Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-01-04
The County Workshop.

| The County Commissioners have made careful
and thorough examination of all matters connect.
| ed with the county workshop, and find everything
satisfactory.
| The hired help consisting OF Superintendent
Durham, one cutter, and three journeymen, assist
ed BY some fourteen inmates, quietly at work,
each in his appropriate place, and the business OF
the shop is carried on in systematic and orderly
manner. All the convic.a employed take kindly
to their labor appear interested in it, and desrous
to improve. As they become experienced in the
work, and accustomed to the business, less hired
labor will be required, and OF course the financial
phase Of the enterprise will improve.
OF the salutary influence ofwell directed. useful
labor on the moral well being OF the inmates the
Commissioners have the fullest confidence.
Inmates have an hour for dinner at which time
they can smoke if disposed. No smoking is allow
ed in the shop and no conversation except such as
relates to the work. All persons having business
with prisoners arc required to sec them through
the Jail Office.
Labor commenced in TIE shop in June, and
there were manufactured in season for the fall
trade l67 cases Of mems and boys thick and kip
boots The instructions of the commissioners to the
superintendent were to buy the best stock in mar
ket and make the best boot that could possibly be
produced by hand labor exclusively How well he
has succeeded can be Judged as the boots have been
sold from Portland to Prcsque Isle, and have been
pronounced by every dealer, without exception,
who has handled them, to be the best boot offered
them this season.
Since wor!, on boots was suspended there have
been made twenty dozen pairs OF mems red slip
pers, and the same number of kip hrogans.
Since this.memoranda was made up, Dec. Il,
some fifty dozen more of brogans have been made,
which give excellent satisfaction.
More convict labor can be employed on present
work, than on boots, and thus greater proportion
of work be done by them.
Some of the inmates have made wonderful prog
rcss in their several departments. One fnisher
sentenced for six months is an accomplished work
man. Two bottomers are doing work that would
do credit to journeymen and two closers are dill
gently and quietly plying the awl, doing work good
enough to afford them an honest living in future.
The most pleasing feature about the shop is the
quiet and cheerful attention that all appear to give
to their work.
The Superintendent, F. b. Durham, Esq, is
master Of his business, and is giving excellent sat
staction in all The various and often perplexing
duties Of his position. He has the fullest conf
dence in the enterprise and is in full and enthusi
astic sympathy with the objective point, viz, the
moral improvement Of the inmates.
The Treasurer will report the sum of SS3i3G9,
as paid out on account of the shop. Of this sum
there has been paid for stock >5olG.i9 and for la
Dor, S2346li, making S73G2.63, Goods sold and
stock and goods on hand S14G099 leaving a small
ance in favor Of the operation. The balance Of
the amount reported BY Mr.. Starks SeSl06. has
been expended fer tools, machinery, furniture and
repairs, which remain as parr Of the permanent
investment. No charge has been made for inter-
est thus far, but in future the commissioners
are confident the shop will pay all its legitimate
expenses and something more.
Matters at the shop have added materially to
the labors of the commissioners, and as a conse-
quence to the expenses of their office.
Considering the unfavorable circumstances un-
der which the enterprise has been prosecuted, such
as hard times, low prices of goods, short sentences
of convicts, and the popular prejudce against
prison labor. the above is not bad showing for
the first six months.
The commissioners most le2pectiully yet urgent
ly ask the public 10 Judge OF the enterprise with
out prejudice, purely upon It's own merits, and TO
give to il the moral influence OF its sympathes
until it can he fairly and satisfactorily tested.