The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-10-18
THE DEMON WHEEL.
BY LUKE SHARP.


had time to get back to Paris and
patent his marvellous invention all over
che world. Still he spoke in the most
open way about this miracle, and did
not seem to care who heard him, sc
perhaps he has protected his different
contrivances as he went along, after
the Edison manner. for it is well known
that Thomas A. Edison cannot sleep al
nights unless he has taken out at leas,
sixteen new patents during the day.
| met NJ Rataplan at mountain re
sort five thousand feet above the sea
in the Jura range, the most western
part of Switzerland. | thought at frs,
he was a war veteran, for his breas,
was covered with medals of all sorts,
but closer inspection showed that
they were badges of various bicycle
clubs in all parts OF the world. He
told me that he was a member Of every
cycle society in the world so far as he
knew, although of course some of
them might have escaped him
Are you a record breaker?" | asked.
"No, am an inventor. although /
think did break the record across
France"
And you are here resting after your
ride?" | venturei
well. yes, in a measure Actually
had no intention OF coming 10 Swiizer-
land, but could not rightly help my
self 1t all came about through the
greatest invention the world has ever
seen. Talk about pneumatic tires!
They're not in it compared with my
invention"
"You talk English" said, with a
colloquial fiuency somewhat unusual
in Frenchman Where did you learn
the language?"
"Oh, TN not a Frenchman. My
names Mscguire and I'm from Phila-
delphia. came to France and changed
my name to Rataplan because |
couldn't get fair show in America"
II thought the states was the best
place in the world for an inventor.
$50 it is, if you don't start from Phil
adelphia- You see, Philadelphia is a
slow town. New York men speak of
having their country residence there.
Then Philadelphia has always been an
unfortunate city for inventors. There's
the Keely motor man. lie is enough
to GomorrahAny town. You see, had
no capital, and the moment invented
anything and tried to interest man
with money in it, he made fun of the
fhfncr hA I'll 7
Philadelphia-asked me If was
friend of Keely's, and all that, till
got tired of it Then other fellows
got to hear of my inventions and pat
ented them before me, and SO | never
got chance. When became NJ Rata
plan, of Paris. got rich Americans
over here to listen to me and I've
made money But this invention beats
them all"
'Is 1t secret?"
you're not an inventor, are you?"
I'm way. I'm a newspaper man."
''0hl that's all right. | like news
paper men. 1t doesn't matter my tell
ing you, for if you did write it up,
you'd get it all wrong, and nobody
would understand IT,"
Then let me hear about it."
do you know anything OF cleo
tricity?"
"a little. know you will burn
your fingers If you don't let go live
wire mighty suddenly"
Quite so. You have been accurately
informed Well, you know what a
storage battery is?"
Yes 1t is like certain kinds of in
vestments. You put in a sum Of money
and get out only part of it"
Exactly. That's the ordinary stor-
age battery of commerce. You get out
only q fraction of the electricity you
put in. Ever heard of the Macguire
storage battery? No? | thought not
It's a small pocket battery-I won't
enter into particulars-but by certain
Interior arrangement of the plates, it
actually increases the E VI. F of the
auid put into it."
And what does E. NJ F stand for?"
Electro motor force | see you
aon't understand even the rudiments
of electricity Now it struck me the
Macquire storage battery might be ap-
piled 20 bicycle. Il worked beauti-
fully-snall and compact, you know
but it always ran CT Just when you
we're n soae part Of the country
where yoE eooidn's get it charged
again So ! PIT NJ wits 70 work and
invented q Little portable dynamo
whic6 cculd be attached TO the driving
wheel Of a bicycle and which would
Keep replenishing the storage battery.
thought that the force going down
hill would run the dynamo enough to
xeep the battery reasonably full and
70 transmit the force to the bicycle
when going up hill"
"And did it work."
"Did it work? 1t did work. INV boy.
n a way that would have made your
lair stand on end, and nearly ruined
nv constitution, but as soon as l have
hat invention under control I'll para
we the world I took my machine
nut OF Paris for . trial spin before
lad everything completed live in
he southern part Of Paris and so ran
lown toward Fountainebieau TO try
low 1t would go had the dynamo
q one pocket-it Is very small but
'owerful, as ! told you--and the bat
cry In the other About twenty
niles south of Paris got off the ma
'hipe with . smooth empty country
Dad ahead of me. and attached
lynamo and battery. But forgot one
hing, and that was that the Macquire
forage. battery increased the E NJ.
!. Of the electricity pumped into It.
Veil. jumped on the bicycle and ran
down the road for 9 mile or so, lis
ening to the dynamo purring beauti-