate the sport there. The greatly In
censed Van Tassel broke with them
and getting "A outnt began making as
cents himself.
Act Drew Issaeass Crewds.
The new act lesped into popular ia
vOr 1t once. The incredible daring OF
the performance and the seeming fact
that Il was more than an equal chance
that the aeronaut would be dashed to
pieces drew immense crowds every
where the leep was advertised to take
place. The man who rode the bag
could command almost any price he
asked. For some time the three bal
loonists who told each other hard-luck
stories In Los Angeles had the field to
themselves. Most OF the other aero
nauts were afraid Of II. With four as
sistants and q pushing manager the
laldwtns made a tour around the
world. In Q year and q half they net
ted a cool 100000 In cash. To this
they added big money secured from the
managers OF many eastern resorts.
rive hundred dollars was the fixed
charge for a performance.
With the advent OF other riders of
the bag." as the technical term of the
profession Is. prices began to drop.
Maay Jampsrs Hiring Prices Down.
From 1900 that was once paid for
Fourth OF July performances at the big
resorts. prices went steadily down
ward. until $3.50 vas reached. Still
more recruits came, aud nowadays the
ruin8 price Is from go to $40. due
largely to the presence OF many
farmers" in the business. men who
use It an a means OF making u little
side money during the summer. Nc
one has eve complied an accurate list
Of the number Of men who depend up.
on the parachute jumping az a means
Of livelihood. but estimates range from
800 to 500. with nc basis OF guessing
how many local performers there are
startiimg Novsltiss Ne
The public craze for novelty. com
bined with the desire to excel. cause,
a number Of startling innovations
First came the man and q woman. thel
later the dog was added. First tn,
man and women rode on the same ba,
Later they had separate ~parachutes
tied to the same bar. When the do