Page 83 - Demo

81Becks Mill, Washington Co. (642.07)time for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. The Friends had recently nailed plywood over all the windows to secure the building, so most of the sunlight was shut out, and there was no electricity. I was glad I brought our big yellow spotlight.The next caution we heard from Larry was, %u201cPlease don%u2019t fall through the floor!%u201d This was repeated several times, in an amusing%u2014yet serious%u2014way. The Friends had just gotten the building insured, %u201cand it took a lot of time to find a company willing to cover such a structure.%u201d With sections of the floor missing or poorly patched, precaution was essential.As our eyes began to make out shapes in the dim light, we found the mill was packed with clutter. While John gingerly made his way through the dust-encrusted jumble, Larry pointed out a grist-mill stone, a sorter, canvas belts, wooden chutes, even a grain elevator. %u201cThis partitioned area was where they used to serve lunches for a number of years. And that door, painted with %u2018Collection of Antiques Up Stairs Admittance 10 cts,%u2019 was part of a little tourist business.%u201d