Daily American telegraph., 1852-05-18

not bare-headed wore little caps of brown
paper on their heads. Some We're brading or
plating the rushes and canes for the seat of a
chair; some were fitting together the frame, or
turning, the rounds out by the lathe. Going
into another room, we found another set paint
ing the chairs which their companions had fin
shed They had done their work finely; but
as We praised it, not one of them looked up or
made the least sign to any of his fellows. IL
was prohibited by the rules. | thought to my
sell II so many children, instead Of grown men,
We're shut up together for six hours | fancy we
should see some whispering and turning of
heads rule or no rule! What say children
Next, we went into the shoemakers' shop
Here we found all kinds of shoes and boots,
from the fairy baby-shoe and the little satin
brlde-slipper, to the heavy cowhde boot. In
this room the faces of the workers were not all
turned away from us, and we could study the
different expressions OF countenance Some>
looked stupid and unconcerned others evident
ly felt ashamed to have the eye of a stranger
rest single moment upon them in that place
One-a young negro-seemed to have sort Of
delight and pride in showing how nimbly and
neatly he could turn off his work. He did not
dare to look up, but he was very plainly trying
to show off.
By this time we had passed nearly around
the court. We came to the last shop-the ma
chine shop. Whizz whizz! went the wheels,
little and great, as we stepped over the thresh-
old. The room was filled with smoke and
sparks and the workmen looked grim enough
in the lurid light of the furnaces There was
a glass case before us, containing specimens of
their workmanship. Many little fellow of
my acquaintance would have given more than
'"sixpence :" for good look at the host of
jack-knives!
There was bright-faced boy in this room,
who, from his looks, could not have been much
over twelve years of age. We asked the guide
for what crime he had been sent there. @ For
setting fire to house" was his reply Ah poor
boy! he probably little thought when he slyly
put the brand under the house, either in mischie-
vousness or revenge for some supposed ill-treat-
ment, that he should so soon be found out, and
Gagged in the State prison. He will not be there
many years; but when he goes out and min
giles with the free world again, he can never
make people forget that he has been a convict
The disgrace viii cling to him like a stain. II
he conducts himself well for number of years,
he will be considered a respectable man by his
neighbors and acquaintance perhaps dearly
loved by his friends. But he will always wish
to shrink from the eye OF a stranger-will al
ways feel as though he still carried something
of those parti-colored clothes about him, and
would at once be known as prisoner. Oh,
boys be careful of the beginnings of revenge
and lawlessness They lead to a sad end
In cells cut in the wall, near this place, were
confined two men, whose wicked passions had
made them insane, and who were too violent
to be trusted out Of chains. One of them had
murdered his own beautiful little boy No
wonder, if he had the least consciousness Of
what he had done, that he kept raving and
| shrieking 50 necessarily.
| We now went into the kitchen, where they
had just finished cooking the prisoners dinner,
and were dishing it out into large tin cups 1t
was kind Of thick pudding, with piece of
bread added to each dish-full A man walked
along the row of cells, and tossed onions into a
number of them, to serve as seasoning
The guide here told us that the great dinner
bell was going to ring and we must 60 back
into the warden's Office. We asked whether
we could not see the prisoners march in. Oh
yes" said he, "you can look through the win
dow"
Now this said window had Just four panes
Of glass and when we went into the room
we found it nearly filled by men, women and
children, more than twenty Of them. We cast
longing looks back toward the great hall from
which we came, knowing that we should see
nothing from that crowded room. We asked
permission to stay in the hall The guide hest
tated. The gentlemen may stay" he replied,
= but can't let the ladies'"
| Not very gallant this seemed, certainly But
we soon found that it was intended for our best
good as, on former occasion, the prisoners
had taken advantage of the presence Of ladies
in that place to rush upon their officers and
endanger their lives
As soon as the bell rang, there was a rush
to the little window Twenty-Five heads, some
with bonnets, some without pushed, jostled, and
crowded each other most selfshly and uncere-
noniously. Those of us who would neither
push nor jostle were obliged to turn away I'M
satisfied, and sit down, to wait for our compan-
ions
The gentlemen came in presently, quite
amused by what they had seen. The prisoners
as they reported to us, came in in separate
divisions, Of twelve each, if | rightly remem-
Der. Each division was headed by one of the
prisoners, promoted to that Office for correct
behaviour, who stamped hard with his heavy
soled shoes, in walking, to keep step for the
small gang behind him. 1t seems that the
negro whom we had seen was at the head of
one division. He threw back his head lifted
his feet yard from the stones in order to
stamp the harder, and looked so much like n
proud officer at the head Of a band of infan-
try, that one could not keep from laughing.
Eacn 8aTS narcneu aiOnB 10 tne emu vi thc
hall, where its dishes of dinner were turned
out by revolving wheel, and then each pris-
oner went to his own cell, and was locked in
by the warden, to eat his dinner in solitude.
We had seen all that could be seen, and pre-
pared to leave. Before going, we inquired what
was the most common offence which had sent
men there. Theft" was the answer VIII
every child who reads this remember this an
swer, and think, whenever tempted to lay
hands on the merest trife which is not his or
her own u This is oneninr the rntn of the Stnte