The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-04-08
BLOWN TO COLORADo
A HoRsELEss WAGON TRIP s,,l
KANSAS TO DENVER

This Prairie schooner Wa ~
with sails and Made Reeora -
Years Ago In the Great R...
the Newly DaseOvered GoIda.,s.
In these days of automobiles ~,
cycles and horseless vehicles II
be unInteresting to know thar -.
the early inventions in this countr.
do away with animal motive -
originated In Kansas City, Kan -.
uel Peppard was the genius vho -
structed a vehicle that carried him -
three companions over the plains -
OskaIoosa almost to Denver. a..
with such rapidlty, too. that hs =,
only passed all the white people to-.
neying the same way. but easily A.
taDced Indian pursuers and won v
rig the unstinted admiration of ths ~
men.
1t was during the time Of the er.,.
ment following the discovery OF -.
in Colorado. 4 great many people - +.
set out for this Ell Dorado. and -
wagon trains were TO be seen evs-.
day moving across the plains. ".
Peppard was anxious to 20, but it,
was one great difficulty in the wa
he didn't have the money to buy bor..,
and wagon. So he sat down a.
thought il all over. and then as a rpx-'.
he gave out that he was going to buas
a wa gon with a sail, which be thouve,
would make the trip in about az rooI
time as any prairie schooner that IA,
floating around over the wild and w.,l
ly west
When he irst began to build n.
wagon. the wise men of the town N
laughed at him for wasting his time I,
such a craft. just as other wise men a
Noah's time scoffed at the good ustr.
arch. Mr.. Peppard's advisers declan.s
that IL he attempted to navigate such ,
craft he would certainly be killed. ana
the people In general looked the wagon
over. shook their heads and called n
"Peppard's folly"
But Mr.. Peppard kept on saving
wood and turning it into wheels ana
running gear and boards. AT last n
was finished Ii was made Of rourh
lumber and shaped like a skif. It tvu
eight feet long from prov TO stern and
three feet across at amidships and tvu
feet deep. The bed was placed O.
running gear with axles six feet apart
the wheels all the same size and abovt
| as large as the front wheels of a bur.
| gy. A ten foot mast was fastened %
the front axle and came up thruugA
the bottom Of the wagon box. and 70
this two sails were rugged. the larger
IL by feet. the other 4 by 5. They
were both 10 be worked BY a rops
through a pulley at the top OF the mass
If the wind was high. the smallsr
was TO be used. and IL it was low Tie
larger was to be employed The Eag
on had a brake and n rudder for steer
ing. The hounds. instead OF having a
tongue attached. came up over the top
of the bed and were welded together
A bar was fastened here and EXTENDED
backward three feet There was q
seat placed at the end OF the bar for
the captain. and be steered by pushing
the bar to the right or the left The
craft rigged out weighed $50 pOundk
carried a crew OF four men, a cargo Of
4
provisions serving as ballast
Before Mr.. Peppard started on bis
overland voyage he made a trial one
mile south OF Oskaloosa on the present
site of the Jefferson county fair
grounds. There is a level stretch Of
several miles. and a good, stifi breeze
was on. When it struck the large sal
the craft stuck its nose down TO Tie
ground and came near capsiZing. Be
Stacked sail and set out again with the
large sheet reefed and the smaller fHa
against the wind. and away il whizzed
Ii went so fast. in fact. that the boz
ing in the wheels heated. Then. when
il went over 4 little knoll, it leaped
about 80 feet into the air and cane
down with 4 crash
| His vessel was 4 wreck. but Mr.. Pep
Dard WAS not discouraged He maoe
new spindles. repaired the damage. ana
in a few days he and three eompah
ions were ready 10 start PrOhtins py
his first experience. Mr.. Peppard ehose
a day To start when the wind vas
blowing ONLY about ten knots an hour
The first day they went 80 miles
Their route lay northwest through
Kansas and across the Southwestern
part of Nebraska until they struck ns
South Platte river. and from thes
they went toward Denver
"Our best time was two miles
four minutes" said Mr.. Peppard .
describing the incidents Of the Jour
ney. 1--WE could not run faster tna'
that rate. as the boxing would nAs'
heated. One day we went so milss :
three hours and In doing so passed g
teams."-Kansas City Journal