Graham guardian. [volume] (Safford, Ariz.) 1895-1923, 1911-07-28
after You,Sm
BY F, TOWNSEND SMITH
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association.

shSASuS bIiohAh6b AohSS's ~ Wv
purpose of killing time, I was accosted
by a gentlemanly. well dressed man
who doffed his hat before speaking to
me-
II beg pardon, SIR" he said. but
could you spare me little Of your
timer
"For what purpose, sir?"
THAT Is not easy to explain on the
street. II you will step inside will
show you rather than tell you"
Inside whereT
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 Ilrealized what was doing /
had gone to the upper floor Of an unoc-
SoPACu OuhoihS Win u pSkSou " wv h'a
accosted me on the street and asked
me to 60 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 l should do
no such thing. but couldn't help It,
He took me into room on the sec.
ond floor. In Its center was what
looked to me to be hot air furnace.
only 1t was neither round nor square.
but oblong. He closed the door be-
hind us, and heard click. didn't
like It, for 1t sounded as though 1t
came from lock that closed auto
matically. l 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 of 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 great deal
Of labor. Perhaps you think II Is a
crematory. but 1t is not. II 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 lGS,000 loaves week,
Fifty-two weeks produce S.733.O00
loaves year.
$50 much for what my oven will do
Now for my object. II Is to feed the
world. You see. my single oven Is not
large. Suppose there are ten of the:'
in this building alone. That gives
S7,3G0,0O0 loaves year, only about
100000 miles less than the distance
of the earth from the sun"
Since l could see no relationship be-
tween loaves Of bread and the earth's
distance from the sun ! began to feel
a bit uncertain about the gentleman's
upper story So ! said to him, rising:
you'll have to excuse me, sir. 1t is
not possible for me to remain any
longer"
"But you have not examined my in.
vention. Besides. told you wanted
you for purpose"
"What purposer'
"Come; will show you."
He led me to the oven. He seemed
so harmless that followed him. He
threw open the door, displaying n num-
Der Of iron shelves: | was somewhat
relieved that there was no heat In the
oven.
my arrangement for heat II by
chemical process. There are many sub,
stances that produce heat In combining
chemically. Why should we burn coal:
turn this cock aud my substances run
together. In short time shall have
my oven quite hot enough to Go my
baking"
II wouldn't turn It on II were
you" l remarked. ''since you have no
bread ready for baking" ......
81 have something else. My desire
IS to bake human being"
This was getting warm. as the chm
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 cold per
spiration stood out on me. especially
when he drew long sharp knife with
which to enforce his demands | knew
l 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 positionY'
"Step In and will show you"
after YOU" I said defarentlally.
bowling and raising my hat.
He stepped into the furnace. 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 1t locked
and could not open 1t. ! tried n win
dow, and that served call through
In q few minutes u 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.
I learned that he was scientific man
and had been an inventive genius as
well. On my testimony he ~ns com
mitted to an asylum.
1t makes me crawl when think
that by mere act Of politeness I was
saved from death.
IHHncrC