The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-02
A. LEO STEVENS,
MANUFACTURER OF
BALLOONS.

The sign was sandwiched among several
Tiers, indicating that besides the bal
BON factory there was everything In the
lace from piano hospital to a brass
oundry. / don't know just exactly what
expected, but In some manner aerial
avigation had vaguely associated in my
lind a certain degree Of cleanliness and
|lyilic surroundings.
The balloon factory Is on the very top
post floor. You climb dingy. rough
ewn set of stairs and breathe dust and
ceiling kalsomine. Finally you walk di-
Becily into long. narrow, low loft. where,
$ you see In the picture. there are heaps
nd heaps of yellow and white cloths and
askets and rope rigging and numerous
botanical Instruments that your mind
oesn't comprehend all at once. I came
II on a bright afternoon. A man. dressed
imply In blue cotton undershirt and
fousers, perspiration pouring from his
bee, was industriously working over
hat seemed to be thin oilskin such
sailors weather coats are made of.
pread out on the floor. OF to one side sat
woman. working at a sewing machine.
asked for Mr.. Stevens. As I did so
ad an intuitive sense that the workman
las Stevens, and | was not surprised
hen he introduced himself
Stevens is broad shouldered. muscular
ndersized man. He has n broad. high,
IRVING forehead. indicating the eombina-
on OF imagination and practicable to-
ether with an executive ability that he
Feds in his business, for he Is the fore
lost aeronaut in this country. He Is only
years old. but he has gone to the
ouds In ships ever since he has been Is.
e Is the man who constructed the first
rfgible balloon In this country, which he
Afied In a test with Santos-Dumont, In
poe. at Manhattan Beach. II you can
Fmember your newspaper reading so far
hck as that you will recall that a man
AIMED Boise sailed the Santos Dumont
achine. and that Stevens created an in
nse sensation by sailing over, under and
around the French aeronaut, so arous-
g his ire by his surprising skill that the
razilian permitted himself several ebulli-
ous OF anger that cost him the tolera-
on OF the New Workers and sent him
lck to France with very sorry story TO
II the Parisians about his reception In
ew York.
Stevens. In physiognomy and general
pdily geography. bears a striking
mblance TO Napoleon 1. His dark eyes
e deep-set and satisfactorily separated
keen. strong. well-curved nose. His
outh Is straight and thin-lipped.
enched firmly. His jaw is strong and
fsoiute and his voice has a vibrant snap
hd authoritative quickness. But he lacks
be Napoleonic attribute of inconsiderate-
fss- He is very patient and very courte-
-. was SSy AuSh pieaseu Win mis-
ersonality.
He was mending a balloon that had
1t come in from out In the country
mewhere for repairs. There is only one
lloon factory In the United States, and
bless there Is something radically wrong
It'll the contrivance the balloonist who
vns 1t makes his repairs himself. The
gging In this balloon had been torn
ID the envelope needed new covering
rubber and varnish. In the course OF
r conversation Stevens told me that in
vocabulary there was no such word
Impossible. He said that he had never
{ found the circumstance that he could
i master, and In watching him pa
fntly working among that maze of small
pes. splicing and disentangling. care
lily. but quickly and deftiy. / readily
" why there was no such word as I'm
ssible in his vocabulary. The mans
pacity for infinite attention TO minute
tail Is wonderful. I called on him sew
III times later in gathering the mate
i for this article. and even as late as
quarter OF midnight I found him work
among his riggings and knew that
bad been at Ii ever since early morn
8. Association with him is stimulating.
Naturally, most OF the balloons shipped
+ OF this factory are made for aeronauts
county fairs and for advertising pur-
hes. These are the staples of stevens
Biness. On his income from this source
depends TO make his experiments In
hal navigation. He turns out some
ing like as balloons year for such
rs. He sells these balloons for an aver
price OF $135 each. They are made or
material similar to percale, which is
Finished with a mixture usually COM
bed OF linseed oil, varnish and rubber.
ese balloons are usually filled HOT
| and have none of the safety appliances
the passenge- balloons j did not IN