Rock Island Argus., 1900-05-05
BLOWN TO COLORADO.
A HORSELESS WAGON TRIP FROM
KANSAS TO DENVER.

|
with sails and Made Record Time
Years Ago In the Great Race For
the Newly Discovered GOIdfieIds.
In these days of automobiles, motor
| cycles and hOrseless vehicles il may not
be uninteresting TO know that one of
the early inventions in this country 10
do away with animal motive power
originated in Kansas City, Kan. Sam
uel Peppard was the genius who con-
structed 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 his
rig the unstinted admiration Of the red
men.
II was during the time of the excite
mcnt following the discovery of gold
In Colorado. y great many people had
Bet ont for this FL Dorado, and long
wagon trains We're to be seen every
day moving across the plains. Mr..
Pcppard was anxious to go, but there
was one great difficulty in the way
lac didn't have the money to buy horses
thought il all over and then as result
he gave out that he was going to build
n wagon with a sail, which lie thought
would make the trip in about as good
time as any prairie schooner that was
floating around over the wild and wool
ly west.
When he first began to build the
wagon. the wise men Of the town all
laughed At him for wasting his time on
such n craft, just as other wise men of
Noah's time scoffed at the good patri-
arch. Mr.. Peppard's advisers declared
that if he attempted to navigate such n
craft he would certainly be killed, and
the people in general looked the wagon
over, shook their heads and called it
"Peppard's folly"
But Mr.. Peppard kept on saving
wood and turning it into wheels and
running gear and boards. At last it
was finished. 1t was made of rough
lumber and shaped like skiff. 1t was
eight feet long from prov to stern and
three feet across at amidShipS and two
feet deep. The bed was placed on Il
running gear with aXles six feet apart,
the wheels all the same size and about
as large as the front wheels of bug
Gy. \ 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
IL by feet, the other Z by >. They
were both to he worked by 4 rope
through a pulley at the top of the mast. |
II the wind was high, the smaller |
was TO be used. and if it was low the |
larger was To be employed. The waG
on had n brake and ruddcr for steer |
ing. The hounds, instead of having Il |
tongue attached, came up over the top |
Of the bed and were welded together. |
4 bar was fastened here and extended |
backward three feet. There was a
seat placed at the end of the bar for
the captain, and lie steered by pushing |
the bar to the right or the left. The |
craft rigged out weighed $50 pounds, /
carried 4 crew of four men, Il cargo of
800 pounds, the camping outfit and
provisio, as serving as ballast.
Before Mr.. Peppard started on his
overland voyage he made a trial one
mile south OF OSkalooSa on the present
site Of the jefferson county fair
grounds. There is Il level stretch of
several miles, and n good, stiff breeze
was on. When il struck the large sail,
the craft stuck its nose down to the
ground aud came near capsizing. He |
Stacked sail and set out again with the
large sheet reefed and the smaller full |
against the wind. and away it whiZZed.
II went so fast. in fact, that the box
M: in the wheels heated. Then, when |
L went over little knoll, it leaped
about 80 feet into, the ar and came
down with crash.
Bis vessel was a wreck, but Mr.. Pep
)ard was not discouraged. He made
lew spindles, repaired the damage. and
n n few days he and three compan-
ons were ready to start. Profiting by
MS first experience. Mr.. Peppard chose
day 10 start when the wind was
blowing only about ten knots an hour. j
rhe first day they went 90. miles.
Their route lay northwest through I
Kansas and across the southwestern
,art of Nebraska until they struck the L
south Platte river, and from there
hey went toward Denver. {
"Our best time was two miles in
our minutes" said Mr.. Peppard in |
describing the incidents of the jour J
lev. I'VE could not run faster than ,
hat rate. as the boxing would have |
,eated. one day we went 30 miles in
hree hours and in doing so passed CD
s.''-Kausss City Journal.
Fit the Food TO the Physical Task.
Fcats OF strength require diet In