Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-10-20
No. 2O34.
BY KENNETH HEREFORD.


| SNSS'SllVn tHut ~ ''h'Ns
may be too bad even for prison sur
roundlngs.
| 1t was quarter to four by the fore
mans watch when the door at the
head Of the stairway opened ana the
warden entered, accompanied by two
| friends whom he was showing through
| the plant" as he always persisted In
| calling the prison. The warden was n
stout, jovinl man. who looked more
like bishop than second father to
500 criminals. The foreman did not
observe his entrance into the room,
and only looked up when he heard his
voice.
This is where the whisk broOms are
made the warden was explaining to
his friends. ION the floor below which
We just left, youwill remember we saw
the boys turning ont hroom.handlcs.
Well here, the brooms are fastened to
those little wooden handles. Some Of
the work. you see, Is done by machine.
The broomS are tied and sewn, though,
by hand, over at those benches. In the
room beyond, through that door. We
keep the stuff handy that is called for
from time to time, and In n farther
room Is stored the material used in the
manufacture of the brooms, the tin
tips, the twinc tho tn"ks. and ahn,t ton
tons of broom straw.'
AS the warden ceased speaking the
foreman leaned across the desk and
tanned hin, on tia" shoulder. 'Rilcys
coming in to sec you this afternoon.
He's been acting qu"cr-don't answer
the call, and the like. thought may
be you could call him down."
The warden only nodded, and contn-
ued his explanations to the visitors OF
the work done in the shop.
Now" he said. moving away to-
ward the door leading into the stock
room, III YOU will come over here II
show you our storcrooms. You see W"
have to keep II lot Of material on hand.
Beyond this second room the stuff is
stored up, and is taken into the stock
room as it is wanted. Between the
rooms we have arranged these big slid.
ing iron doors that, in case of fire,
could be dropped, and thus, for Il few
minutes at least, cut the flames off |
from any room but that in which they !
originated. Sec?'
He pulled a lever at the side of TIL /.
door and heavy iron siding sheet /
dropped slowly and easily TO the floor.
You sce,' he went on, that completes /
the WALL"
The visitors nodded. "Now come OH .
through here and looS ut the straw ana .
velvet we have stored away in bales"
The visitors followed the ward II
through the second room. and into the .
third. There arranged regularly on the |
floor, were huge bales of broom straw, !
and against the walls of the room, boxes |
upon boxes of velvcts. lacks, ornament
nj bits of metal. and all the other separ.
ate parts of the commercial whSk-
broom.
he visitors examined the tacks and
the tins and felt the hal,s of straw.
Very interesting" observed one of
them.as he drew his cigar-case from hi;
pocket. and biting the tip from one OF
the cigars it contained, struck lite
wax match Oh the sole Of his shoe. He
held the match in his hand until it had
burned down. then threw it on tho
floor, and followed the warden and the
other visitor under the heavy iron
screen into the workroOm of the fac
tory.
The foreman was busy mt his books
and did not observe the little patty as
ii passed through the shop on the other
side of the broom-bins and out the big
door.
Two minutes later, 203i happened to
look out through the window across
his bench and he saw the wnld den with
his friends crossing the prison yard to
the foundry. a guard just then saun-
tered into the room and stopped ut the
first of the bins. He idly picked UP
one of the finished brOoms and exam.
incd it. His attention Il moment later
was distracted by some one pulling at
his coat from behind. He turned.
why, Tommy. my boy what is it"
The two soft brown eyes of lttla
boy were turned up to him. I'm look
ing for papa" replied the little fellow.
"Thc foreman downstairs said he
coined up here. Uncle George is back
in the house, and mamma sent me out
to find papa"
The guard ratted the little fellows
u, I,,,
he said. He went over to the forcmans
desk. bill, did the warden come up
here: Tommy is looking for him; his
mother sent him out"
The foreman raised his eyes from
his books. yes" lie replied. "hc went
in there, with couple of gentlemen"
The guard looked at the little boy.
lies in the stock-rOom." he said.
you'll find him in there. Tommy"
Then he turned and walked ont of
room beyond. His father was not
there. The Stock-kccpar did not oh.
serve the little hoy as he tiptoad, in Il
childish way past the desk. Tommy
passed OH into the farther room. He
knew he would find his father in there.
and he would crawl along between the
tiers Of straw bllcs and take him by
He had hardly passed the door when
the stock-kccper raised his head from
The lists of material he was preparing.
held his face up and shifted the air.
Quietly he rose from his revolving
chair and went to the door of the
strnw,room. He merely pecrcd inside.
Turning suddenly. he pressed upon the
lever near the door ana the iron screen
slid down into place cutting off the
farther room. Then snatching II few
hooks that lay on his desk, he slipped
out into the shop, and at that door re-
leased the second screen. AS it fell in
to place with a slight crunching noise,