Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-07-31
The Steam Wagons.

stand such tests as board OF three
Commissioners should propose; among
other things, the contestlng machines
were to make a 200 mile trip along
the country roads of the State due
north and south, haul heavy wagon
behind them, be able to pillow, run
threshing machine, and perform other
feats such as the ingenuity or wisdom
of the commissioners might suggest.
The Commissioners appointed by the
Governor were Messrs. Olin, of Jeffer
son, Smith, of Green Bay, and Mar
shall, of Adams Go. On the ID inst.
the commissioners, after giving due
notice, met in Green Bay. The only
machines entered were the ''Oshkosh, :"
owned by Schooner Il Farrand, of Osh-
kosh, and the "Green Bay" owned by
the Cowles Bros, of East Green Bay.
Other machines, from Madison and
Milwaukee, had notified the Board OF
their desire to enter, but did not ap-
pear on the ground, at the advertised
time.
The start was made from Fort. How
ard, at noon of the 10th inst. When
the Green Bay had emerged from the
city limits, it broke down and was sent
back to the shop for repairs. The
"Oshkosh" kept on its way, reaching
Appleton, distance of 81 miles, at
s ?. NJ. Leaving Appleton at $3.50
the following morning, Neenah was
reached in time for dinner, and the
people Of this little "FIower OF the
Fox" were treated to an exhibition of
speed on the principal streets of the
city, much TO the delight and wonder,
ment Of the populace. From Neenah
to Oshkosh is about II miles, and the
machine made the trip in two hours
from l to 3 p II.
At Oshkosh. the Green Bay machine
was found; it had made good time on a
fiat car, over the G. & n. w. R'y, and
beat the Sccand City invention by
several hours 1t was cruel on the
Green Bay engine, but the Commis.
sioners, who had followed the"Oshkosh
in buggies, demanded that the former,
though feeble, be taken from the cars,
and not transported to Fort Atkinson
by rail, as intended by the drivers
The "boys" were then summoned by a
plentiful blowing of whistles, and each
machine being hitched to about five
tons of Green lumber, in a road wagon
the Oshkoshians were amused by see
ing them cavort around, through the
sawdust streets.
The machines left Oshkosh at p.
M, of Saturday last, en- route fol-
Waupun; the Green Bay machine
broke down two miles out of town, and
returned to Oshkosh for repairs, spend.
Sunday in machine shop, by way OF
rest. "Oshkosh" continued the "a
miles trip to Waupun, making it in G
hours and % minutes, From Waupun
to Watertown the 80 miles over the
sand bills was made in four hours and
thirty seconds. From Watertown to
Fort Atkinson is 2l miles, this dis
tance being accomplished in 2 hours
and 10 minutes. "
At Fort Atkinson, a blowing trial
was had on SMELLS farm. A gang of
two plows was furnished, and the
"Oshkosh" turned over a goodly pcr-
ton of 60 acre field. A crowd of
500 people were present to witness the
novel sight. - @ .:. s@a il.
The time from Fort Atkinson to
Milton Junction-thirteen miles-was
2 b. Is min; from Milton Junction to
Janesville-eight miles b. 2 min;
from GAINESVILLE to Madison-forty
| miles--7 h. 30 min. .I .
The "Oshkosh" in charge of Messrs.
Frank Schooner and Ans. Farrand,
! the inventors, accompanied by Com
missioner OIin, arrived in Madison
last evening, having made tie trip
from Fort Howard miles-iu 33
hours and II seconds, official time:
the time allowance given by law-fve
| miles an hour-Was 40 hours; The
'Oshkosh" therefore beat official time
six hours and thirty-three minutes
This machine has, throughout, hauled
wagon weighing $500 pounds. At
Oshkosh, it made the tour Of the lum-
ber yards, among the sawdust, with
9,lO0 pounds. The Weight of the
machine alone is 4,80O pounds, and
with water and coal for miles, 5000
pounds. It is handsome affair, neat
ly and simply made, and appears cal
culated to do any amount of work.
The engineer, report no breakages on
the trip, no runaways from scared
teams, and not oridge-plank disturb
ed; while most of the roadway has
been hard to travel, being heavy sand
and gravel.
The Green Bay took the road from
Oshkosh last Monday accompanied
most of the way by Commissioners
Smith and Marshall. They arrived