Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-10-17
Onr State Prison.

On Tuesday Of last week, through the courteous
invitation Of Hon. G. NJ. spauldng first director
of the State Prison, we had the privilege Of visit
ing this institution on tour Of inspection, in com
pany with n number Of state officers and press
The party comprised Governor
Fairbanks Ex-Governor Peck, State Treasurer
Page, Auditor Iadd, Hon. Samuel Huntington OF
Burlington, chairman Of the late senatorial COM
nttee on the State Prison, Directors Spaulding
and Pettigrew, Hon. @. G. Benedict Of the Bur
ington Free Press, c. s. Kinsley. Esq, Of the
Burlington Clipper, G. NJ. Stone Esq, of the Gale
ionidn, and J. NJ. Poland Of the wATcHMAs.
Tho day was one Of the gloomiest OF the season,
but after ride OF about four hours we found our
selves safely ensconsed under the hosptable roof
Of the Windsor Hotel, when, after dispatching an
ample dinner we were transported to the less in
vting walls OF the prison.
The management OF this institution, NJ our
readers will recollect, has often been made sub
ject OF criticism in our columns, and 1t was rather
with feeling Of prejudice than Of favor that we
set out upon our tour We had heard from so
many different sources Of the bad fare, the inhu-
name treatment and the many unnecessary hard
ships to which It's unfortunate inmates had been
subjected that we confess, we felt ourselves hardly
able to be impartial in the matter.
THE PRISON AND CELLS.
The prison is delightfully."- situated upon an ele-
waited plateau in the village of Windsor, and Its
walls enclose a space Of about two acres. On en-
tering the prison we were ushered into large
corridor, in which are one hundred and four cells,
Its center, and arranged in four tiers,
one above the other. These cells form n solid
mass of masonry and are guarded when the pris-
oners are in their quarters by four guards. Each
cell is four feet by eight, and contains cot bed
and stand Very many Of them are handsomely
adorned with such pictures and fancy work as the
prisoners can obtain or manufacture, a large num-
Der Of the prisoners, when otherwise unemployed,
spending their time in making inad boxes and
other articles Of Establishment. We made a
thorough inspection Of each Of these cells. They
were uniformly neat and wholesome. The mat
tresses were comfortable, their covering ample,
and general appearance Of neatness was visible
throughout the whole. Perhaps 1t might ~ well
be stated here as elsewhere that our visit was en-
tirely unknown TO the resident officers Of the
prison, until the morning Of our advent there, 80
that they could have had no chance to " fix up the
prison for inspection II was on that day just as
it is any other, as we were informed by the off,
GERS of the prison and numerous prisoners.
THE cooK-RooM
After thorough inspection of these quarters,
we were escorted into the kitchen. Here the i'm
provements made under the new direction of the
institution were Immediately apparent. A fine
new range had recently been completed. Samples
of wheat and brown bread which had just been
taken out OF the oven were tested and were GER
tainly as good as any we have ever tasted-not
excluding the exceptionally good bread we used
to get in the army. The meats furnished were
thoroughly examined and pronounced by better
judges than we to be wholesome and palatable.
BY this time it began to dawn upon us that pos
sibly the management of the prison was not as
bad as we had been led to believe, We were not
yet convinced, however There were other places
yet unexplored, where possibly " rotten things in
Windsor" might still be discovered
THE HOSPITAL.
From the cook-room we went into the hospital,
where we found six cots, with two remarkably
bright-loolSing boys as occupants Of two. They
were rapidly convaescing and evidently had
every attention-physical, mental and moral
which their condition demanded Since the re-
cent improvements in the supply of water and
drainage although the latter might be greatly
improved yet-the number of inmates of the
hospital has gradually decreased, out of total OF
one hundred and fifty-seven prisoners, from six.
teen to two. No prisoner has died since Febru.
AIRY, and the decrease in the amount OF sickness
has been very marked. In this building, which was
constructed in 1875, are also fiftysix cells, three
of which are kept for prisoners in solitary confne
ment, which Is now the only punishment resorted
to in the institution. 1t IL an ugly punishment
enough, however, as a tenancy Of one of the cell'
for about two minutes fully disclosed to us; ant
refractory indeed must be the prisoner who refuses
to succumb to such course OF treatment.
THE WORKSHOP
From here we passed into the workshops. Tn,
labor of the prisoners is let To Messrs Mawhinne,
& Co.. of Charlestown. Mass. large manufacturer
OF ladies and children's shoes At the time o
our visit the hard times had depressed the de
mand for goods that only about one hundred o
the conviets were actively engaged. There wer
a number Of others, however, waiting in thei
ordinary places of labor for "revival of bust
hVHS' Inns woo " hi''Ni nh'p wa
chinery OF the most approved pattern is used il
every department The men are forbidden t
speak or communicate with one another and un
der the watchfu eye of the overseer each maj
manages to perform in day more work than W
haVeseeh IN other less guarded esuloishmehts
'he result vi TWO uaSs Iaoor' ihese CONVICT
turn o"' iroh eie'eh 10 hi'eeh huhureu pairs
snoes per uay, III" COST 10 tue contractors ior Ia
Dor vi iro'i iour l" e'sn' cents per pair whic'
"'"'" certainty see'' !" 'es'e "'nPio 'n"isin ~
prom. " cue 'o'''"''''s ine '"'eS Vi oon"peis'
''oi' io' "'oo' ,''o ''o" ''''e' nun 'n'''y-"
Vo"'s pe. u"s 'o' cav" p''Sone'' "s 1t s'oou las
year 10 'or'y cents ','s ye,r-'ne contractors en-
pioSi"s an 'ne o""'io'S VINO "ie III oonu'''on
i"por' anu suffering themselves ~hen 'ney nav
not "orA enough 10 Keep 'ne,h eihp'oyeu' IN
'N Wv $40
.s"..s '''' VI
'''i''''
THE CHAPEL
From there we maze nasty visit 10 the tailor
SHOP where the mems clothing is made and re
pared ana To the chapel, In the latter OF which
in addition to divine service is held an evenin
schoo, for tho ;rstr,ctiop of sucb oon,ic,s ma dc
w
sire 10 "al themselves Oh i's advantages III thi
school reading and writing are taught by sue
conyicts AS are eapable of 20 doing and are willip
-. A.. -