Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-11-01
nov hszsklah Won the Race.
BY ELL1OTT FLOWER.

10
(Copyright, 1851, Daily Story Pub. Coz
Hezekiah Grubbs was an inventor.
He said so himself. and the fact that
he was the only one who did say so
did not in the least disturb him. His
neighbors said he was crank.
Hezekiah frequently dilated at great
length on the incompleteness Of many
labor-saving and time-saving inven-
tions. They were all very well in their
way, according to him, but IF he had
theatools" he could improve upon any
or all Of them. Moreover. he could
explain Just how he would do 1t. Pos
sibly 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 unchallenged. Yet in time they
grew monotonous, and ways and
means committee OF his neighbors
finally undertook 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 community.
The opportunity came when
Hezekiah took up the subject of the
horseless carriage. He had seen one
or two and had inspected them care
fully. He had also read a good deal
about them, and he had no hesitation
In saying that they were all too heavy
and clumsy. What was needed, he said,
was lighter vehicle and one that
could show higher speed. For his part,
he wouldn't think he had been sue
cessful in that line unless he had con-
structed 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.
'I'll bet you,'' put in one of the con-
spirators at this point, that you can't
put together a hossless kerridge that'll
beat my old blind mare, an I'll give
you an eighth of mile start in mile
race"
How much III you bet?" demanded
Hezekiah promptly.
How much IL you bet?" was the
answering question.
How III $500 suit ye?" suggested
Hezekiah tentatively.
Five hundred dollars was good deal
OF money, but the risk did not seem to
be very great, anyway. So the bet was
made. Hezekiah stipulated that the
race should take place on half mile
track just outside of town and that
he should be given two days in which
to put up his share of the stakes, and
a month in which to prepare for the
race.
After that Hezekiah went into tenn
porary retirement. He spent nearly all
his time in the old shed, and he al
lowed no one else to enter it. When
he was there is was kept locked, and
observations made through the cracks
were not very satisfactory.
1t was nearly month later that the
town was thrown into state of wild
excitement by the report that he had
had his vehicle out for test. OF
course he chose the night time for his
experiment, but one of the neighbors
had seen him and had reported that
the old thing could not cover mile in
thirty minutes. 1t wheezed and
whistled and groaned as it labored
along, and even then had finally
broken down and been pulled back to
the shed by horse. Naturally there
a.
evening, when all gathered as usual to
wait for the distribution Of the 6
O'Clock mail. Everybody had some joke
to spring. at the expense ,of Hezekiah' S
''hossless kerridge.
The new invention was tried several
times at night before the day of the
final test, and all sorts of .rumors were
afloat as to the results. Those who
were fortunate enough to see 1t in ac-
ton all united in saying that two or
three miles an hour was the limit Of
it's speed, but Hezekiah never lost con-
fdence in 1T. Indeed. he seemed to be
SO absolutely certain of success that
the men who had contributed to the
$500 fund could not help feeling nerv-
GUS. Their reason told them that they
could not possibly lose unless the blind
mare broke q leg or died on the course,
but Hezekiah's calm and .sanguine tone
and bearing whenever the subject was
under discussion had the effect of max
ing them inwardly restless and doubt
full. Il
The day of the race the entire popu-
lation of the town turned out, and sur
Z rounding towns sent largesdepu tations
that helped to swell the crowd. The
homemade 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 discovered Its whereabouts
it was resting quietly at the starting
point and undergoing 10 itical ,exami-
Il nation by well -dressed and some
what sporty looking stranger. The lat
ter was seen to shake his head Doubt
fully as he finished his inspection, and