The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1900-03-16

IA. NeiRhbors Before, but His Latest
Adventure Caps the Climax-He Will
M, Repeat the Performance.
After a few more misadventures In |
his own lnimitable style, as the pro-
Grams say, the people of Fruityale
,nav ask AlsDus Gustavus Leeper to |
give regular performances. He Is so
original in his method OF mixing up |
with trouble.
Not long ago Mr.. Leeper, alias
..Roots" built himself tall barn that
uasthe pride Of Fruitvale. The builder
oIso sbingled the structure at odd times
climbing to work by means Of ladder
,nslde the walls. On the day he COM
o;et..d the job Mr.. Leeper thOughtlessly
nailed shingles over the opening above
the ladder, thus shutting of all means
NJ escape. Mr.. Leeper yelled for help.
INF his folks were away flom home
and the neighbors thought he was
celebrating the completion OF the barn.
The Fruitvale hook and ladder COM
many finally turned out and rescued MIR.
Leeper.
While this incident doomed the in
sustriOus citizen as public ent rlainer,
il was but feeble show compared with
his windmill adventure yesterday after
noon. The mill buzzes above tank at
the TOP of a forty-foot skeleton tower in
the back yard, pumping water for MIR.
Ieeper's pigeons and other live stock.
81 think the bearings need OIL" said
Boots with the wind in this direc-
ton the fan is right over the tank
where | can climb up and oil the
places"
Crawling up the tower frame with
his oil can, Mr. Leeper got astride of
the fan, or tail, Of the windmill. He
was busy oiling when the breeze shift
ed six points and swung him clear of
the tank roof. The wind also fresh
ened and the lubricant in the journals
Induced the mill to brace up and spin at
the rate Of thirty knots an hour.
Help shrieked Mr. Leeper but the
rafting machinery drowned his voice
The wind shifted again until the d.
rection of the fan from the time the oiler
mounted it was entirely reversed. In
stead of riding above the tank Mr..
Leeper bucked and wriggled and sway
ed in midair on the razor-backed fan,
forty feet from the ground. This was
a condition of deadly peril, even for a
man who had marOOned himself on a
barn. Mr.. Leeper's hair and whiskers
curled with terror. There was nothing
TO do but cling to the upper 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 a wild west broncho.
''If | only had my spurs on" waileO
the dizzy man. "or even a gunny sack
for a saddle, might hold out till the
breeze shifts again"
Meanwhile his cries had attracted the
family and crowd of n.ghbOrs, some
Of whom wanted to bet on the 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 work ng
Get a ladder, then" howled Mr.
Leeper
The ladder was useless. for the far
swayed too much to offer a resting p ace
for the upper end. Two hours or more
did Mr.. Leeper ride his wild race
against time, waiting for the breeze tt
subside or haul to another quarter. II,
made verbal will, dropping the word,
down between jolts. praying alternate
ly and saying things in a whisper t
the fiery, untamed windmill.
At last the wind died away and Will
the aid of ropes the men hauled the fal
around to where the exhausted perfOr
mercould tumble off to the tank. whenc,
they lowered him gently down an,
rubbed his joints with witch hazel.
Alsinus Gustavus Leeper was some
what lame and tired last night. but h
is soothed by the reflection that he
the greatest bareback rider FruitV al
has ever produced.
This was a worse job than riding tn
barn. said Boots. You see. had
better seat there and the wind d.dn'
bother me. Two or three times cam
near being blown of the fan and tn
way it bucked loosened some of m
teeth. Talk about riding a man on
rail! I'll bet the sharpest rail ever spli
feels like upholstered plush compare
TO the edge of my windmill fan."-Sa
Francisco Examiner.