The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-08-05
"After You,Sir
By f. TOWNSEND SMITH
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

While sauntering leisurely along
lhoroughfare. smoking. largely for tn,
purpose Of killing sime. was accoste,
by gentlemanly. well dressed maj
who dotted his hat before speaking Il
me-
Il beg pardon. SIR" he said, blu
could you spare me little Of you
timer"
"For what purpose. sir?"
THAT Is not easy to explain on the
street. If you will step inside l viii
show you rather than tell you"
Inside where?"
Right here"
He pointed to an open door. and
could see Il staircase. The building
seemed to be unused
There are people who seem to have
power to make other people obey
them. not by force. not always by Ia.
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 tie 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 1t. and
at the time knew that | should do
I ~ hAl &,
He took me into Il room on the sec
ond floor. In its center was what
looked to me 10 be n hot air furnace.
opy 1t was neither round nor square,
Put oblong W. closed the door be.
hind us. and I/heard a click. | didn't
'llke it, for ~ sounded as though It
came from 4 lock that closed auto
matlcally. 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 were chairs. and in
vited me To he seated.
DO you see that oven?' ne said
We'll. that has cost me great dcal
of labor Perhaps you think it is
crematory. but it is not. 1t is an oven
for baking bread \ 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 2S.00O loaves IL day. Six work
ing days civ" MS 10000 loaves a week
Fifty-two weeks produce S.736.mn
loaveS II year
so much for what my oven will do
Now for my object. 1t is to feed the
world. You see. my single oven Is moi
large. Suppose there are ten of thew.
In this building alone That gives
81 100000 Ioaves a year only about
4 100000 miles less than the distance
Of the earth from the sun"
Since ! could see no relationship be.
tween loaves Of bread and the earth'S
distance from the sun | began TO feel
4 bit uncertain about the gentlemau's
upper story. So said TO him. rising:
You'll have to excuse me. sir. 1t Is
lot possible for me to remain any
onger"
But you have not examined my In
'ention. Besides. told you wanted
'ou for purpose"
What purpose"
Come: will show you"
He led me to the oven. He seemed
o harmless that | followed him. He
brew open the door. displaying mum
'er of iron shelves: was somewhat |
elieved that there was no heat In the 1
ven
My arrangement for heat Is by |
hemical process. There are many sub |
tances that produce heat in combining /
Why should we burn coal? |
turn this cock and my substances run
)gether. In short time | shall have
~ oven quite hot enough to do my
aking."
II wouldn't turn II on if | were
ou." | remarked. since you have no
read ready for baking"
II have something else. My desire
to bake human being"
This was getting warm. as the chill
rem say when hunting for things In
ames. And. as the strange gentleman
'oked at me. indicating that was
lie human being he proposed to bake.
felt not only warm. but cold per
)iration stood out on me. especially
hen he drew a long sharp knife with
hich to enforce his demands. l knew
had to deal with lunatic and kept
y head.
IL shall be happy" said. ito have
~ bake me. On which shelf am to
Ike pOsitionY'
"Step In and I will show you"