The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-14
CAPTAIN PEPPARD's LAND SHIP
Voyage from Kansas to Denver at a
Speed of Thirty Miles an Hour.

From the Chicago Intcr.Occan.
In these days of automobiles, motor
cycles and hOrseless vehicles it may
not be uninteresting to know that one
of the early inventions in this coun-
try to do away with animal motive
power originated in Kansas City, Kan.
Samuel Peppard was the genius who
constructed a vehicle that carried him
and three companions over the plains
from Oskaloosa almost to Denver. And
with such rapidity, too, that he not
only passed all the white people jour
neying the same way, but easily dis
tanced Indian pursuers, and won for
his rig the unstinted admiration of the
red men.
1t was during the excitement follow
Ing the discovery of gold in Colorado.
A great many people had set out for
this FL Dorado, and long wagon trains
were to be seen every day moving
across the plains. Mr.. Peppard was
anxious to go, but there was one great
difficulty in the way-he didn't have
the money to buy horses and wagon.
So he sat down and thought it all over,
and then, as a result, ne gave out that
he was going to build a wagon with
a SAIL which he thought would make
the trip in about as good time as any
prairie schooner that was floating
around the wild and woody West.
1t was made Of rough lumber and
shaped like a skiff 1t was eight feet
long from prov to stern and three
feet across that amidship, and two feet
deep. The bed was placed on a run
ming gear with axles six feet apart,
the wheels all the same size and about
as large as the front wheels of a
buggy. A ten-foot mast was fastened
to the front axle and came up through
the bottom of the wagon box, and to
this two sails were rugged, the larger
II by feet the other by 3. They
were both to be worked by a rope
through a pulley at the top of the
mast.
If the wind was high, the smaller
was to be used, and if it was low the
larger was to be employed. The wagon
had a brake and a rudder for steering.
The hounds, instead of having a tongue
attached, came up over the top of the
bed and We're welded together. A bar
was fastened here and extended back
ward three feet. There was a seat
placed at the end of the bar for the
captain, and he steered by pushing the
bar to the right or the left. The craft
rigged out weighed $50 pounds, and
carried "A crew of four men and a cargo
of 500 pounds, the camping outfit and
provisions serving as ballast.
Before Mr.. Peppard started on his
overland voyage he made a trial one
mile south of OskalOosa, on the pres
ent site of the jefferson county fair
grounds. There is a level stretch of
several miles, and good stiff breeze
was on. When the wind struck the
large sail the craft stuck it's nose down
to the ground and came near capsiz-
ing. Peppard Stacked sail and set out
again with the large sheet reefed and
the smaller one full against the wind.
and away it whizzed. 1t went so fast.
in fact, that the boxing in the wheels
heated. Then when it went over a
little knoll, 1t leaped about thirty feet
into the air and came down with 4
crash
His vessel was wreck. but Mr.
Peppard was not discouraged. He
made new spindles, repaired the dam
age, and in a few days he and three
companies were ready to start. Profit .
ing by his first experience Mr.. Pep
pard chose a day to start when the
wind was blowing only about ten
knots an hour. The first day they
went fifty miles. Their route lay
northwest, through Kansas and across
the southern part of Nebraska, until
they struck the South Platte river,
and from there they went toward Dem
YER
our best time was two miles in
four minutes" said Mr., Peppard in
describing the incidents of the jour
ney. I'VE could not run faster than
that rate, as the boxing would have
heated. one day We went fifty miles
in three hours, and in doing so passed
625 teams"