Middletown transcript., 1874-02-14
NJ, I. !. 4. ,.l3 VUF Ne xF0Ust
a County Work House.
For lie zsanserjpt,


Cusuty Muk House. Whish appeared 10
ihsir. issues of ,Nov. 90 1873; and In =
isct note, I stated that other papers wero
At liberty u sspy but this foot note not
hasinf Seen printed Nitb The conllasuicas
,ion, bona but the readers Of the Republi-
caM aksdS the beHeit ef the communication.
Asthe subject Is one Of importance,
aad Of interest to the public generally, !
desire spacs In your columns to repeat, 10
mart, what have before said, and to add
something more. which think will meet
with ) hearty reception rom your readers,
sspeeiallys ibe tas payers. Il III Il u
During the past winter was connected
With The Allegheny County Work House,
situhted 10 Allegheny county, in the State
Of Pennsylvania. contiguous 10 the city Of
Pitssburg. where / was engaged to assist
the superintendent in conducting the bus
iness operations Of the Institution.
The sbjeet. 10 the establishment Of this
jnstitusion, was "a rid the County Jail Of
class of psrscas confined therein, fer
pssty offapees, where they would remain
tor 90, so. go and 90 daysin idleness. at
the expense Of the county.
Atthis isssitutioa the inmates are re.
auirsd 10 work, to maintain themselves.
and tksreby relieve the county Of that
burdss; as we'll as relieve society Of their
4 Obpoxious presence The work performed
At this place, Is principally the manufac-
surs Of coal oil barrels, Of which they turn
out, daily. about 600 barrels, and 10 tho
market, thsse barrels command higher
l5sice than those made outside. During
y month Of October. 1873, the price OBJ
iSed was 81 85 per barrel.
y The institution owns alarm Of SO acres,
upon a.portion Of which the buildings are
erectsd. The greater part Of the remain
der il. filled for the use Of tho institution.
raised thereon large portion Of the pota-
socS. and other vegetables consumed by
the -fnmates as I'M
Daring the mild months Of the year,
bricks are manufactured, largely, from
clay found suitable for the purpose, on the
highest market prices. and are equal to
any made in the vicinity.
Another branch Of business, is the Steam
Laypdry in' which washing is not only
done for the prisoners. but they do the
work for the Pullman Car Company,
which in the course Of the year, amounts
10 20 inconsiderable SUM OF money.
The average number Of inmates fer the
year 1872 was 305. Of which $50 were
Neles, and SIS females. During the months
Z Jan. Feb and March, 1878 (the time
NJ connected with the institution. } there
wers'l ed 491 inmates, of which 429
were msI .62 females but the av-
ersge for IT, 1x s1273. was $50, Of
which 1913 were mStes, and So females.
The institution for 1872 was. nearly
sslfsustaining, and would have been en-
tirely 20, had the barrel factory commsnc-
cd operations At the beginning of tbs year.
The ycar 1873, from the annual report
Just received, learn, shows a handsone
prs6t to the county. Of upwards of $l4,
O00,. q result which has not its parallel
in the history Of any prison in the world
no says Rev. DR.. Wines, Secretary Of the
Prison Reform Associatioa Of the u. s.
The Superintendent Of this institution
10 a German BY birth, and education; q
man Of high culture, possessed Of rare
qualities Of mind and heart. BY profes.
. on be is, or was, lawyer. and before
he entered upon the work Of prison man
agement, was engaged in the practice O.
aaw. in the State Of Wisconsin. He GER
t,iDly has not his superior, if he has BIZ
equal, in the hssmanagemsnt of Prisons, and
tho utilization Of prison labor. His treat
msnt Of prisoners is mild and kind, "
frm; requiring strict adherence to priser
rules. the least infringement of which i
not suffered to pass unnoticed.
The institution has Board Of Man
ayers consisting Of Eve persons, who Civ,
shsir simo and attention to. their duties
scithout fee or ycpard. They arc, for t.
most part, gentlemen Of means. retire,
from active business, and devote much Q
their time and means for the welfare Q
fallen. ,depraved humanity y---seeking I
raise up the fallen, support the weak. an
to iafuse courage and hope in all engage
IN the battles OF life.
But for the fact that the world is bless
ed !. With notaa few, Of like noble spirits
our, sin-cursed world would become per
feet Sodom.
In view of the bnrdensome taxes i'm
posed upon the citizens Of our county. f.
shc support Of the inmates Of our Poe
House (mostly filed with vagrants) an
our Counsy Jail, ask would it not be
wise and economical measure to esiablis
Work House in our county, within eas
roach Of the. city of Wilmington, whel
vagrants, the disordsrly, and all committe
for petty offences to our county Jail. coul
BE- confined and required TO work for the
maintenance
lwould give tho Mayor of the city
Washington. and the Justices Of the Pea,
throughout the county, power to comm
persons 70 the work -house, for petty o
fences (in defaalt Of paying the enc ia
posed) for 80. go or 80 days, according
the aggrayation Of the offence.
Il is alsays wise aud proper to ccnin
and exclude criminals from society, but
mdintais them in idlenoss. every one W
bcprepared to admit. is very unwise.