The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-04-20
Copyright 1913.
The BObhs-Merriii CO.

rocked back and forth, gently as a
mother cradles her babe, future com
pass needle aud rail- and girder and
armorplate being churned into uni
foncity that, without hazard or doubt,
they might be transformed according
10 their various purposes
Thence the iron Was passed into
the converter towering vessel be-
yond the strength OF men TO lIft but
50 teliCately poised that child could
swing il 10 and fro suddenly Ihe
air was rent, the senses stunned. 9y
Il villa unearthly shrek chilled
blast this, but as IL rushed irresist-
ably through the molten mass. by
some strange alchemy the iron grew
hotter end hotter more liquid But
greater wonder was work ed. here
the very force OF creation was har-
messed. With atoms OF the rushing
oxygen united and hed IN fiery EN-.
trace, the atoms OF the drOssy ele-
ments that weakened and coarsened
the iron. From the mouth spouted
an appalling geyser OF multiColored
sparks and orange flame that lung
rudy circle athwart the night sky.
Orange became violet. then white.
gloweG steadily Slowly the convert.
err inclined and into ladle and mold
poured another lambert Hood -the
steel
But the process was not YET com
plete From above descended a great
talon and rose again clutching the
mold
An incandescent pillar stood reveal.
ed fearful thing whose breath scar.
ed Again the talon swooped, seized
the glow ing mass and plunged II into
raging pit OF flame. that while the
still molten interior hardened the fro
zen crust might not become cold
Ii emerged solid, radiant and beau.
tiful, for the last ordeal \ bed OF
cylinders received IT, They began to
regolye. and the ingot like some ami.
mateA thing, darted forward TO be
caught between two crdnching rolls.
Aud thus, yielding little BY little TO
fthe. H. < 49, ~
was passed on from rolls to heating
furnace and to rolls again, was crush
ed and roasted and sawn It's Violent
ardor cooled; it's terrible beauty fad
ed but so II was at last shapett to
its ultimate purpose made fine in
grain and strong
And back OF II all, prologue TO this
drama, lay the whole record OF hui
man invention, beginning with the
stone mallet of the cave-man. For
the mills were an evolution. the sum
OF the mechanical achievement OF
countless generations that had toiled
and devised. adding knowledge to
knowledge. TO forge the tools 10 make
the mechanism that fashioned the
steel
The epic labor captured his imagi.
nation, The very cruelty of the task,
sending men TO match their fallible
wits against forces before which their
puny strength would have been worse
than helpless, fascinated him. he
looked almost in awe at those toilers
not yet had invention. never SO fer
tile az in this industry, thinned out
their army and lightened their task
wrestling with bloom and billet and
wTithing red-hot serpents.
God" he exclaimed one night,
overcome by the splendor OF IL all.
He and Blair were standing on the
bridge over the blooming mill, watch
Ing the half.naked troop that with
hook and tongs worked two-ton in
got over the rolls.
what is IL? What has happened
Blair looked around for an accident
to explain the ejaculation.
Nothing. | was just thinking how
how big IL Is" Mark laughed at the
feebleness of his words. What would
you give TO be down there?"
There Is such a thing as luck. A
man-himself an artist who had not
yet become exploiter--who had just
come unnotlced on the bridge heard,
and with a half-smile. saw the eager
face
Blair shrugged his shoulders. Yes,
It's big But it's hard work. Good
pay, though
Il suppose so. Mark answered care
lessly. IL wasn't thinking OF that
The man spoke. Good evening
Blair"
"Oh. Good evening. Mr.. Henley
Blair struck respectful attitude. "A
bad night sir