Project Gutenberg's Harper's Round Table, October 8, 1895, by Various

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Title: Harper's Round Table, October 8, 1895

Author: Various

Release Date: July 14, 2010 [EBook #33158]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HARPER'S ROUND TABLE ***

Produced by Annie McGuire

[Illustration: HARPER'S ROUND TABLE]

Copyright, 1895, by HARPER & BROTHERS. All Rights Reserved.

* * * * *

PUBLISHED WEEKLY. NEW YORK, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1895. FIVE CENTS A COPY.

VOL. XVI.--NO. 832. TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

THE COPPERTOWN "STAR" ROUTE.

BY W. G. VAN TASSEL SUTPHEN.

The Happy Thought, as will be remembered by those who have read "The
Longmeadow Toll-Gate," was a new departure in bicycle construction.
Although provided with pedals that could be used in an emergency, its
real motive-power was derived from naphtha applied through a pair of
cylinders built upon a modification of the hot-air principle, and
working directly upon the rear wheel. The oil was admitted drop by drop
to the cylinders, mixed with air, and then exploded by a spark from an
electric storage battery. The speed was regulated by the flow of oil,
and the operator had only to touch a hand-lever to get any rate he
wanted from one up to thirty miles an hour. The power could be instantly
shut down either by closing the oil valve or by cutting off the electric
current. Finally, the machinery had but few working parts, and was
therefore not liable to get out of order, and in its operation it was
absolutely safe, there being no boiler, and consequently no possibility
of an explosion.

The Happy Thought, which had been built by Mr. March for his son Fred,
was a double machine, the steersman occupying the front saddle and the
engineer sitting behind. In general appearance the Happy Thought
resembled the ordinary "tandem," the only noticeable difference being in
its huge pneumatic tires, which were fully four inches in diameter. The
idea was that they would ride more easily over rough roads, would not
slip in mud nor sink in sand, and would be le