The New York herald., 1874-08-13
A BOY-SLAvE'S TREADMILL.


Dog-Cider Ground Out with . Colored
OF the lnhum manity-Bsrgh Hauls on
the Dog, But the Boy Grinds Away
Still.
The negro crops up again as o sensation.
Beecher and all that crowd made the most they
could out OF him long ago, so he has been going
down In the scale. as q "means whereby to keep
the ball arolling," until at last we find him sup
planting Newfoundland dog in the daily toll OF
life. II this successorship was caused under the
protection of Theodore Tilton or Frank Moulton
and was q matter OF domestic arrangement only,
or was brought about to amuse the children
simply, the blood Of every slavery man IN the
land need not get away mp to 100 Fahrenheit
But that time is past. Even Wendell Phillips does
not bother now, nor any Of the old fellows who
made their big or little pile of reputation out OF
the "slave." The faithful Bergn still holds out,
however and though he long ago reached the
zenith OF humanitarian celebrity ne still holds on
30 fast to his duties as presidents Of the animals
protectory that 1t looks as il he was by no means
quite humbug. When
BRRGH SAW A NEWFOUNDLAND DOG
t0illng daily In q store In Broadway at labor which
he tBergh) judged to be little too severe for the
brute. he put stop to it at once. He came
and saw, and it was on very hot day, too, that
he paid the visit. As soon as the great "Isay 80"
noticed the tongue Of the animal lolling about IN
front of It's nostrils, the order was given imme.
diately 10 remove the dog, and not to put him to
such work again. That settled 1t. police court
warrant was made out, the proprietor OF the cider
store was arrested, and the case brought up
for trial. but was postponed until September
next. The proprietOrs then secretly swore at
Bergh. They could not see how 1t was any Of his
business how they worked their cider MILL What
xuoo dnn fOr Qnv hn yUac mt
to do something's Was he only Ut to bark, or
| be pauted on the crown Of his head and
! ordered TO "Lie down theren or "Come up here,
| SIR" 1t was an outrage upon q Broadway store
keeper TO be thus treated by such q fellow as
Bergn. The proprietors cooled down. however,
after Serang tine S sn M say so for gSSd
the question, "Well how are we going to fix its"
ro BRIBE BERaH WAS AN IMposslBILIrY.
| Stop the waterfall at Niagara Just as soon.
Search up his relatives-Bergh stands resplen-
IDENTITY alone. SO there was nothing lett out to
devise some other means by which the mill might
be kept a-running and the wheels turned by some
sensational agency. A happy thought struck one
aposlrophe. a young man cried out, II have 1t.
Let us get negro boy; he'll draw ten times as
little negro boy was hired. He cannot be more
than about eight years OF age. In order TO ex-
PLAIN what his duties are 1t is necessary to say
that in the store is the upper machinery by which
q cider mill beneath is worked small inclined
floor of about three feet by one and fourth is
Kept in motion by the constant action OF the little
negro's ieet. In other words, the boys labor is
that almost exactly similar to the convlct's pun
ishment on a treadmilI. The boys appearance is,
! OF course. an invitation to passers by TO step in
and drink cider at the bar. This is
| A CURIOSITY, AND CROWD
| gathers round TO see HIM. AS everybody knows
! crowds follow prisoners from the TomDs to the
around the court to see a condemned man pass
Thousands and thousands would spend three hours
and more in sleet and snow to see poor wretch
people walk into the cider store on Broadway
to see the poor little negro boy laboripg
mill running Let him make 1alse step and
ne must fail; let him vince or weaken and the
in notion though his limbs are wearied and
his head is reelng. 1t matters little that his back
is panied and that the sweat drops course down
his sable cheeKs, binding his eyes. He must keep
his balance and lorce the wheels into motion. II
words Of pity strike upon mis- ear and somebody
must remember that he IS only negro boy, and
watch that his feet keep In pace for the mill. He
prietOrs feel at ease there Is increasing busi-
ness done, morbid people liking to look at SUI
fering.
For the benefit OF all concerned these few ques-
tons may be asked:-Flrst did there not
LAW COME INTO FORCE ON JULY
which pronibited the employment OF any child tn
der ten years OF age in any mandatory or me
ths state? Second ala not another secton Of the
same law prohibit the employment OF any child un-
der the age OF fourteen years in any mechanical
or manufacturing SHOP or at any manufacturing
work in this State for more than sixty hours in
one week. 1t is stated that this negro boy is un-
der ten years of age, and that he can be seen at
all hours at the store, though this latter
assertion is not quite correct. The proba-
and at ali hours he cans help IN making money,
though the hours per day may not be so many as
ten. But II II were only three hours an even
ing, little Toy Of that age could, with regard to
decency or health continue TO run the treadmlll
upon which he labors IN this store. 1t is an out
rage upon youth, and, perhaps upon poverty, tnat
the boy should be allowed to- wear bis little body
out, IN acting the part OF dog. There is plenty
the negro and all that sort OF thing; but who Is
gong to take this boy OF the treaomin and put
hor Oh0