Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-11-29
THE DEMON WHEEL.
By LUKE SHARP.

about the demon bicycle, at least until
my acquainta nee, NJ. Rataplan, has
had time to get back to Paris and
patent hismarvelous invention all over
the world. Still he spoke in the most
open way about this miracle, and did
not seem to care who heard him, so
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 at
nights unless he has taken out at least
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. l thought at first
he was war veteran, for his breast
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 q record breaker?" / asked.
mo, am an inventor, although I
think did break the record across
France"
''And you are here resting after your
ride?" ventured.
well, yes, in a measure. Actually
had no intention of coming to Switzer-
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 fuency somewhat unusual
in . Frenchman. Where did you learn
the language"
"Oh, I'm not a Frenchman. My
names sfacguire and I'm from Phila-
delphia. came to France and changed
my name to Rataplan because
couldn't get q 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. He is enough
to Gomorrah any 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
thing as soon as he heard was from
iladclphia-asl1cd me If was q
frinn1 Of Eon1xysz oil <1o<
got tired of It Then Ether 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"
SIS it secret?"
you're not an inventor, are you?"
I'm u way. I'm newspaper man"
"Oh! 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?"
IA little. l know you will burn
your fingers if you don't let go a live
wire mighty suddenly"
Quite 30. 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 sum of money
and get out only part of it."
exactly. That's the ordinary stor-
age battery of commerce. You get out
only fraction of the electricity you
put in. Ever heard of the Macguire
storage battery? No? thought not.
It's small pocket battery-I won't
enter into particulars-but by a certain
interior arrangement of the plates, ii
actually increases the e. NJ. F. of the
fluid put into it."
''And what does E. NJ. F. stand for?'
Electro motor force. / see you
don't understand oven the rudiments
of electricity. Now it struck me the
Macquire storage battery might be ap
piled to a bicycle. It worked beauti.
fully-smal and compact, you know
but 1t always ran out just when yor
were in some part of the country
where you couldn't get it charged
again. So put my wits to work anG
invented little portable dynamo
which could be attached to the driving
wheel of bicycle and which would
keep replenishing the storage battery
Thought that the force going dowr
hill would run the dynamo enough te
keep the battery reasonably full anc
so transmit the force to the bicycle
when going up hill"
"And did it work?"
ibid it work? It did work, nv bow
In a way that would have made you,
hair stand on end, and nearly ruined
my constitution, but as soon as hav.
that invention under control I'll para
lyze the world. took my machin.
out Of Paris for a trial spin before
had everything completed. / live il
the southern part of Paris and so raj
down toward Fountaineblean to tr,
how 1t would go. had the dynamo
In one pocket-it is very small bu
powerful, as told you-and the bat
terry In the other. About twenty
miles south Of Paris got off the ma
chino with q smooth empty countr,
road ahead of me, and attached
dynamo and battery. But forgot on,
thing, and that was that the Macquir,
storage battery increased the E. NJ
F. OF the electricity pumped into it
Well, jumped on the bicycle and raj
It down the road for mile or 80, lis
tening to the dynamo purring beauti
fully; then put my two feet on tn
front rests and let her spin. She spul
| IN the uuean'S tasfa Wa want alon,