Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-06-17

nERT SHEPHERD, the miller's son,
ID owned the first bicycle in Zoans-
vile; but Carroty Dobbin had the next
one.
The night Bert rode his wheel home
all the boys and most of the men gath
cred in front of the store to see the gilt
tering, new-fangled machine.
Among the spectators was Benjamin
Franklin Dobbin- Carroty, for short,
out of Difference to his hair. Every
body laughed when Carroty elbowed
his way forward to look at the bicycle.
The lad had the name of being a
'squeer stick" and his neighbors had
fallen into the habit of being amused
by everything he did. He was figure
to provoke laughter. He had out
grown his clothes to such an extent
that it was asserted in the village he
dared not take them off for fear of never
being able to get them on again. OF
course this was an exaggerated state
ment, but they undoubtedly were a
close fit, and below the skin-tight jeans
trousersstretched an astonishing length
of bare, mud-stained, brier-scratched
leg, with corresponding length of
wrist and arm on the other side of the
zone Of clothing.
AS he stopped over the wheel his thin,
freckled face had rapt look and his
eyes cleaned with pleasure. He stood
off and studied the machine with his
head to one side, he touched it tender
ly and reverently, he moved the handle
bars, he lifted the whole thing and held
it while he made first one wheel then
the other revolve.
.'Size it up, Carroty, and take the pat
tern. Maybe you can make one like
it," laughed the loungers on the store
porch.
Carroty was too absorbed to notice
their chatting. tits out and out the
prettiest thing I've ever seen," he said,
earnestly, as Bert stepped forward and
prepared to mount.
Somehow the honest admiration of
the ragged little fellow pleased Bert
more than the half envious comments
of his associates.
perhaps some time I will let you
try it, Carroty," he said, pleasantly.
Pm going to have one CT my own,"
the boy returned, calmly.
Bert raised his eyebrows doubtingly,
for he knew the Dobbins were much
too poor for such a luxury as a bicycle.
On the morning following his view
of Bert's wheel Carroty remarked to
his younger brother, Jakey, that he be-
lieved he would make bicycle, and
Jakey said: do, Carroty."
Back of the Dobbins' house stood a
small vine-covered building where Car
roty's grandmother spun and wove long
ago. The ''loom-house," like every
thing else about the place, was falling
to pieces. Carroty had propped up the
sunken roof, nailed few boards across
the perilous floor and built work
bench at one side. Here the boy, who
was remarkably handy with tools, car
ried on his occupation of making
things" and here, with some odds and
ends of boards. nails and screws and
bits of leather and wire, he started in
to make a bicycle.
Day after day Carroty sawed and
hammered and measured and expert
mented, while Jakey sat in the window
and watched him. There was no one
but Jakey to take an interest in the
great work. The mother had been dead
for three years and the father was car
penter with job down the valley which
took him away at daybreak, and from
which he did not return until dark.
But Jakey's interest never tagged. In
the moments of WEAKNESS and depres-
sion that cameito the young mechanic
in his difficult task Jakey was always
ready with words of encouragement.
''Other folks make 'em. You can do
anything anybody else CAM he would
say, with inspiring confidence.
81 am going to do it! 1 will do it!''
Carroty would answer through
clenched teeth.
Such a spirit, SO encouraged, was
bound to succeed. In course of time
the bicycle was finished and christened
the Through by Daylight It was not
handsome, bu: it looked strong. 1t