Idaho semi-weekly world., 1893-12-05

HI MS elbow
THAT boy makes l5O, 900 movement
every day First he picks up the blan
from the tray, puts it in the groov,
while he removes with his other han
the piece coming out here. II you motto
every time he reaches out his right han
he lifts his left foot, presses this treadl
and he has to toss the piece from tn
machine to the elevator"
What's his naneT
You'll have to ask him. All W
know Is that he runs number eleven"
He doesn't look eleven. said the doc
tor. Dow, Jr., smiled
I'VE have them at all ages" Then
addressing the boy: "You'll have holi
day tomorrow Well shut down.
The small boy blinked both eyes and
nodded. and Dow. Jr., led DR. Jayne
through the other departments
When the doctor returned to his office
he tried to estimate the probable length
OF time that the very small boy who
operated number eleven In Dow's fac
tory could keep it up There were
nfty-two weeks In year, sixty working
hours In = week In round numbers
Nearly 50,0O0,0O0 motions In a year
Then tho doctor drew mean In esti-
mating the pulse-wh looked like a
very neat calculation caused the doctor
to ponder profoundly Ifa man or wom-
m had little restr-recreation now and
then-it wouldn't be 80 bad, but the out.
look for the small boy was not encour
aging
Somehow the doctor could not dis
miss the small boy from his mind the
next day He heard the whirling, whirl-
ing. whirling of the pulleys; the clamp,
clamp. clamp Of iron; smelled the oil
that creased the million bearings in
Dow's factory The impression made
by the very small boy and the ravenous
machine was not pleasant one.
He was sitting alone before a ruddy
fire Che was bachelor) when the calcu-
lations growing around the small boy
were broken by summons The sum-
mons was unexpected but DR.. Jayne
was one OF the professional men who be-
lieve they owe something to their fellows
He accompanied his visitor to squalid
part OF the city. assembled a long, dark
fight Of stairs, and was ushered into a
meanly furnished room, provided with
lounge and an old fashioned truckbed.
The lounge was falling apart. The
trLckbed had thin straw tick on II
and ragged quilt--no blanket. On the
tick lay boy with his face to the wall.
There were foul smells in the alley
below the window The house had a
sour smell The walls were damn.
Wretched poverty was stamped on
everything in the room; there was a
sound Of drunken revelry in the upper
and lower rooms and in the alley.
What is the matter with him?"
An old, old woman, with snow white
hair, eyes dimmed with age and palsied
hands, rose from the lounge with diff
Guilty and in voice scarcely louder
than whisper said:
"lt's-like-a fever. SIR"
She stood beside the bed as the doctor
spoke to the boy Turn your face this
way and look at me-"
The little limp form turned slowly
over and DR.. Jayne looked down into
The bright eyes, on the burning cheeks
>f the boy he had observed in Dow's fac
,ory. The doctor looked at him intent
y. felt his pulse, then. in low, measured |
ones;
IA crimel u shameful crimei Over
asked-murdered-slow murder-mur-
iered by inchesl' Then, turning to the
I'D woman, What made these marks
IN his wrists and armsg
The boy turned his face away. The
I'D woman looked distressed Her hands
we're moving up and down her faded
own, they caught each other and fell
away as she answered in that
oud whisper that was more effective
han any volume Of sound uttered by
uman lips
his father-my son-beat him!"
WHAT Beat little fellow like that?"
he doctor, in spite of his Familiarity
nth degradation and brutality, was very
ngry
my son drinks-does nothing but
rink. These holidays, sir-people treat
drunk-somehow - and
so, and-l couldn't help
!, sir-l couldn't"
Her wretched gown was up at her
yes, but the doctor was occupied with
10 boy There was something here
'orse than fever. The boys nervous
1stem had received a severe shock. He .
uestioned the boy closely, went to a
rug store near by. returned, admins.
red some of the medicine he brought.
1T instructions with the grandmother
nd returned to his office, rejecting
pom the problem Of life more seriously
IAN he had ever done before, and he .
ad the reputation of very consider :
o, thoughtful man.
He visited the fever stricken boy early
10 next morning.
"He-didnt sleep more-than an il
our, sir, all night" the grandmother o
hispered, wringing her bony hands t,
'lplessly, n
The doctor looked at his patient, who "
as tossing his hands and moving his O
'ad. Il
Hes-been-flighty all the time" A
The doctor turned the torn quilt down q
II the boys body, his head; timed his cl
'lse-then suddenly turned to the win IL
W and looked out. t,
When the old woman spoke to him he al
ct her look with a steady gaze. There 81
Is no sign OF emotion. his voice was n
fie lower perhaps. h,
-,
1T Is very hard to determine The q,
ances are against him. Have you any n,
ier means than this boy supplied Is
NJ 70
The old woman shook her head. The Il