The Washington weekly post., 1900-10-09
HOW HEZEKIAH
WON THE RACE.
By ELLIOTT FLOWER.

the only one VINO old say so dlu mol N tLc
least disturb him. His neighbors sud he
vas a crank.
HeZekiah frequently dilaGed az r-eat
length on the incOmpleteness OF many
labor-saving and time-saying inventions.
They were all very well in their way. ac-
cording to him. but If he had the tools
he could improve upon any or ali OF them
Moreover. he could explain just how he
would do H. Possibly an expert might
have picked flaws In his explanation. but
there was no one in the little town Of Sun
Prairie who could do it. so his assertions
passed unehsllenged. Yet in time they
grew monotOnous. and ways and means
committee of his neighbors finally under
took to devise method of putting stop
to his boasting. The intimation that all
wisdom is locked up in a single human
brain Is invariably annoying TO a COM
munity.
The opportunity came whea Hszekiah
took up the subject Of the horseless car
rlage- he had seen one or two and had
Inspected them carefully He had also
read good deal about them, and he had
no hesitation in saying that they were all
100 heaVy and clumsy. What was needed,
he said, was lighter vehicle and one that
AASAAtl opCCu TOT HIS
he wouldn't think he had been successful
In that line unless he had constructed a
horseless carriage that could distance
the best horse that ever Travelled on four
legs, and just to show that he knew what
he was talking about he asserted that he
proposed to make one
ii oet you, put in one Of the con-
spirators at t.iis point, that Won can't
Dur together a hnccfa-y
beat my old blind mare, an III give Won
an eighth of a mile start in a mile race -
HOW much Ill you bet?'' demanded Hez-
ekiah promptly.
How much II you bet?' was the an
swering question.
How II $500 suit yep suggested Heze-
kiah, tentatively.
Five hundred dollars was a goo,, deal
OF money, but the risk did NOT eeapo 40
De very great, anyway. So the bet was
made. Hezekiah stipulated that the race
should take place on a half-miIe track
Just outside of town. and that he should
De given two days in which to out ND his
share of the stakes. and a month in which
to prepare for the race.
After that, Hezekiah went into teuno-
rary retirement He spent nearly all his
time In the old shed, and he allowed no
one else to enter it. When he was there
IL was Kept locked, and observations made
through the cracks were not very salts
factory.
Ii was nearly a month later that the
town was thrown into a state of wild ex-
citement by the report that he had had
MS Venlcle out for a test. OF course he
chose the nighttime for his experiment,
but one of the neighbors had seen MIN
and had reported that the old thing could
not cover mile in thirty minutes 1t
Wheezed and whistled and grOaned as il
labored along, and even then had finally
broken down and been pulled back to the
shea by a horse. Naturally, there was
great sport at the post-office that even
ing when all gathered as usual to wait
for the distribution of the o'clock mail
Everybody had some joke to spring at the
expense OF Hezekiah's 'hossIess kerr
ridge"
The new invention was tried several
times at night before the day of the final
test and ali sorts of rumors were afioat
as to the results. Those who were for
tunate enough TO see IL in action all
united III saying that two or three miles
an hour was the limit of it's speed, but
HeZekiah never lost confidence in 1t. In
deed, he seemed to be so absolutely GER
tain of success that the men who had
contributed to the $500 fund could not
help feeling nervous. Their reason told
them that they could not possibly lose
unless the blind mare broke leg or died
on the course, but HeZekiah's calm and
sanguine tone and bearing, whenever the
subject was under discussion, had the ef-
feet of making them inwardly restless
and doubtful.
The day of the race the entire popula-
ton OF the town turned out, and sur
rounding towns sent large deputations
that helped to swell the crowd The home
made automobile was already at the
track, having been taken TO the scene of
its coming triumph or failure under cover
of darkness, and when they finally discOv-
cred its whereabouts 1t was resting quiet
ly at the starting point and undergoing a
critical examination by WeIl-dressed
and somewhat spOrty-looking stranger
The latter was seen to shake his head
doubtfully as he finished his inspection
and a few who were in the immediate vi
cinity heard him say: 1T looks TO me as
If IL had been done by a jay"
With that he turned angrily away, dis
regarding Hezekiah's indignant assertion
blind mare, even If ii don't go more'n a
mile In two hours"
To the surprise of every one the race
proved extremely exciting. The crowd
that witnessed it, according to old-timers,
was nigh as big as the crowd We had the
day the guv'nor spoke at the opening of
the county fair in 49," and il was well
entertained. To be sure, Hezekiah had
some trouble getting up steam, and so
sorely taxed the patience OF the people
that he was subjected to many ribald
jests, but after a wait OF about an hour
he announced that he was ready and the
word was given The horseless vehicle
was extremely slow in getting under way
and for a minute II looked like a walk
away for 81 Tompkins' blind mare. The
machine wheezed and Kissed and snorted
and seemed utterly unable 70 gather head
way. The mare meanwhile took the
turf" at the word and bore down on Hez-
ekiah as II he and his automobile we're
standing still. But she didn't pass them
On the contrary, just as the crowd was
beginning 10 laugh she betrayed a sud-
den desire 10 get over the fence and take
10 the field inside the track. ST pulled her
up sharp in order to prevent a disaster
that would end everything and then tried
TO pass on the other side of Hezekiah
This was also a failure. for the very devil
seemed 10 get into that machine as the
mare approached. II fairly shrieked and
blew out clouds of steam on both sides
while the mare tried first to sit down and
then 10 stand on her head
By this time the excitement was in
tense. and there were cries OF Go on,
81! Go on Now's your chancer' But
ii had begun 10 see that there was trou-
bic ahead for him. The track was not
vide, and Hezekiah kept the middle OF Il.
There was room TO pass on either side.
but very little more Toom than was nee
essary, and very slight collision with
the fence would wreck the ancient sulky.
Hence 81 pulled up and talked sOothinsly
10 the mare before making another trial
But the mare was not in a mood 20 be
readily soothed- On every side Of he-
there were shouts and laughter. and from
ahead came that weird whistIlng inter
I'd rt~fyL