The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-11-20
A Convict Farm in ireland.

The Dublin F,eenaa,t's Jou1tdS gives
the following description OF a convict
farm at Lusl, Ireland
The farm is situated about one mile
from the Rush and Lusk station on the
Droehead railway, and commands Il
fine prospect of the surrounding coun-
trv. with the sea and Lambay Island In
the distance to the southeast Enter
ino by green lane from the high road
the visitor finds himself ia = kind OF
camp square, on which are erected two
o5long buildings of corrugated iron,
one serving rs Il dormitory and dining
hall and the other as workshop. At
the opposite side of the square Is the
cook-house, superintendent office, and
officers quarters, and at the rear stables
and cow-house Along the boundary
wall on the western side are long she Is
in which the convicts break stone on
wet davs. All the buildings have been
erected by tie prisoners. The arrange
ments in the dormitory are quite man
ofwar fashion. Hammocks were never
slowed away in " the nettings'' more
economically than the beds, bedsteads,
and bedding are arranged along the
sides of the apartment. which is lined
with timber and furnished with an
American stove in the centre of the
floor. The arrangements for yentila-
tion and lighting are excellent.
In the workshop provision has been
made for reforming the necessary car
penter's work required on the farm,
which, taken all in all, would remind a
person of what he had read OF Il we'll
arranged and circumstanced settlement
in the colonies. The persons who are
admissible TO become occuplers of the
farm as workers are the convlcts who
have passed through h a-trylng probation
ary course in Smithtield, Mountjoy, or
Spike Island penitentiaries, and the
book in which the biography of each is
kept tells how strict and severe Is the
exatitude OF his decipline they are sub
jected to. In one column Is the name
of the offender and the offence of which
he was convicted, and in number Of
others it is the record of his rising from
class to class by good conduct, and also
the petty transgresslons which threw
him back again.
The Doomsday Book" tells many a
weary story of the erring man toiling
up to goodness, and his occasional falls
in the steep ascent which he seeks to
CLIMB; and, perhaps, that book tells us
of his not getting hel p enough, or Of
minor obstacles being put on the road
of his progress. Occasionally he is
tripped up by red tape drawn across
his path back to goodness, and often
retarded in his progress to good by
what is called discipline. The average
number Of convicts at Lusk farm is gen
orally ffty-fve; but at present there
are forty-seven. They are principally
engaged in farm operations, and some
notion will be formed OF the good which
has been accomplished when, a glance
is given at the following facts:
There are at present contained in
the farm ITO acres, divided as follows
Wheat, SO acres; oats, % acres; pota-
toes, "a acres; mangolds, acres; tllr-
nips, acres; carrots, acre; vetches,
1 acre ; vegetables, l acre ; meadow, SO
acres; /; grazing land, 81 acres rape,
acres. Fourteen well-bred young pigs
are being reared, and fifteen head of
cattle are on the land. This is all good
and in a right direction, but it is not
enough now that a great plan has been
tried and found to work wonderfully.
Persons should not suppose that the
convicts are pampered or overfed in no
prison is the work half so severe, and
out of the sixpence a week allowed to
each they generally invest it i'll the pur-
chase of bread. .....
"The day of the convict is divided as
follows: AT O'Clock the bell rings for
all to rise, fold beds, and dress; $50,
officers parade and nlocking of dormi- |
tories; 5.35, prayer; o'clock, break !
fast of stirabout and milk !; $50, parade,
and proceed in classes to work 12
o'clock, dinner-on four days beet
bread, and potatoes, on three days po-
tatoes, milk, and bread; l o'clock, re-
sumo work; 5 o'clock, supper Of bread
and coffee $50, school and lecture by
Mr.. Daily, discipline officer and regis
ter; 7.3o p NJ, make beds ;7.45, prayer;
8, lock up, and bed. We walked |