Evening star., 1901-09-21
PART L.
II. G.. Skitters.


of these circumstances was 10 doubt my
stopping to speak with Skitters, B. G. Skit-
ters of Buffalo, one day in April last
Skftters since have known him has al
WAYS been full of enterprise, ana oi
schemes more or less crazy to make i"A-
tune in an hour. But the spring or the
pan-American year, with it's 1azzlins pos
sibilities, which affected some stronger
heads seemed utterly to turn head orig
iually none too steady. When sa" MN
that morning he was lettering feVerishly On
the corner of Niagara street ana Malh'
and glaring like a tiger at the crowds
which went to and fro. There was a 1eei
in the air of adventure and success, ana
the man on the corner seemed to be mao
dened by it.
He began to rave Three good things
gone wrong,'' said he. Three elegant, gilt
edge. safe ideas, all gone to smash IN
week."
How so?' 1 inquired.
ION, the same old fogies. Men that
tried to git interested wouldn take en-
M No more nerve iii this town! But, say,
for heavens sake. if you know of anything
real good that's doing, let me in, Will you!
Same here remarked weary voice pc
side up. A youth with derby nat on tne
hack of his head and a cigar stump In the
corner of his mouth had paused In MS ann
less strolling. L recognized his as cIs-
tant acquaintance, one Curley bowers
somewhat well known among the East Side
gangs CurIey has imagination, and even
cultivates the MUSES.. l made the sultaole
introduction, and happened to remark:
Mr.. Skitters here is Interested In some
pan-American enterprises. ~
wouldn't touch such wildcat schemes'
Haven't the time, anyway; 100 busy Ills
mood had changed, ana he eyeo WIN taa+ Ie1
tain plying melancholy the people tha'
went past us, ephemerais of the hour.
Look at EN-" said he, and every other
one has got some kind of a bee buzzlng'
restaurants, notions and sideshow fakes.
ANYTHING anything to coax dollar out OF
the poor visitor. They'd better git on 10
one of them big yellow cars aud go down
to Niagara Falls and float over:
Young Bowers was moved ielsurely
away At this casual remark he half
turned round, and said: Il know of fell
Ter in this town who says he can DO the
DO what?" asked skitters. whats he
talking about?
.Go over the falls" replied Curley.
'Shoot Niagara. Course he'd need some
thing TO do it in" He spoke with tired,
dispassionate air. and drifted on.
Would be quite a scheme. wouldn't 1t?
said Skitters, and his eye lighted fitfully
Yellow cars. What an advertisement"
and he talked of something else
But the very next day he. skitters,
rushed into the office where | was; I've
1OuHu II. We IouIIu Ht
Found what?" l asked.
He dropped into chair and lowered his
voice but he was quivering all over WIN
eagerness like hound who points the
game In this here town. said he, SOL
emnly "up near Black Rock. there's an OLD
fellow that's an inventor, and he's had
hobby for years. He works in bicycle re-
pair shop, but night times he works on the
hobbv-an invention. And by Cad his
voice fell TO a whisper. Il most believe that
he's got something there at last, Where's
that young fellow" Skitters cried, that
we were talking TO yesterday?
.sWho? Oh, young Bowers?" said I.
What do you want of hiIn?"
DO you remember what he said." Skit-
ters replied, about knowing feiioW VINO
wanted to go over Niagara? Well, by heaV-
ems. I'm a-going to give him the chance
/ went to the telephone and called up
grocery store out on the East Side, on
corner opposite to Guggieheimer's old sa-
loon. Around that corner, as knew relics
of one of the old street gangs of Buffalo
still loafed and loitered through the heavy
hours.
Hello" said 1 into the telephone. 'If
Curley Bowers Is near there. will you
please ask him to come down town.? ana L
gave the name and number.
Skitters meanwhile had sat down by the
window From that window one can see
two empires facing the waters Of Lake
Erie, wide and blue, and the point where
those waters pass so quietly ana unsuspect,
ingly into the clutch of the strongest or
rivers. Skitters gaZed upon this scene with
a new appreciation.
Looks quiet and gentle enough out there,
don't it?'' he observed. Who'd ever guess
what there was few miles down yondar?
What a chance for somebody He went off
into deep musing, and presently came out
of 1t to chant kind of song to me- the
song of the Dollar Hunter.
After while Curley Bowers sauntered in,
still doing the dignifed. Like some of his
kind, in the presence OF strangers he af-
fected a polite and lofty Indifference, his
nf mar eXnlgineH
that we wanted particulars about the man
who thought he could swim Niagara.
We'll" replied Curley, hes feller
named Jake Westerman-a Dutchman. He
an he's a sort of queer feller-always doin'
things that others won't. Maxim long
swims n dives, you know, n jumptn' off'n
elevators Well, one day he had some kind
of job down at Niagara Falls, n when it
was done he went over n looked at the
place, m asked questions about logs that
had went over N Graham's barrel, and so
forth He's been down there lots of times
since 10 poke ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS he had the
carfare-'n' they say that he'll set down
over Table Rock, n watch the water, n
think for hours. He's a sort of a queer fel
Ter. He don't never say much but I've
heard him say that with some kind Of
rig, barrel or somethin', he'd try IL as
sure as beans"
Now you listen to me-" said Skitters I'm
pressively. 1--WE found the rig I want
you to get that fellow. and 1 want you to
bring him over to Black Rock; here's the
address-tomorrow at 2 pm I'll be there
and we'll look at the machine together and
then well go down to Niagara Falls, and
look over the ground. You come along.
too, added Skitters, graciously, to me-
It's thing worth seeing"
But soon other matters intervened, and
Skitters and L were late to that rendezvous
When We reached the house at Black Rock.
Bowers and his mysterious friend had
come ard gazed and gone. They had seen
the invention. and left word that we could
find them down at the falls. Gills. the In
ventor. was a shambling, shy old man of
about sixty. with somewhat of a cranky
CLEAN In his weak eyes. He led the way
mysteriously around the house, past the
repair shop. and to little woodshed In the
rear. There he pulled aside a canvas, and
We looked upon his masterpiece. the labor
Of his love.
1t will be easily understood that l cam
not, at the present time, attempt to de-
scribe this apparatus very closely Every
body knows that 1t Is some kind of pneu-
matte suit, but In reality Giils much-dis-
cussed invention looks rather like q huge
cigar, and Is an intricate contriyance Of
rubber and steel springs. certain free
dom and power of movement are allowed
to the limbs, which close In upon a trunk
OF great rigtdity; and the headplece looks
not like divers helmet Ignorant I n,