Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-08-26
after You,Sir
BY F. TOWNSEND SMITH
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
BY F. TOWNSEND

thoruughfare. smoking largely for the
purpose of killing time, was accosted
by gentlemanly, we'll dressed man
who DOTTED his hat before speaking to
me.
Il beg pardon, sir" he said. but
could you spare me little of your
time
For what purpose, sirE'
"That is not easy to explain on the
street If you will step inside | will
show you rather than tell YOU"
Inside whereE"
Fright here"
He pointed to an open door, and |
could see staircase. The building
seemed to be unused.
There are people who seem to have
"A power to make other people obey
them, not by force, not always by in
sistence. In this case the man was so /
gentlemanly in his request that | did
not like to refuse him. At any rate, .
before realized what | 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 to ,
me now absurd on the face of it, and |
at the time | knew that | should do
no such thing. but couldn't help it.
He took me into a room on the sec
ond floor. In its 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 | heard click. | didn't
like it. for it sounded as though it
came from a lock that closed auto
maticalIy. | was about to turn and
get out of the place, but my pride held
me. and waited to be Informed fur
Their as to this strange proceeding.
The gentleman led me to corner of
the room rallied off apparently for an
office. where there We're chairs, and In
vited me to be seated
do you see that oven|' he said.
well, that has cost me a great deal
of labor. Perhaps you think it Is
crematory. but it is not. 1t is an oven
for baking bread A hundred lOaveS
can he baked at once and in three min
uteS That's 1000 loaves an hour, and
by working day and night thre" reliefS
W" have $4,000 loaveS "A day. Six work
ing days give us 1GS0W loavcs Il week
Fiftytwo weeks produce S,73i,0oo
IoaveS n year
SO much for what my oven will de-
Now for my object. IT IS to feed III"
world You see my singl" oven is not
large SuppoS" there are ten of Their
in this building alone" That gives
S7.3GO.0oO lonvrS n year, only about
100000 miles less than the distance
of the earth from the sun"
Since | could see no relationship be
tween IoavoS of bread and the carths
n bit uncertain about the gcntlemans
upper story, So said to him. rising:
"You'II have to excuse me, sir 1t is
not possible for me to remain any
longer"
Put you have not examined my in
you for purpose
What purpose"
come; | will show you"
He led me to the oven. He seemed
so harmless that | followed him. He
threw open the door, displaying Il mum
Der of iron shelves: | 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 iii combining
chemically. Why should we burn coal ?
| turn this cock and my substances run
together In Il short time | shall have
my oven quite hot enough to do my
baking"
II wouldn't turn 1t on If | were
you" / remarked, "since you have nc
bread ready for baking"
81 have something else. My desire
is to bake human being"
This was getting warm, as the chill
dren say when 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 a cold per
SEPARATION stood out on me, especially
when he drew a long sharp knife witt
which to enforce his demands. | knew
had to deal with lunatic and KEEP
my head.
II shall be happy" | said ito hav,
you bake me. On which shelf am | t
take position"'
''Step in and | will show you"
after you" said deferentially
bowling and raising my hat.
He stepped into the furnace CLOSED
the door with a bang, and the big irol
latch fell into position. Then tn
room swan, and fell on the floor. Blu
did not remain there long Fearful
that the lunatic might smother, ra
to the door of the room. found it locke
and could not open It. l tried wiz