The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-05-16
Letter from the Michigan States
Prison.
JACKSON, MICHIGAN, }
April 81. 1862

To tie Editor Of the Galedonjan
have been in states prison. Now don't
turn up your nose and inwardy determine
to strike me from the list of your correspon-
dents. Though did 90 in escorted by the
sheriff of Jackson Co., Mich, and his deputy,
and though | 'cas put in the SOLITARY cel'
and locked in. surely my being at liberty
now to indite you the horrors thereof, should
be good and sufficient reason to your mind
that went in only as a sig shtseer
Armed with a pass from Dan Upton, the
county clerk, and wag, by the way, | found
it as efectual III opening the prison doors for
me, as though it had been the sentence of a
county Judge; yet | had some misgvings as
to their opening SO willingly when | wished
to come out. Villains, and people fortunate
enough to have free papers, can get into the
Michigan state prison without paving a Quar-
ter, but honest people have to fork over the
two Shlllings" ere they gain admittance to
these gloomy walls. Once inside, a fellow
finds himself every little while coming in con-
tact with men with striped dresses, the uni
form Of the prison. These are the duty men
that he meets, who have the cleaning and
cooking to attend to. The deputy of the
prison, whom shall only describe as a very
big man with big cane, introduces himself
as our guide, but let him attend to the rest
of the party, while l gain information from
my intelligent and well posted young friend,
Durand.
/ We first go through the sleeping depart
ment. Here is very large and high room.
heated by steam, and in this room is built. as
it were, another house, and let into the sides
of this house are innumerable pigeon holes
in four stories, and each pigeon hole" has a
heavy iron door, to be locked on the outside
The men being all at work it was study TO
look into these cells. Some were as slovenlv
as they could be, and not draw down censure
on the occupants head, while others were
handsomely ornamented Some of the men
who worked in the cabinet shops had brought
pieces of moulding and had arrar ged them
very tastily about the cells. Others had
spent their spare time in painting. and their
cells were ornamented with some very credit
able looking pictures. One convict with an
abundance of indigo, red paint and patriot
ism, had the inside of his cell profuselv orna.
mentea with the stars and stripes. l was
tod that all of the convicts were Union men,
No doubt it would be good exchange to
get some of those pro-slavery editors of nor
thern papers in these cells, and let the pres.
ent occupants 20 and fight the rebels. a re-
giment of as able-bodied men as l saw here
would make splendid fighters.
i We next went into the dining rooms, where
were long rows of seats and tables facing the
deputy's chair, as in the old fashioned school,
houses the desks face the teachers stand
We tasted the bread, both brown and white
and found it very good, with the exception
that the white bread was little sour. We
next visited the boot and shoe shops. Here
) boots and shoes are "made upon honor" but
: no man here can make boot or shoe. The
state does not send men here to learn a gooC
trade free of expense No, but one man c1t.
out "uppers," another soles, third sews, an
> other pegs, etc. Though man can peg
} shoe with mathematical regularity, yet HI
Y cannot make a shoe, and though another Cal
r sew with machine-like precision, yet he is no
1 finished boot maker. would not like t,
: hammer away at pegs day after day, for four
six or ten years. We &c on, to the wagol
l shops. In the first room the rough timber i
/ blocked out, in the next it is dressed, in tn
: third it is put together, in the fourth, paint
y ed. Yet no man there can make wagon
: His work is little monotonous round on
e part Of a wagon.
y Then come the manufactures Of hoes, fork
If and other agricultural implements. In on
j. room is row Of noisy trip hammers, ham
d mering out fork tines and hoe blades in an
e other are numerous emery wheels, polishin