Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-20
ONCE CIRCUS CLOWN
PauIhan Also Performed on
the Tight Rope.
SAILOR AND SOLDIER, TOO
In Aerostatic Division Of French
Army, Learned Aeronautics.
MADE MODELS OF A1RsH1Ps
Won Aeroplane as Prize, and Engine
for It Was Provided by Motor
Manufacturers.

Louis Paulhan. the top liner at Los
Angeles, one Of the champion aviators
Of the world and a man who is making
a fortune today. where he was making
a bare living six months ago. is a grad
uate of circus. a tight-rope walker
and former sailor.
Paulhan is not highbrow nor pro-
fesses to be. He aspires to be a first
class aerial chauffeur. and Is all Of that.
He won his first International recogni-
ton at Rheims, when he saved the day.
from the promoters point of view, by
flying when President Fallieres visited
the show, and when the wind was so
high that other aviators hestated to
risk 1t. But he had been working to-
ward his goal long before that
Another who has become an amateur
after career as tight-rope walker
and is today one of the most noted aero
nauts in this country. is Leo Stevens.
tie Is now a balloon manufacturer, and
mas recently taken to aeroplanes. though
he has as yet made no noteworthy flights.
But the same sense of balance that
seems to stand the wire walker in good
stead Is likely also to help the aviator.
Also Sailor and Soldier.
Paulhan. like all good Frenchman, has
served his time in the army. He was a
sergeant in the balloon corps, after he
was sailor. 1t was with Col. Renard
Of dirigible fame that he got his first ex-
perience In air in the great airship, the
Vile de Paris.
He was nothing but mechanic then
and was In charge of the gasoline engine
IN the alrship. In this work he got
familiar with what Wilbur Wright calls
the feel of the air." He got familiar also
with the Vagaries of a gasoline engine,
which has more whims than a spoiled
child.
All this was necessary preliminary
training. Paulhan has profted.
Paulhan's Battle Of Life.
The battle of life for Paulhan began
before he was eighteen. He was a sailor
before the mast on a French line plying
between France and Japan. He went
from that to the circus, where he was by
turns clown and high-wire walker
Then he went for his service in the
army and was a recruit of the aerostatic
division. He was Industrious and PAINS
taking and was soon advanced to the post
of sergeant.
Here he met with Col. Renard. designer
Of the ill-fated dirigible La Patrie. Paul
han made trips in her and afterward in
the great Vile de Paris, when that air
ship was taken into the service of the
government.
He was in the Vile de Paris when she
made her mountaineering trip from Sar-
touville to Verdun, distance Of 155
miles, in nine hours.
But all this was not exactly in the line
of work that Paulhan wanted. He had
ambitions to pilot an aeroplane, and be-
lieved that if he got chance he could
make some money and perhaps break a
record. Well he has. But it was a long,
uphill fight.
Paulhan was poor. Most French me-
chanics are. Aeroplanes are expensive.
He could find nobody who wanted to give
him a chance merely because he wanted
one.
He went to work for the Noisins. who
were then doing large aeroplane bust
ness. In 1903 he was getting SO week,
a salary 50 large that he felt justified
in getting married
Built Toy Airships.
He worked hard in the Voisin factory
and put in his time on the outside in
building toy aeroplanes. He entered some
of the model contests of the Aeronau-
tique Societe and won a few prizes with
flights of some hundred feet
He went ont after business and man
aged to get his aeroplane manufa ctured
as toys Paris was at that time mad on
Paulhan's profit was no fortune. He
continued to improve the models, enter
ing his last contest Of the sort in the
early part of 1909.
Many large prizes were offered. The
highest was a Noisin biplane, complete
except for the motor. This Paulhan won
But his troubles were not yet ended.
The motor was the most expensive part
of the machine. He not only had not
enough money to buy one, but there
seemed nobody who had faith enough In
his ability TO let him have one on easy
terms.
Work as Aviator.
Finally. he succeeded in making ar
rangements with the Gnome people, who
had good motor and wanted the adj
vertisement. 1t was rather shot in
the dark for them to try the unknown