isa-normaladvance-1913-00175

Description:	THE NORMAL ADVANCE175grow fast after that, it inched along towardscompletion and true to Bones prophecy we finished it the first Saturday in December. Ofcourse it was not painted, but that could easilywait until spring. We covered the whole withtar paper, and after much inching and heaving,left it in one corner of the yard to await springand action.We were by no means idle during our wait.AAre had to name it. As this was a stupendousoperation and one that called for much thought,we asked for suggestions from our friends.They responded magnanimously. AVe wereswamped. The following are the very best outof something like a thousand—Black Demon,Red Rover, Lolliwop, Scout, AArater Dog,Nymph, Frolic, AVater Dragon and Humpty-doodle.Bone and I now locked horns. He wantedto name it the Lolliwop, while I considered theHumptydoodle an entirely better and morefitting name. AAre spent about a week arguingthe respective merits of these two names, andhad not our parents intervened, I think wewould have stopped everything and quit, leaving the boat in Bones backyard for all time.However, as neither he nor I would give in, ourrespective parents decreed after a private andsecret consultation entirely unknown to us, thatwe should both give in. They went still beyond this, and to insure that no similar eventtake place again named the boat themselves.It was thus that our noble craft to be wasnamed the Pirate.Naming it was not the only job we had thatwinter, we had to select an engine. This enginehad to have two requirements. It had to begood and reliable, and it had to be within ourreach financially. AVe wrote to every marineengine house whose address we could procure,and as a result, when all our inquiries had beenanswered, we had a pile of catalogues thatwould furnish material for starting fires forthe next year. AVe took into consideration allof these catalogues and every engine in everycatalogue. AVe spent all our evenings at thetask to the exclusion of almost everything else.It was balmy weather when we at last decided upon our engine. It was called theAVright engine. Supposedly right in every particular. Three horsepower, single cylinder,double cycle, long stroke, light, powerful, simple, easy for the amateur, starting like an automobile, one man control, never stall at anyspeed, exhaust silently under water and all therest of a good description recommended this engine, and it was only thirty-nine dollars fifty-seven cents Now clearly, there was a bargain.Oh yes! they threw in a propeller, too.This engine arrived on the first of April. Bythe last of April the Pirate was a source of admiration and beauty to us. It was entirely finished. Although it was yet in the yard, wespent one whole Sunday afternoon taking turnabout holding the steering wheel and imagininghow fast we could go.The following Saturday afternoon we, with anumber of prospective ride-seeking friends,transported the Pirate to the wharf by means ofan old lumber wagon. The Pirate had certainlygrown to be some weighty matter. It took thecombined efforts of sixteen helpers to move himat all. AVhen he slid into the water, I confessmy heart sank, but it did not sink as deep asthe Pirate. I secretly confided in Bone thatwe ought to have made a submarine boat out ofhim. Bone, however, was quite optimistic. Hepointed out the fact that the Pirate was stillfloating, and reminded me that, although theboat might be a bit heavy, yet very substantial.This relieved me some. I simply had to becheerful for we were going to take turn aboutand two by two, take all of our helpers for ashort ride. AATe certainly felt benevolent anyway.Bone climbed into the small space in frontof the engine preparatory to starting it. Itwas a beautiful piece of machinery all coveredover with polished nickel and pretty little brassduflickers. The instructions said there weretwo ways to start the engine, by cranking it,and by throwing over the wheel. Bone haddecided to employ the latter method. It wasnot so dangerous and the engine firm had failed
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34620
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

Further information on this record can be found at its source.