Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1910-09-02
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power IN mage etner people chey
them. not by force. not always by in
ststence. In this case the man was sc
gentlemanly in his request that l die
not like to refuse him. At any rate
before l realized what l was doing
had gone to the upper floor of an unoc
cupied building with a person who had
accosted me on the street and asked
me to go with him. for what purpose
he had not explained. This seems tc
me now absurd on the face Of it, and
at the time l knew that l should do
no such thing. but couldn't help it.
He took me into a room on the sec
ond floor. In it's center was what
looked to me to be a hot air furnace
only it was neither round nor square
but oblong. he closed the door be-
hind us, and l heard a click. l didn't
like it, for 1t sounded as though ii
came from a lock that closed auto.
matically. | was about to turn and
get out of the place, but my pride held
me, and l waited to be Informed fur
! Their as to this strange proceeding
The gentleman led me to a corner OF
the room rallied off apparently for an
! Office. where there were chairs, and In.
| vited me to be seated.
"Do you see that oven?' he said
"Well, that has cost me a great deal
F., Of labor. Perhaps you think it is q
crematory. but it Is not. It is an oven
for baking bread. A hundred loaves
can be baked at once and in three min
| utes. That's 1000 loaves an hour, and
by working day and night three reliefs
we have $4,000 loaves day. Six work
ing days give US 10000 loaves a week.
F1fty-two weeks produce $4,000
loaves year.
$50 much for what my oven will do.
Now for my object It Is to feed the
world. You see, my single oven is not
large. Suppose there are ten Of them
in this building alone. That gives
1880, 600 loaves year, only about
100000 miles less than the distance
Of the earth from the sum-"
Since I could see no relationship be-
tween loaves Of bread and the earth's
distance from the sun l began to feel
bit uncertain about the gentleman's
upper story. So said to him, rising:
you'll have to excuse me, sir. It is
not possible for me to remain any
longer"
But you have not examined my in
xon<41v, p1os11c 7 k11I 7 nkoI
you for purpose"
what purposeT'
Come; l will show you"
He led me to the oven. he seemed
so harmless that followed him. He
threw open the door. displaying a num-
Der Of iron Shelves: l was somewhat
relieved that there was no heat in the
!! oven.
my arrangement for heat Is by
chemical process. There are many sub
stances that produce heat in combining
chemically. Why should we burn coal?
turn this cock and my substances run
together. In short time l shall have
my oven quite hot enough to do my
baking"
II wouldn't turn it on If I were
you.'' I remarked. ''stnce you have no
bread ready for baking"
II have something else. My desire
is to bake human being"
This was getting warm, as the chill
dren say Wien hunting for things in
games. And. as the strange gentleman
looked at me, indicating that was
the human being he proposed to bake,
felt not only warm, but cold per-
spiration stood out on me, especially
when he drew long sharp knife with
which to enforce his dema nds. l knew
I had to deal with lunatic and kept
my head.
II shall be happy" said, Ito have
you bake me. On which shelf am to
take position?"
"Step in and I will show you
After you" said deferentially,
bowling and raising my hat.
He stepped into the furnace. I closed
the door with bang. and the big iron
latch fell into position. Then the
room swan, and fell on the floor. But
| did not remain there long. Fearful
that the lunatic might smother, ran
to the door of the room, found it locked
and could not open it. I tried win
dow, and that served call through.
In a few minutes policeman came
up the stairs. broke down the door
and let the gentleman baker out. He
was nearly suffocated and gave no
trouble. He had employed men to
build his oven without their having
the slightest suspicion as to his sanity.
l learned that be was a scientific man
and had been an inventive genius as
well. On my testimony he was con-
mitted to an asylum
It makes me crawl when I think
that by mere act Of politeness I was
saved from death.