Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-06
THE MODERN MOLOCH
Five minutes to z.
- n mes
Herald.


Dow's great factory was as silent as a
churchyard. The great broad belts
hung limp The monster tywheels
seemed to he SO many distractions bar
ring the light. The long shafts that
transmitted power to the hundreds OF
machines looked like cold rays of light
The machinery had d grim look, Much
OF it was as forbldding as the teeth that
grin in the jaws OF Il skull That was
the impression it made on DR. Jayne as
he accompanied John Dow, Jr. through
department after department.
How many people do you employ?
Nearly 500 on our pay roll --men and
boys"
"Keeps YOU pretty close. suppose
you never get holiday"
Dow, Jr., laughed. ''On the con.
trary, my father goes away whenever
he desires a change; go off every fall,
hunting and fishing; stay away two and
three weeks-been away six; and the
shop never missed u.s."
Doctor Jayne's look of wonder in
vited the explanation, given with par
donabie pride.
"System-method, doctor If | do
say it myself, DR.. Jayne, you won't find
. factory in the country, giving employ
ment to as many hands, where every
thing runs as smoothly as at Dow's
We do everything methodically here
al the departments divided upon system
atic lines regulated like clockwork.
"Yes," said the doctor, Il have been
told thousand miles away from home
that Dow is regarded as the model es-
tablishment OF the country"
! THE only way to run factory" said
Dow, Jr., in a matter of fact way that
Impressed the doctor, who was making
. round Of the workshops in quest of in
formation he deemed essential to the
completeness of book he had in hand. d
How do you keep track of your peo-
pie? So many coming and going. | sup
pose you don't know your own opera
tives."
Dow, Jr., took out his watch, glanced
from it to clock at the end of room
they were in and said:
Just wait a minute and you'll see
Stand near this window, doctor"
The doctor observed number of men
and boys coming into the factory yard
All carried dinner pals or baskets in
their hands. They trooped into the mill
In droves, by twos and threes, slngly
laughing, talking, pushing and showing
each other, until they entered the de-
partment the doctor was in. There the
flow of good natured chaff ceased as the
operatives took their places at the ma
chimes they attended to. AS they passed
the timekeepers Office the doctor heard
the timekeeper and his assistant repeat
ing in monotOnous tones
Thirty six, seventeen, three hundred
four. forty-fve, eleven, seven hundred
one, two, nine, twenty -one, five hun
dred." as the arrival of the operatives
was recorded.
Suddenly gong sounded-the doctor
started; simultaneously the long, mar
row belts and the big, broad belts be-
came taut; the monster fywheeIs re-
voIved; the long line of puileys over
head whirled; the machines, big and
little. champed as they seemed to whet
their teeth on red hot and cold iron,
munching it in their jaws like ravepous
monsters and tossing the iron out again
like so many husks or empty shells after
they had absorbed the kernel. The
sound that filled the room as iron met
iron. welding, cutting. shaving and
pounding, was deafening; the whirling
pulleys and eccentric movements of the
machinery added to the confusion
Seven O'Clock precisely. and to sec
Ond every man, woman and boy in Dow's
factory was at work.
Doctor Jayne readily excused Dow
Jr.. who was called away by hand
some young fellow, friend evidently
and looked wonderingly at the opera
taous of machine beside him. A very
small boy attended the machine. The
movements of the small boys arms and
hands we're SO regular that Doctor Jayne
insensibly associated him with the ma
chine. 1t was difficult to tell where the
machine ended and the boy began. The
Gu,ail boy never made false move. The
bit of iron was lifted with one hand
from one point, the same piece in
another form was caught up dexterously
thirty seconds later from the machine
although seemingly the same instant.
However, as the machine manipulated
thirty pieces in minute, it followed, as
. matter of course, that the small boy
was not singing the same piece Of iron
ct himself through the machine as rap