Idaho semi-weekly world., 1893-12-05
THE MODERN MOLOCH
Five minutes to Z.

Dow's great factory was as silent as ,
churchyard. The great, broad belt,
hung limp The monster Hywheels
seemed to be so many obstructions bar
ring the light. The long shafts that
transmitted power to the hundreds oi
machines looked like cold rays Of light
The machinery had grim look Much
Of It was ~ forbidding as the teeth thai
grin In the jaws OF 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 employY
Nearly SOO on our pay roll-men and
boys"
Keeps you pretty close l suppose
you never get holiday
Dow Jr. laughed. On the con-
trary, my father goes away whenever
no desires change; 20 otf every fall
hunting and fishing. stay away two and
three weeks been away six: and the
| shop never missed us"
Doctor Jayne's look of wonder in
vited the explanation, given with par
donable pride
System method, doctor II do
say It myself, DIR. Jayne you won't find
factory in the country. giving employ
ment TO as many hands where eyery,
thing runs rs smoothly as at Dow's
We do everything methodically here
all the departments divided upon system
attic lines, regulated like clockwork."
Yes, said the doctor II have been
told thousand miles away from home
that Dow is regarded rs the model es
tablishnent Of the country
The only way to run a factory said
Dow. Jr., in II 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
con pleteness of book he had in hand.
How do you keep track Of your peo-
pier 80 many coming and going. | sup
pose you don't know your own opera
tiyes
Dow, Jr., took out his watch, glanced
from it to clock ut the end of a room
they were in and said.
Just wait minute and you'll Sec
Stand near this window, doctor"
The doctor observed a 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
fiow Of good natured chaff ceased as the
operatives took their places at the ma
chimes they attended to AS they passed
the timekeeper's Office the doctor heard
The timekeeper and his assistant repeat-
ing in monotonous tones:
Thirty six, seventeen, three hundred |
Jour forty five. eleven, seven hundred |
'ne. two, nine, twenty one five hun
lred as the arrival Of the operatives
was recorded.
suddenly gong sounded-the doctor
'tarted, simultaneously the long. mar.
'ow belts and the big broad belts be-
anne taut, the monster hywheels re-
'oived; the long line Of pulleys over.
lead whirled, the machines, big and
title chanaped as they seemed to whet
heir teeth on red hot and cold iron
nunching 1t in their jaws like ravenous
monsters and tossing the iron out again
lie so many husks or empty shells after
hey had absorbed the kernel The
ound that filled the room a. iron met
ron, welding, cutting shaving and
was deafening, the whirlinp
ulleys and eccentric movements of the
nachinery added to the confusion
Seven O'Clock precisely. and to a Sec
nd every man, woman and boy in Dows
Actory was at work
Doctor Jayne readily excused Dow
Z. who WAS called away by a hand
pine young fellow. friend evidently
nd looked wonderingly at the opera
ons Of machine beside him A yery I
mall boy attended the machine The 9
Movements of the small boys arms and {
ands were so regular that Doctor JAYNE I
isenSbly associated him with the ma
hine II was difficult to tell where the
'achine ended and the boy began. The !
nail hoy never made false move. The
OF iron was ltted with one hand G
ON one point, the same piece in
iotner FORM was caught up dexterously
irty seconds later from the machine.
though seemingly the same instant
However, as the machine manipulated l
irty pieces in minute, it followed, as +
matter OF course, that the small boy o
IS not singing the same piece Of iron
himself through the machine as rap Il
y as appearances indicated The small b
Us eyes were never of the machine;
hands seemed to be part and parcel d
It 1t made the doctor tired to look d
him. He looked at the boy-machine, v
machine-boy fully ten minutes before