The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-05-06
In Bin Seventy-SGven
BIZ ALBERT W. ToLMAN.

Two hundred feet in length ana al
most half as much in width, the ele-
vator rose hundred and fifty feet
in air. Through two large doors in
the ends ran railroad-tracks, leading
through the base of the building.
Near the wooden one-story office,
smuggling close to it's immense neigh
Dor, a dizzy ladder of steel rounds,
riveted to the side of the elevator,
led straight up to the roof.
To the north stretched the business
portion of the city; to the south the
glittering harbor unrolled it's broad
the adjoining freight-yard; and at the
docks below three long, black ocean
liners, with tunnels banded red and
white, snored drowsily through their
steam-pipes, while into their yawning
holds the grain was poured by the
exhaustless spouts.
Archie Braithwait was student
at business college in the city. His
spare time was largely spent in get
ting an idea of the different indus
tries of the place.
On Wednesday and Saturday after
moons he had no recitations, and to
these half-days he looked forward
with much pleasure. He had already
visited the electric-light plants, the
potteries, a satisfactory and the roll
ing mills.
The elevator came next on his
schedule. Every morning, when he
went down to his work, he saw across
a half-mile of lower roofs the colossal
structure against the eastern sky.
Suggestive of great transactions, it
fascinated the young man, and it was
with considerable satisfaction that at
last. one Saturday afternoon. he
found himself in the shadow of the
building, with a pass from - super
intendent giving him the freedom of
the plant.
Before entering the elevator he
stood for a few minutes. taking in the
details outside. The huge steel ships,
stretching their pondsrous length SO
peacefully in the muddy docks; the
high, sharp bows, with their columns
OF white-draft marks; the sailors
swung on dangling stages, painting
the iron sides; the shouts of the
stevedores-all combined to make the
scene fascinating.
But time was passing. Braith-
wait turned reluctantly from the
wharves, and passing through fear
less fiocks of pigeons and English
sparrows, plump from feasting on the
spilled kernels, entered the door of
the elevator
The next two hours were of absorb
Ing interest. He explored the place
from top to bottom, until he under
stood what was done to the grain
from the time it was taken from the
ears until it was loaded on the steam
ers.
Few men were in sight, and no one
asked him for his pass. Everybody
was too busy to be curious, and ap-
parently took 1t for granted that any
stranger in the building had good
reason for being there.
1t was cold in the building. Sud
den drafts swcoped down from unex-
pected quarters. The air was filed
with fine powder, which strewed
the floors. Dusty electric bulbs light
ed the semi-darhness. Speaking
tubes ran here and there.
There was sound of rushing grain:
the floors shook with the rumble of
machinery. By pressing button or
pulling a lever all those gigantic pro-
cesses could be modified or checked.
In the course of his explorations
braithwait came, to the ''spout-floor,"
pierced with numerous large, round
holes. Here great movable spouts of
iron conveyed the grain from the gar
ners above into the bins beneath the
holes, which were fitted with hinged
iron covers. Some of the covers were
thrown entirely back; others, lifted
TO an angle of more than sixty de-
grees, were held up by sticks. The
student moved gingerly among them,
Tor he had no inclination to test the
depth OF the black cavities. Far down
the long, dusty room, more than a
hundred and fifty feet distant, two
men were busy shifting the spouts;
but they paid no attention to him.
AT the very end of the floor was
an opening. with stick-propped cover.
and painted on the boards beside 1t.
in black. dust-covered figures, it's num-
ber TT"
Braithwait wondered if this bin
was full enough to allow him to see
the top of the grain it contained.
He stopped down to peer within. Ut
ter blackness ne his gaze. How it
happened he CANNOT tell to this day,
but as he rose his foot slid along the
slippery floor, and he shot downward
into the pit.
AS he passed through the opening
he made an Intellectual grasp at it's
edge. but instead struck the stick
that held the cover up. Down it
came. and while he still hung sus-
pended in mid-air all light from above