San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-02-17
a UNIVUE FACTOKY.
THERE ARE WONDERFUL MAcHiszs.
BUT NO VISIBLE PRODUCT.

Things Done by WOmen-Suggested
Lunatic Asylum to the Reporter.
Without any question whatever, it ia
the most unique factory in New York,
When you enter the door, the whir and
buzz of machinery distracts your ears.
You see belts and pulleys in rapid mo-
ton; you feel the heat of the engine
which keeps all the machinery going,
and you know that you q in place
where something or other Is being manu-
featured.
1t is hard. however, to discover JIst
what the manufactured product may DO,
and the polite attendant who meets You
at the door gives you no clew of it as he
ushers you into the noisy workshop.
| visited this establishment the other
day at the suggestion of friend, who
said it was the queerest place in Gotham
and had "never been written up"
The machinery was placed on one side
of a long, sunny room. On the other
side of the room were about dozen vel
vet couches, on which were reclining
muffled up figures. As l entered, fig
ure arose and walked over to one of the
machines. 1t was the figure of a wom-
an. She drew up chair, sat down and
placed her hands on little horizontal
metal bar. The bar jerked and trembled
and the fingers gave little spasmodic
Jumps in response. This queer perform
ance continued for several minutes, and
then the woman changed her position
and placed her feet in a sort of square
stirrup at the side of the machine.
The stirrup immediately shook back
ward and forward, half revolved, spring
ing back and revolving again with most
astonishing eccentricities. The foot was
shaken into the semblance of half dOz-
en- feet, and the movement was all from
the ankle joints. What any foot had
ever done to deserve such treatment, or
what good to the foot the treatment was
supposed to do ultimately, was to me an
inexplicable mystery.
At another machine a second woman
sat, with her arm clasped by two rubber
and metal plates which rapidly revolved,
receding and returning, pressing the
arm until it looked like wee fiat band
of scarlet ribbon (the woman wore red
gown and then receding again, whlrring
- and whirling with wonderful velocity.
j. l was mystifed at first, but as the
minutes few by began to be a bit
alarmed. l did not relish the idea of be-
ing in a lunatic asylum, where the pa
tients ran machinery and thrust their
limbs into the revolving wheels without
any apparent fear or reason.
The attendants, however, seemed 70
take everything as a matter of course
and left mo- to my own resources. One
of these attendants went to couch on
which a young, woman was lying face
downward, and without a moments
warning one end Of the couch rose to an
upright position, leaving the young
woman in an attitude which would be
easiest described as standing on her
shoulders, her hands Clasped over her
head. The couch was lowered and raised
again, and this performance was repeat
ed four or five times. Then the young
woman lay down and went to sleep.
One machine was worked by hand ap-
parently. 1t consisted of a horizontal
bar, padded with leather, in front of
which was a movable rod of metal fur.
nished with resisting spring. Every
few minutes some one would brace
against the leather arm and pull the rod
in front. When it sprang up, it carried
the subject almost into the air, and to
retain the grasp of it the subject was
obliged to breathe hard, stand on her
toes and pull with all her might. a
casual observer asked to guess what this
machine manufactured would certainly
reply, "Long arms"
But the queerest machines of all were
two couches, in the center of which were
moving wooden balls. These balls moved
slowly up and down in regular motion.
Just as / was getting very much inter.
ested in this apparatus some one gently
pushed me aside and placed herself Oh
one of the couches, lying deliberately OIL
top of the moving balls. Far from being
disconnected or annoyed, this pecullal
parsonage seemed to enjoy her restless
resting place, and after a few minutes
STAY she went to the other Couch-tO ties
the effects of the other balls presumably
All this was very interesting, OF course
and in the intervals of manufacturing
every one struck attitudes, swung them
selves around by placing their feet tirml!
together on the floor and grasping irol
rings far above their heads.
Another unseemly game which they in
dulged in was to kneel on a couch, witt
some one holding their hands and som
one else holding their feet, and then fin
themselves forward the entire length o
their bodies. They were certainly ener
getic, and the expression of dignifie,
gravity on their faces as they performel
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