The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-11-30


And thus she went all around our party
with Il seriousness that was truly touching
"Oh watch her when she gives away
diamonds, said harsh voice in my ear
[ turned with start, and saw by my side
a heavy-set German woman with piercing
black eyes. She, | learned, felt herself
allied with the Mother because she gathers
the bits of stone and other trihes for her
The Mother herself never goes outside of
her building, and if nobody brought her
diamonds she would use cinders, egg
shells, fish bones and the like as such.
"See my eye?" the Mother said. Under
it was long, infamed streak. 'The other
night little devil dipped something in
malaria and put it in my eye" she said
and now [ must do SO to keep from going
blind, wetting her finger and wiping
beneath her eye, where she had rubbed
the sore spot that so marrcd her otherwise
| pleasant feature,
Let me write you something" J." she said.
gave her one of my cards. Unfortunately
it had Penn'a, on it. | went down I'M
mediately in her estimation, for she could
read we'll enough
Thought you came from California u
| | was silent
"Where's those diamonds ~ she said,
peremptorily.
| held out my hand
''This | give you; this | take away.
| This give you and this take away" she
said, going over them half dozen times,
and wound up by leaving them all in
my had.
| Then she wrote on my card that | should
meet her, as she was going away from here;
and much other writing so lined and in
terined as to be illegible Then we babe
her goodbye though she was very 10th to
part with US.
A young and pretty faced girl attracted
my attention. She was from the East, the
janitor said and she continually talks about
her Jake who is coming to give her sixteen
kisses Poor, sad heart, hers is weary
| vigil she watches and wacthes, but Jake
never comes. One woman imagines she is
| Mrs. President Grant, and dresses herself
In all her finery she can find, and sits in
great state in little summer arbor. She
won't answer any one unless addressed as
| E'Mrs. Grant. One poor, simple creature,
at the ianitors request, sang for us. She
stopped in stanza to request us to tell her
step mother to send her sacque that
wouldn't wear out, as she was tired of
those that did The longer we stayed with
her the more numerous became her wants,
so we left in haste. As we were leaving
she informed one of the gentlemen in the
party that she loved him, though, to be
candid, [ do not think he was much de-
| lighted thereby.
1t would be impossible to tell Of all the
curious things these lunatics said and did.
| One must see them to form good idea of
what such place is. There on the island
they are very comfortable and we'll cared
for. They have hall of good size, with a
stage and a piano From time to time
companies from the neighboring city give
them volunteer entertainments, Anything
in which music has part they are plesscd
with. Fancifully dressed characters give
them writ delight, and the manner in which
they give vent to their appreciation is more
graphic than pleasing. From what we saw
on the Island, no effort seems spared to-
make them happy and eontented,
From the asylum we went to a portion of
the Island where they do not take such
great pains to make people comfortable
the workhouse. Presenting our tickets at
the office, we were motioned to door with
the wave Of the officials hand Entering
unacOnmpanicd, we found ourselves in a
vast building, open to the roof. The
massive walls were honeycombed with cells
three tiers high, the second and third tiers
being reached by narrow iron balconies.
In the centre is square building, for cook
ing and washing, with two wings running
right and left, being the mems and women 5
side of the prison. The wings being con-
structed in the manner described, they are
easily watched and guarded, and escape
from the building is simply impossible The
male convicts wear conpicuous striped
suit, and the females are also uniformed
! The men work upon the grounds, which
are kept in beautiful condition in the
quarries, and elsewhere, where the prison
authorities choose to put them. The wo-
men likewies have their duties to perform.
For punishment the ball and chain, dungeon,
short rations, &c, are effective weapons
against the evil disposed. In spite of all the
precautions convict occasionally escapes.
To either shore from the Island it is but a
short swim, and all many want is but the
smallest opportunity, and they will soon
breathe the air of freedom.
Taking hasty glance at the almshouse
and hospital, we made our way toward the
wharf, thankful from the bottom of our
hearts that We were confined with neither
the lunatics in the asylum nor the vicious
in the workhouse but were sound IN mind
and free in person, to continue our awy
unmolested. EDWARD PRIZER.
The test suit brought in the United
States Circuit Court by Phelps, Dodge q
Co. and other importers against Collector
Arthur, of New York, to recover moneys
paid under protest, as duty on tin plate