The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-13

John Gilpin's fearful ride was never
in it with the narrowing adventure of
an English Spectator on an Americans
motorcycle 1t was worse than that.
Sheridan, Putnam and John Gilpin
rolled into one neither made the time
nor suffered the awful effects of mind
ana body. In the home of prominent
manufactures in Pittsburg the victim
is lying. His hair is white from the
awful mental strain, three of his ribs
are fractured, an ankle is sprained, and
poth his arms are paralized to the ell
DOW. For hours and % minutes he
rode motorcycle travelling at railroad
speed, sweeping over 200 miles of quiet
Indiana roads in that time and set
ting the whole country in an uproar
This modern Gilpin came here some
time ago with party of English man
ufaeturers, says the Pittsburg Post.
Their aVewed purpose was to buy up
promising inventions from unsophsti-
Gated Yankees and make a fortune
from them. Others had done it before,
and several Of the party had turned
pretty penny that way. The one who
bit off more than he could chew is
known in England as a keen business
man and dead game sportsman. He
owns hereditary estate and writes
himself "Baronet'' with a big B.
Shortly after landing the party went
up into the Mesaba ore ranges near
Lake Superior. While there they hap
pened to fall in with an agent of a
Pittsburg manufacturer on the lookout
for just such party Of spectators.
know hp inf
ested in bicycles with the latest fea-
lures, and told them of the invention
of Byron Chaplin, young minister at
Laporte, Junction, Ind, who dabbled in
mechanics. Chaplin, he said, had sew
eral bicycles fitted up with remarkable
motors. The result was that the party
ran down to Laporte with the idea Of
buying the patents.
The clew developed better than they
expected. Chaplin turned out to be
pleasant faced young fellow, and he
showed no hesitation in trotting out
his wheels. The wheels in appearance
were like ordinary bicycles. They had
2S-ineh wheels with patent nonpunc-
turable tires, also Of Chapins inven-
ton. His motor was the most essential
part. The machine was fitted with stor-
age batteries of new principle and an
exceedingly compact generator or dy-
namo. When run 300 feet, enough en-
ergy would be stored by the momentum
to keep the bicycle moving on ordin-
arily level ground, at the same time a
remarkable amount Of electricity being
stored up. To avoid an excess a switch
to ground the current at will was ar
ranged to let off the surplus electricity.
The whole arrangement fitted in easily
within the diamond frame, being geared
from there to the hind axle.
Inc prospective purchaser saw q
good thing and sized up the minister
for easy game. It ended with the party
mounting bicycles for a test about 5
o'clock p. m.
Through Marshall county, Ind, the
roads are a cycler's paradise The in
Ventor and the party of Englishmen
took the one following the line of the
Michigan and Lake Erie railroad for
the trial The BritisheGs were in
ecstasieS. A push of 800 feet and thew
felt the power under them With feet
on the footrests and pipes in their
mouths, the inevitable fieIdglass
thrown over their shoulders and a
mask OF spring water on the ether
side, they sailed along, kicking up
the dust at fifteen-mile gait. showing
the road 0iei oii
Everything went swinmingly, and
they began 70 dicker The switches
let of the surplus electricity nicely and
the invention was pronounced
blooming success. The baronet es-
pecially was tickled to death. He be-
gan to experiment on the capabilities
OF the machine, drawing ahead and
then falling back, but suddenly he
seemed to take a notion to run away
from the party, and faint shout
came back to them and the sound of
a terrific hum.
All they could see of the baronet
was a cloud of dust, with a halo of
tobacco smoke over it. They got
scared and let out their wheels to
dangerous speed, but couldn't get neal
him and he disappeared around a
bend. The inventor timidly suggested
that the switch may have got out of
order, and then they were scared
he switch had broken off, The bar
onet found himself astride his hobby
ana gaming momentum every moment
His recollections of that whirlWind
ride are far from definite as vet. and
his physicians will not let him tall,
OF it. What his friends know has been
eked out gradually and is judged from
the terrific state of the country
through which the baronet careered
The whole country was excited as it
never had been before
The party fastened on as fast as
they could go. Country people lined
up along the road, jeered and whistIed
at them, yelling:
Cit move on! Ye're gettin' beat
From which they inferred that their
friend was still going.
Laporte is about twenty miles from