Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-01-18
WILD RIDE ON A WINDMILL. FAN.


II Was a Performance fSr Which MIR.
leoper Does Not Wish an Encore.
After few moro mtsadventures In
his own inimitablo style, as tho pro-
grammcs say, the people of Fruitvale
may ask Alsinus Gustavus l.eepcr to
give regular performances. He Is 80
original IN his method OF mixing up
with trouble.
Not long ago Mr.. Leeper alias
Boots" built himself n tall barn that
was the pride OF Fruitvale. Tho
builder also shingled the structure at
odd times climbing to work by means
of a ladder inside the walls, On tho
day he completed the Job Mr.. Leeper
thoughtlessly nailed shingles over tho
opening above the ladder. thus shut
ting of all means OF escape. Mr.
Leener yelled for help, but his folks
were away from home and tho neigh
hors thought he was celebrating the
completion OF the barn, The Fruit
vale hook and ladder company finally
turned out and rescued Mr. leeper
While this incident doomed tho In
dustrious citizen as a public enter
tanner, 1t was but u feeble show COM
pared with his windmill adventure
yesterday afternoon. The mill bugzes
above u tank at tho top OF a forty
fC't skeleton tower In the back yard,
pumping water for Mr.. Leepers
pigeons and other live stock.
u think the bearings need oil +" said
Boots, with the wind In this direction
the fan Is right over the tank where
can climb up and oil the paees"
Crawling up the tower frame with
his oil can, Mr.. Leeper got astrlde OF
the fan, or tall Of the windmill. He
was busy olling when the breeze shift
ed six points and swung him clear or
the tank roof. The wind also freshened
and the lubricant In the journals In
dueed tho mill to brace up and spin at
the rate Of thirty knots an hour.
Help" shrleked Mr., Leeper, but tho
rattling machinery drowned HIS voice.
The wind shifted again until the d.
rection of the fan from tho time tho
oiler mounted II was entirely reversed
Instead Of riding above tho tank Mr..
Leeper buckod and wriggled and
swayed In mldar on the razor backed
fan. forty feet from tho ground, This
was n condition OF deadly peril, even
for man who had marooned himself
on barn, Mr.. Leepers hair and
whiskers curled with terror. There
was nothing to do but cling to the up
per edge OF the fan and this he did
so fondly that his finger nails made
scars In the paint, The mill grew
fractions and bucked like Wild west
broncho.
IF only had my spurs on" walled
the dizzy man. cor even gunny sack
for saddle, ! might hold out TIL tho
breeze shifts again"
Meanwhile his cries had attracted
the family and n crowd of neighbors,
some Of whom wanted to bet on tho
finish.
Throw her out OF gear and stop the
mill, the daring rider beloved from
his bounding perch.
They tried It. but his weight on the
fan prevented the gear from working.
Get a ladder. then howled Mr.
Leeper
The ladder was useless, for tho fan
swayed too much to offer resting
place for the upper end Two hours or
more did Mr. Ieeper ride his wild race
against time, waiting for the breeze
10 subside or haul to another quarter.
lie made a verbal Will dropping the
words down between Jolts praying al
ternatcly and saying things In a Nhis-
per to the fiery, untamed windmill.
At last the wind died away and with
the aid OF ropes the men hauled the
fan around to where the exhausted
performer could tumble Off to the tank,
whence they lowered him gently down
and rubbed his joints with witch
hazel
Alslnus Gustavus Leeper was some
what lame and tired last night, but he
Is soothed by the reflection that he Is
the greatest bareback rider Fruitvale
has ever produced.
This was a worse Job than riding
the barn." said Boots. you see, had
a better seat there and the wind didn't
bother me- Two or three times
came near being blown off the fan and
the way 1t bucked loosened some OF my
teeth. Talk about riding man on
a rail! I'll bet the sharpest rail ever
split feels like upholstered plush COM
pared to the edge OF my windmill fan"
San Francisco Examiner.