Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-06-28
WORK WITH DEATH
Powder Makers Toll In Constant
Peril Of Their Lives.
THEY DON'T WANT VISITORS

THEY DON'T WANT VISITORS
Men Callers Are Permitted In the
Plant Only With Extreme Reluctance
and After Drastic Precautions, and
Women Are Absolutely Barred.
| In all the vacations In which a man
can make living in the United States
there Is none more perilous than the
manufacture Of gunpowder and none
In which the public, which usually
suffers severely in case Of accident,
takes 90 small an interest. The word
gunpowder itself carries suggestion
Of peril which is reflected In all the
superstiuons Of the men who work in
the trade.
The men who work in powder plants
are a study in themselves. Probably
in no other business do the human
agents take more precautions against
disaster with such pitiful results.
Men who work In powder plants are
In constant fear Of death. They are
face to face with peril every second.
Instead Of growing hardened to 1t. as
do the laborers in many other fields of
danger, they appear to be the most
ouperstitous class Of men on earth.
They are well paid A man who has
nerve enough to work at this trade II
| worthy Of his hire. He can command
SO a day. sometimes $40. He prac-
tically makes his own rules, since no
IL the one to suffer from an infracton
Of them. His every suspicion Is re-
spected by his employer. He cannot
dictate the hours Of labor, since that
In matter eternaliy in dispute, a. in
other kinds of labor, but be can dc
tate the conditions under which be
works from the moment he enters the
factory until he leaves.
These superstihons seem absurd
sometimes. but they are the law OF
the gunpowder factory. II you are an
employer you break the law 1t the
risk Of financial loss: II you area fel-
low employee You violate it at the risk
OF your life.
One of the drst laws among the en-
ployees is that of self preservation.
They have a deep rooted feat of tho
casual visitor. Few men have gone
through a gunpowder plant out Of
mere curiosity. They are not wanted
and are told so frankly. II they sue.
coed in obtaining the permission OF
the superintendent or possibly Of some
one higher in authority they are sub
1ected to an extraordinary ordeal BE-
fore they are admitted to the sacred
precincts.
First they are searched, and no 20
lice official is more adept in the art OF
'.frisking" than Is the outer guardian
Of the average gunpowder plant.
Every piece Of metal. from pocket
knife to garter ciasp-every coin.
match. suspender buckle. everything
that could possibly strike spark. 10
removed. The hatband Of the most
fashionable derby is examined with
care to GEE that 1t carries no metal
initials And this examination Is not
carried on alone by the official whose
favor you have gained. A representa-.
uve Of the employees takes an active
part In the examination. and II he has
any doubts he will politely request
you to strip to the skin.
Once Inside the powder factory You
are under even more careful scrutiny.
Your shoes are taken away, and you
are provided With felt slipper. Con-
WINGED that on your person there u no
piece OF metal which under any provo
cation could strike spark. you may
feel at liberty to roam around. but
you are not. Your every movement II
watched carefully. and should you
make a gesture calculated to inspire
distrust you would be hustled out OF
the building and told to leave the
ueighborhood within a given time.
I had 4 graphic illustration Of the
extreme care taken by these men to
prevent an accident and to save their
own lives. After having been care
fully searched and after having sur
rendered everything which might come
under the classification of metal was
admitted to the plant Secure in the
knowledge that was thoroughly dis
infected" | assumed a nonchalance
which / was far from feeling as l
watched the various processes of max
ing gunpowder. | was so we'll at ease
that drew a toothpick from my pock-
ct and calmly picked my teeth.
Instantly was thrown to the door
AMI while two husky men held me a
third searched my clothing. When
finally 1 was released it was explain
ed to NE that they feared the tooth
pick might be match.
Laboring under the constant fear OF
death. the employees grow extraordi-
narily supershtious. Once allow q wo-
man to set foot within a powder fac
tory and the entire force will quit. It
IL one Of the axioms Of the trade that
q woman brings misfortune, and It Is
useless to argue the question. A wo-
man nhot0gra nher for q neWSDap ef on