Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1878-01-16
ALOOK AT THE PRISON.

| Some business calling us to the Warm
Springs Hotel (Which is better kept than ever
before and to the hospitality of whose land
| lord the editor owes very hearty welcome)
we dropped in a moment to see how the Prison
prospers under the wardenship of Mr. Batter
man. ct is not the confession of a thoroughly
enterprising news prospector to admit that
this was our first visit to the Prison since Mr.
| Batterman took charge there; but such is the
| fact) We found Mr.. Linn at the gate and
the Warden at his desk in the office. We
were not on a tour of inspection but had drop
ped in incidentally; and so we took but hur-
red look at the new cordwainery and then
came away. This building, which has been
wholly erected under Battermans administra
ton, is a fine, solid-looking piece OF masonry,
which but for its barred doors and windows
would look like a commodious town-hall, or a
substantial village academy. We don't know
it's dimensions; but it is abundantly large to
accommodate the numerous body of men
working there and afford storage room to the
manufactured stock. Also the building is
complete within itself, being supplied with
water closets in both stories. The second
story is a delightfully."- pleasant room, wide,
high and airy From its windows the men
can look out on the mountains and the peace
full vale, the signs of freedom and the passing
incidents of out-of-prison life. Do these sights
$50 near and yet so far delight the minds of
these unfortunate men; or is the outlook an
aggravation to the sense Of restraint? The
present Warden has added about s. 900 worth |
of machinery to the establishment. The cases
for packing the boots, made with exactitude
of dimension and upon a thorough, box-mak-
ing system, are manufactured within the !
prison This building cost in money actually !
expended about 81 200. OF course the labor
at the quarry and on the walls would have
cost, if it had to be paid for, good deal more
than that sum- But the fact is that none but |
convict labor was employed upon it, and il is
needless to remind our readers that if the pris-
oners had not been engaged in that piece of
work they would most likely have been doing
much less profitable. None of the
shoe-shop hands worked on the new building
but kept right on in the old wooden sheds put
up under Hymans regime. 1t is of rough
astlers, like the Mint and the Capitol, and is
a sightlier building than any in Carson if we
except those two; and would cost, here (not
the possible value of any lot upon
which it might be erccted) at least SO 900.
In Reno such building would cost not less
han $50, 600 There is infinitely more archi-
ectural style and apparent strength and cor
'ectness of proportion about it than about any
,ther part of the prison. There are in San
Francisco two manufactures where boots and
hoes are made. each of which is on a more {
extended scale than this; but this prison shop {
lses better material and turns out better 5
Goods than any OF them. One of these CON
erns is that of the Hecht Bros. 4 more gen
raj visit and longer time and more explic-
tness expended in note-taking, and we can l
letter tell what General Batterman has done S
ince he was legislated into his new position.
We hope to be able, ere long, to make a care |
III and itenlized inspection and furnish forth l
more thorough report of the matters and 2
hings connected with that institution.