OCR Text |
Show NAT BUTLER HAS A JOB AS THE HUMAN MACHINE ' All the crazy scientists are not dead yet. Prof. Atwater of Wesleyan university uni-versity la still Juggling the green pills, and Nat Butler, ye ancient bicycle rider, Is the neat and expeditious assistant. as-sistant. . The professor shuts Nat Into an airtight air-tight compartment with a bicycle, the compartment containing a bomb calorl- meter. There Is a horns trainer in ths compartment and the rear wheel of the bicycle Is arranged to run between two electro magnets connected with an electric elec-tric current in such a way that the amount of energy applied to the pedals by N. Butler is accurately measured. In this cage N. Butler rides nine or ten hours a day a la six-day race. The object of all this paraphernalia Is to determine the amount of power generated gen-erated by the human machine on a given amount of fuel. Butler uses a wheel, geared to M, and wabbles the pedals at the rate of eighty-five revolutions revolu-tions a minute. All the food and drink passed in to Butler In the air-tight compartment, as well as the air admitted admit-ted for use. Is carefully analysed and measured, and the professor has determined deter-mined that Butler ca,n develop nearly twlceN as much power on a given amount of fuel as any machine ever Invented In-vented by man. not barring steam engines, en-gines, gas engines, electric contrivances, contriv-ances, gasoline engines or hot-air engines, en-gines, to which latter class Butler belongs. be-longs. It has been determined that Butler has an efficiency of 20 per cent as against 15 for the best mechanical machines. ma-chines. Butler announces that he thoroughly enjoys the work, and that It is teaching him Just what foods are best to use while riding long-distance races. The experiments are being conducted con-ducted for the Government by Prof. At-water. At-water. and the Government Is doing the paying. This is very satisfactory to Butler, who would have great difficulty diffi-culty in getting enough lap money to eat upon in a crowd of third-rate riders of the present day. Butler usel to be able to make good on the National circuit in the old days, and was renowned as being the most disliked man who ever chased the circuit. cir-cuit. His chief claim t,o fame was the double cross which he administered to Titus and Cabanne In St. Louie In 1896, which resulted in the retirement of those riders for one year by action of the L. A. W. racing board. Nat la the only professional cyclist who has been distinguished enough to ride for the United States Government. |