Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1908 — Balloonist Otto a Fakir. [ARTICLE]

Balloonist Otto a Fakir.

Another failing attempt at a balloon ascension was made Thursday afternoon, and again the aeronaut’s weight was too grtiat for the pear shaped hot. air bag and it came down shortly after Otto was above the tree tops. Alter he came down he cut loose from the balloon and It went up about 500 feet and soared off to the northeast a distance of about 1 half mills. The failure of the baloon ascensions is evidently largely the fault of the balloon itself, for it is not thought to be either large enough or of sufficient diaiheter, add it is also probable that tile cloth used in its manufacture was not of the right texture, ns- it is said the manufacturer of the balloon is just embarking in that business. But the fault was not altogether with the baloon, as Otto, the little fellow, seemed to be a great bluff. He blowed and blustered around and told about how much he knew and he would not give Pete, his Dutch partner, a chantie to do anything except under his direction, and it is thought that they never had the balloon properly inflated, because Otto was afraid to go up any considerable Height. - , A representative of the amusement company in Chicago that had booked all of the attractions for the home coming, accepted a reduction of $75 for the failure of the balloon men to make good and he then settled with Otto for the balloon work. Otto told Pete that he would settle with him on Saturday morning and that they would leave on the j):55 train, but when Pete got up in the morning he found that Otto and his wife had pulled out on the 4:30 train with the balloon. He found a note on his table from Otto, and wrapped up in it was a two dollar bill. He told Pete that that was enough to take him to Chicago or if he preferred he could stay in Rensselaer. Mr. Greenbaum, the agent for the company that booked the attracitons, was still here, and settled Pete’s hotel bill and took him to Chicago on the milk train. He was swearing vengeance on Otto and said he knew what his Sunday ascension date was and he proposed to go there and attach the balloon. Pete is a German and has Teen in this country only about four months, and seemed anxious all the time to do , the right thing, but Otto and his wife were evidently very trashy people. Otto is only 29 years old and his wife is 67.