The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-27

I'm these days OF automobiles, motor
cycles and horseless vehicles il may not
be uninteresting 20 know that one OF
the early inventions in this country to
do away with animal motive power
originated in Kansas City. kan.Samuel
Peppard was the genius who construct
ed vehicle that carried him and three
companions over the plains from Os-
kaloosa almost TO Denver. And with
such rapidity, too. that he not only
passed all the white people journeying
the same way, but easily distanced In
dian pursuers' and won for his rig the
unstinted admiration OF the red men,
SAYS the Chicago Inter Ocean.
IL was during the excitement follow
Ing the discovery OF gold I'm Colorado. A
great many people had set out for this
III dorado and long wagon trains were
10 De seen every day moving across the
plains. Mr.. Peppard was anxious TO go.
put 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 IL all over. and then, as a re-
suit. ne gave out that he was going ia
build wagon with SAIL which ne
thougM would make the trip in about
as good time as any prairie schooner
that was floating around the wild and
woolly West
IL was made Of rough lumber and
shaped like a skiff. 1t was eight feet
fong from prov 10 stern and three feet
across at amidship. and two feet deep.
The bed was placed on a running 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
rigged, the larger 1lxS feet, the other
7x5. They were both to be worked by a
rope through a pulley at the top of the
mast.
III the wind was high, the smaller was
to be used, and II II was low the larger
was 10 be employed. The wagon had a
brake and a rudder for steering. The
hounds. instead of having a tongue at
tached, came up over the top Of the bed
and were welded together. A bar was
fastened here and extended backward
three feet. There was a seat placed at
the end OF the bar for the captain, and
he steered by pushing the bar 20 the
right or the left. The craft rigged out
weighed $50 pounds. and carried a crew
OF four men and 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 present
site of the Jefferson county fair
grounds. There is a level stretch OF
several miles, and a good stiff breeze
was on. When the wind struck the large
sail the craft stuck It's nose down 70 the
ground and came near capsizing. Pep
pard Stacked sail and set out again with
the large sheet reefed and the smaller
one full against the wind, and away IL
whixZed. 1t went 80 fast. in fact, that
the boxing in the wheels heated. Then
when II went over a little knoll, IL
leaped about thirty feet into the air and
came down with q crash.
His vessel was q wreck, but Mr.. Pep
pard was not discouraged. He made
new spindles, repaired the damage, and
in a few days he and three companions
were ready 10 start. Prof,ting by his
FIRST experience. Mr.. Peppard chose a
day TO start when the wind was blow
ing only about ten knots an hour. The
first day they went fifty miles. Their
route lay northwest through Kansas
and across the southwestern part OF
Nebraska, unfit they struck the South
Plate river. and from there they went
toward Denver.
sour best time was two miles in four
minutes" said Mr.. Peppard in describ-
ing rhc incidents Of the journey. we
could not run faster than that rate. as
the boxing would have heated. One day
we went fifty miles i'm three hours, and
in doing so passed e25 teams