Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-08-10
HOW HE COT
THE SECRESs
By HAROLD OTIS
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

II,
i had often been called upon by manu-.
facturers to find processes for the
cheaper making Of certain goods. This
led me into experiments on my own
account. L finally discovered process
by which 1 could manufacture GER
tain article 40 per cent cheaper than
by any known method. Having inter-
ested capitalists, procured patent, a
company was formed, extensive works
were built, and / resigned my pro-
fessorship and became superintendent
of the manufacturing department
We had got well under way and were
making money when one OF our sales
men sent In word that the article we
were making was being sold on the
market at figure cheaper than we
could manufacture 1t. Either the man
ufacturers were infringing on our pat
ent or had cheaper process than
mine. i wrote the salesman to send
in n sample of the goods and to find
out the source from whence they had
been procured. 1 found the article
contained the same elements rs mine,
but this gave me no insight as to the
method by which it was produced.
The only way could think of to find
out all about II was to get into their
factory and see for myself. was
fairly young man then and not averse
to an undignified method. In other
words, 1 made spy of myself
dressed myself as n workman, went to
the factory where the rival goodswere
made and applied for work. | was told
by the foreman that he had more men
than he wanted as regular hands, but
there was pile of dirt at one end of
the yard which he wished transformer
to the other end. If / would do the Job
with shovel and wheclbarrow he would
pay me 81.
Hoping that this might lead tosome-
thing better, / accepted his prDposi
ton. l worked hard and had got
about third of the earth transferred
when 1t occurred to me that the man
was making a guy of me. .Eor, what
did he want that earth wheelcdto the
other location? Then / saw hts game.
He had recognized me for whatI was.
| was of too fine grain in appearance
despite my soiled clothes 10 lie. taken
for workman. When my JOB was
finished / would sbe paid mxSwages
and sent off without forsa moment
getting inside the works.
/ worked till noon, then knocked of
and asked for a dime to go out and
get something to eat. | bought a.
gauze buster, thin felt hateand. as
pair of spectacles. Stufiing these5i1,
my pockets, l went back TO work. J.
began again to wheel dirt from q pile
near the Office to the other end OF the
yard, where there was shed, tThen'
at the end of one of my trips, when
/ was near the shed, casting Il glance
about to notice that / was not OBJ
served, / slipped into the shed and in
twinkling was transformed into n
gentleman in gauze duster, "a .fc1tL
hat and glasses. C1,Sil
1t was about ten minutes to /. and
few operatives were about, most OF
! them still taking their riooninel-i |
knew l had but few minutes In
which to make my observations of
tcourse | was SO familiar iwitlh a lie
manufacture of the goods that any
deviation from the known processes
would be at once apparent 10 tnfr. \
hurried along, darling my eyes here
and there, till l came To q staircase
leading to an upper story. j liad hiss
ed but halfway through the room when
| heard running steps on the floor be
! low. Then | knew that MY absence
from my wheelbarrow had been no
hn a
hurrying to intercept me. Dying bq
! hind vat, kept quiet. and in a mo-
mcnt the runner mounted the steps and
ran straight past where / was hidden
and into an extension of the building
| took In everything I could see and
was passing into the extension when /
heard my searcher running back. look
/ ing into a raised vat and seeing that
1t was empty, / sprang up and into it
like a cat just in time TO hear some
one hurry by.
AS soon as all was still 1 got out
end entered the extension. Here
found the principal ingredients OF the
article manufactured. There were SOW
eral men in the room, and | asked
hurriedly If they had seen anything Of
a man with red hair and beard. They
all said No! audit passed through
the room. taking i'm what could see
Several piles Of crude materials were
about, and picking up u handful Of
each, ] stuffed my pockets with them
Then the man who had been chasing
me came I'm and, coming up 10 me. or
dcred me 10 march out before him.
Now. ] had been football man in
my day, and, wishing TO preserve
what ] had i'm my pockets, / knocked
my man down and ran Reaching the
yard, I skinned through several per
sons who tried TO head me Off and
scudded through the gateway used for
workmen Once outside the promises
/ was safe.
The foreman who intended To play
Joke on me was discharged this ]
found out long afterward for letting
me inside the gate at all.