Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-25
CITY AMATEUR LEAGUE.
FEATs OF A oNE-HANnED MAN.
John A. De Baum, Printer, Miller, MeIo- deon Maker. Gunsmith and Author.


 deon Maker, Gunsmith and Author.
 A three minutes walk from the sta tion at Tallman. Rockland county, N. Y., brings one to two-story building close by a little stream and an artificial pond. Here John A. De Baum has worked many years, accomplishing what 1t might seem impossible for any one to do without a pair of good hands.
 Mir De Daun was born January 8, 1912. When two years old he suf- fered stroke of paralysis which left his right arm useless There is a little activity in the hand, which can feebly grasp an object placed in it.
 Early he manifested mechanical turn Of mind and when a boy sur prised his parents and playmates by making toys. A stock and dies made out of horseshoe nail rod with a file. bow guns, match lock guns, q turning lathe, windnills and water wheels op- erating trip-hammers were some of the boys handiwork.
 When a young man he made the pat terms for much of the iron work of 8, lathe which he has used for fifty years and more. This lathe is made left handed, especially adapted for his use.
 He built up a general repairing busl- ness and repaired guns, clocks, pumps, tinware and the like. He has made many a gunstock. and he constructed a wooden barreled gun, which has been successfully fired.
 Having both a fondness and a good ear for music. it was natural for him to become interested in musical instru- ments. He first took up the accordeon and for years had a good business in repairing such Instruments when they were used more than they are to-day.
 About the beginning of the civil war he started to make melodeons. He did the work himself, even to the saving the scroll for the book racks, putting the ivory on the keys. veneering the case and tuning and voicing the reeds Few men have more completely built musical instruments than has MT De Baum. His melodeons were noted for being we'll built and full and rich in tone The organ has displaced the me- lodeon and MT DeBaun has practically ceased the manufacture of musical in strunxrts ts.
 Thn printers realm was next in- vaded. and for several years Mir De Baum did quite business in the way of printing circulars and labels. Not satisfied with his press, he by ingen- uous devices. converted it into self mixing rotary press.
 About twenty years ago Mir De Baun decided to put a set of sillstones ;,,4o 1.i ayod N;,,I 11sn oIo; o;aJ~ en feed. With no experience in such work he cut down refaced and fur rowed a set of old miIlstones. remod- eled the machinery and built other ne cessary apparatus.
 From the first it was success. Not only was the corn cracked for the chickens and the horses. but huck- wheat was ground for the house. Soon the neighbors began to patronize the new miller, The business has grown. and new machinery and apparatus have been added from time to time un- til now general milling is done
 He purchased a small. 20-inch set of unfinished millstones and made them into a rigid ltnderrunner mill. This is believed by him to be the first set of millstones so set up. Since then the method has become quite general. Tn fact many devices in all parts of the shop prove MT De Baum to be an inventor. Although he has never talk en out patent. he has seen some of his ideas and adevices patented after wards by others.
 Besides being engaged in these me chanical pursuits MT DeBaun has found time to do some literary work. He has several unpublished manu- scripts on religious and metaphysical subjects.
 Mir DeBaun is now 76. straight as an arrow and walks as spryly as a young man of twenty. He is ready to converse on almost any subject from the number of barrels of water minute that runs over the water wheel in his mill to the action of the nervo-electric forces in hypnotic phe- nomena-