The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-06
BAGS CHRISTOPHER
BY HOWARD DWIGHT SMILEY.
(Copyright.)

Smith and drove back from town
one day and found Bagley sitting on
the piazza, holding a big grasshopper
between his forefinger and thumb and
looking speculative.
Friends" says he, did you ever
stop to think Of the vast possibilities
based on the construction Of these
little insects?"
1--WE observed the vast results.
based on the destruction of things
vegetable and otherwise by those lit
tie insects, II that is what you mean,"
answered Smith.
(which it amt" replied Bag.
"What l mean is. supposing that this
grasshopper was as large as horse
and as strong in proportion, just think
Of the terrific speed that could be OBJ
tained from such a creature; why.
amounted on such a beast, one could
Outdistance the fastest locomotive in
the world. The idea is wonderful,
friends, wonderful"
william" says Smith to me sor-
towfully. "he wants to cross grass
hopper with a horse and ride the re-
suit. That is the limit. Will you
throw him down and sit on him while
4 ride to town and wire the asylum
to send attendants out after him? It's
nm awful way to use a partner, but a
man amt safe running at large with
such ideas as that in his head"
That's just the way" growled Bag.
"This is what comes of a man of
brains associating with such ditch dig
gers as you two. You can 60 to blazes,
and will prove the Possibilities OF
my idea II it takes every cent I've
got" And off he went, mad as a
wet cat.
Later in the day Smith and drove
down and found out from the ticket
agent that he had purchased a ticket
to st. Louis. He had informed the
agent that he might be gone for sew
eral weeks, and that was all we could
learn as to his whereabouts and in
tentions.
It was month before Bag returned
He came down the road one day IN
the lead Of a dozen wagons, loadel
with lumber and lot of packing
boxes; with him were several carpen
tiers and a slim, cadaverous man.
They unloaded the wagons dowr
back of the barn, and Bag immediate
ly put the carpenters to work build
ing what turned out to be a shedlik'
structure. about sixty by forty fee
square. When this was finished tn
packing boxes were moved inside. AM
Bag and the slim fellow got busy.
Another month rolled by, and then
one day, the big front doors of tn
shop we're thrown open and out of
crawled an object that caused the to
of my head to give ffrst-class imita
ton of a cat on a fence-post talkin
to dog.
II was all of twenty-five feet Ions
with eyes two feet wide, and 1t locke
so natural that l honestly thought
was alive.
Waddling into the front yard,
stopped. A little door In its sid
opened and Bag stuck his head out.
Are you gentlemen still Of the opil
ion that l am fit subject for an II
sane asylum" he inquired sarcasti
ally.
Bag didn't wait for us to reply. b,
closed the door, and a moment lat
the grasshopper gathered its legs u
der 1t and jumped.
It rose into the air as gracefully ;
~ - fa1<
like bullet.
When 1t lit It was mile away;
Immediately rose again. and in 8
Jumps disappeared below the horizo
Pretty soon It came sailing bac
about two miles to the south Of U
and disappeared in the east For {
hour we watched II come and 60 fro
all directions, until finally 1t can
shooting back from the direction
which II FIRST started and, landil
squarely IN front Of the shop dot
cfawied In.
Bag vas the hsppiest man alive
had forgotten all about his grout
"FfiendA" says he. ALLOW me to
tRoduee you TO Prof Albertus Eth,
adge, tAe foremost scisntist and
ventoe IN these United States or q
other country.
1t lie with his assistance that I ha
succeeded In perfecting this most w
derful achievement OF human geniu
Bagley's Automatic Grasshopper q
Marine Waterbury,"
TITS wonderful. Bag!" says I hu
bly,. What's It made of"