The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-17
4 GREAT INSTITUTION.
The Pittsburgh work House Graph
calIJ Described.
Correspondence of the Register.
PITTSBURGH, April IA

OF Lu6 CITY, ne shlQ LuhL uS "Ouiu lhhe
pleasure In helping me in any manner he
could. He advised me TO visit the county
work house, and on expressing a desire
TO do so. furnished me with tickets OF
admission TO that institution, and also
passes up the West Pennsylvania Road.
l was accompanied by Mr.. :. q. Nc
FeeIy, OF the Steubenville Gazette, and
Mr.. j. a. Plattenburg, of the hancock
county, wv. Val Courier. We three
repaired to the depot on Federal street,
Allegheny, and embarked. The work
house is located at Clsremont, nine miles
up the Allegheny river. There
are number, OF fine buildings
on the route up, and among
them the new water works OF Pitts
burgh. 1t is not yet finished, but will be
an immense affair when il is. The building
is brick and is about four miles from the
city on the Pittsburgh side of the river.
The hill where the reservoir is situated Is
one of the hic hest in that region, and
caused me to think of the grand old hills
of the little state of West Virginia.
Arriving at CIsremont we saw before
US an immense structure, built Of stone
and brick, and covering about fifteen
acres OF ground. We passed up grav-
eed walk through beautiful grounds, TO
the main entrance, where we were met
by the uperintendent, Mr.. John l..
Kennedy. He invited Us into the Office,
and when we Lad presented our per.
mits from Mayor EiddeIl and our
cards, informing him the object Of the
visit, he welcomed us very cordially, in
curing il we had had dinner. Upon
replying that we had not, be ordered
dinner 10 be prepared for US, stating that
he would not be able to furnish US with
many luxuries, but that we were well
come TO what the establishment afforded.
We were then ushered into the dining
room, which is about 40 feet in length by
20 in width. The edibles consisted OF
roast beef potatoes, corn, beans, bread,
butter and molssses, and excellent tea
and coffee to drink. We inquired OF
him if the prisoners were furnished with
that kind Of fare, and he replied that
they were, save that meat was
only given them twice a day.
After we had appessed our hunger and
returned to the office, Mr.. Kennedy in.
troduced US to his clerk, Mr.. Thomas K.
Emerson, and then excused himself,
stating that he had TO 90 away on
business. Mr.. Emerson furnished US
with cigars, and after chatting over
them Tor some time, during which he en-
lightened US in the system OF running
the institution, be called the captain OF
the guard Mr.. Casper Gang, and re-
quested him to snow US through the
building.
The captain conducted US first into the
bakery, where eight men were busily en-
gagged in working the dough into
loaves and placing them in pans
ready for the oven. The -four
it was made from was as nice and white
an article as we ever saw. There were
three ovens with iron doors, each one
capable of holding about one hundred
losyes Of bread.
From thence we went 10 the shoe shop
and found about dozen men engaged
in working the leather up into shoes.
lie then conducted US 20 the keg !actc-
rv, which is in q long two story building.
Here We found numborless pieces Of ma
chinery all adapted to the business, and
worked by men who thoroughly under
stood their uses. 1t is all run by steam
power, which is furnished by two large
powerful engines. There were between
three hundred and fifty and toLr hun
dred men At work, and they were all
busily engaged. We inquired of Capt.
Gang if he did not have some difficulty
IN keeping the men at work, and he re-
piled that, very rarely. He said that
they had q task to perform, which was
very easy, and if they failed to do that,
Their meat was taken away from them,
and if they made any over the amount
they were allowed pay for 1t and the
money given them after their term had
expired. The modes Of punishment are
81! light, the authorities relying more
upon kindness and just treatment as
mode of discipline rather than harsh
The only severe mode Is the
dungeon, 1t consists of dark cell built
into the wall, that only has faint ray
light, which we thought would serve more
to aggravaIe persons desire to get out
into the sunshine once more than TO ale
mo1otony OF the darkness. There
were four OF them in all, neither Of them
having sn occupant st the time
We we're then taken INTO the building
where the cells were, in which the pris-
oners are locked up for the night. The
rooms are three stories in heighLh, with
three tiers OF cells running along the
side. The walls are whi:eWaghed, and
they are furnished with q cot bed, one
chair and hooks TO hang the clothes
upon. Everything Is neat and clean,
showing that it is well managed.
The female department Is similar 20
that OF the male the only difference be-
Ing that in the working department they
had different modes Of employment.
Some were sewing, some washing, some
cleaning the wood work, &c, &c.
There were about FIVE hundred persons
confined IN the place, and Mr.. Gang
said that it would average tbs! the year
around.
Our party then adjourned once more
to the office, and It being near tram time
the Captsin furnished u, with more
cigars, and accompanied Us TO the depot,
where we met and we're introduced By
aim to the Chaplain, Rev. D. NJ Thorn,
WHO was going down to the city. The
trsln Just then came putting up, when,
aner thanking Csptsln Gang for bis
courtesy, and requesting MIN 10 present
our thsrks to Superintendent Kennedy
aad Clerk Emerson, We got aboard and
stesmcd away for the city.
We were fourtunste n being seated
with Rev. Stoneon the way down. He
il a very pleasant, agreeable gentleman,
well posted on al curren. topics, snd a.
though taking no active part in politics,
il deeply interested in everything thsI
pertains to the welfare OF the country.
we hsd not talked with him very long
before We discovered thst be was =
Democrat, and beng little surprised to
Lnd one with such sentiments in the
position OF chaplain OF the work house OF
Allegheny county, We proceeded 10 draw
him out. He is in isvOr of silver re-
mouetization, but thinks the bill lately
passed will be Of no practical benefit from