The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-12-23


dustry---lts Various Departmental Banner
of Light A1ce---CarboelI Expose --Some-
thing More About the Working Girls.
BosToN, Dec. IS, 1869
1t was only strip of paper, and yet it had
power to take me on 4 very pleasant excur-
sion to Deer Island. The first part of my
Journey was performed on foot and alone.
Down Hanover street-past the American
House, with its stately front-past the an
cient churches-through Fleet street, and its
crowds of poverty stricken men, women and
children-into North and across Commercial
street, and here we are at the Old Ferry slip.
Stepping over the side of the trim little steam
er i'll waiting, the first salutation is ssPass.
please" The pass duly inspected, | next
had my choice between seat il the cabin or
one in the pilot house. and accepted the lat
ter rs afording the best opportunity of sight
seeing.
The first object of interest is the arrival of
the " Black Maria,' which is 4 covered car
rlagc, somewhat resembling a market wag-
on. used ior the purpose of conveying pris-
oners through the city. Backing carefully
up to the gangway, the driver dismounted,
untastered the door, and there descended
one, two, thrce-yes, eleven women, and one
solitary man. The return trip brought back
SIX women and two men How do YOU ac-
count for this ?-on the principle that women
are more wicked than men? Hardly. And
yet | am sure they are more curious, for in
| 1 no ~;
transferred to the steamer were three men
and twenty women.
The passage from wharf to wharf con-
sumcd an half hour and the time was very
agreeably spent in watching the lessening
spires Of the city, in noting its size and ap-
pearancc rs seen from the bay, and in obser-
walton of the busy ferry boats, the noisy tugs,
and numerous ships lying at the East Boston
piers. Among these was the good steamer
Cambridge, hauled up for winter repairs
But the greatest novelty were two dredging
machines at work upon the East Boston flats
The large. unwieldy, spoon-shaped, iron bask-
cts holding many bushels, are lowered reg
ularly and deXuously to the bottom by means
4 top, swung round to the side and their con-
tents emptied into the scows in waiting.
The material thus obtained is used for max
ing land somewhere else. OF the fifty acres
Of South Boston flats sold last week to the
Ioston and Albany Railroad Company, a
grade Of thirteen feet of the whole area is to
be filled with material dredged from the har-
Dor in this manner. 1t is then to be covered
with 4 top filing Of gravel three feet in
depth,
Time and steam brought Us to Deer Island
which is long and narrow in shape and not
very large in area. Whether it derives its
appcllaton from some fancied resemblance
to the animal of that name, or some other
fact, am unable to state Upon this Island
is the House Of Industry, where men and wo-
mon are sent for various offences. In con-
ncction with it is Il home for paupers, and II
reform school for boys. In an adjoining build
ing is a school for pauper girls. and Il new
building in process OF erection is designed
for a similar purpose for pauper boys. The
! House of Industry is a handsome brick cdi-
flee, trimmed with unhewn granite, four
stories in height, and surmounted with a
dome. The main building is square, from
which extends four wings.
| shall be able to give you but an imper-
feet idea OF the various departments, my
visit to each being somewhat hurried We
! first went through the Laundry, which is sup
piled with large copper boilers and other
| eonveniences for doing the immense daily
Washngs OF the establishment. Possibly
some forty women were on duty here, and
in the clothes-yard adjoining. Over this is
the Sewing Room. Here more than one
hundred women were ranged in chairs,
dresses and aprons. Ordinarily they are
kept busy at work, but lust now being out
of employment, they We're sitting bolt up
right, with folded hands and eyes to the front,
There We're but few pleasant, good-humor-
ed faces among the Wholc-the most being
hardened with shame and crime Especially
so was the cOuntenance of an old white
headed woman, who might have seen some
seventy years or so. The glances she cast
upon Us As we walked through the aisle were
by no means gentle Upon one side Of this
room is Il very long table. to which are at
tached the numerous sewing machines.
These are run by steam, supplied by an en-
CINE that stands in the corner.
Many of the women brought here have
young children, who are well taken care of
in the nursery Everything here is provided
for the comfort and convenience of the I'M
fortunate little ones, and without stopping to
make very minute observations, we hurried
back through the knitting room to the old
ladies department, and thence to the Chapel.
This is both spacious, neat and tasteful, with
its white walls and greenblinded windows.
A handsome gallery runs around four sides
of it in which is placed an organ with gilded
| pipes. The Chaplan's desk is very prettily
carpetcd and cushioned, and the seats of the
prisoners are ofsome kind of unpainted wood
| These with the bare white floor are kept spot
lessly clean. You will be struck, here rs
elsewhere, with the remarkable neatness of
the whole institution.