Daily globe., 1878-02-02
IN STATE PRISON.
The Trip to saltwater Yestertay--Ihe
Younger Brothers--The Original Prison.
How 1t Looks TO-day--The Minnesota
Chief

The Trip to saltwater Yesterday--Ihe
Younger Brothers--The Original Prlson--
How 1t Looks To-day--Ihe minnesota
Chief.
.Put Yourself in his place:" and then
You'll "know how it is yourself was the
sensible conclusion of our Legislative
solons with regard to the visiting of at least
one of the public institutions of the State;
and so it was that both the Senators and
Members in body visited Saltwater and
the penitentiary yesterday.
The train was made up of St. Paul and
Duluth rolling stock, four regular passenger
coaches, smoking-car, and the elegant
company pay car-the latter for the ladies
and their attendants, who ''paired off, all
round, and just filled the sitting accommo-
dations.
Every car, in fact, was crowded to it's US
most capacity, owing to the great number of
members and attaches of the ''Third House,
of whom The GLOBE representative was
counted member in good standing but who
found himself surrounded by such ancient
and retired members as James Smith, Jr.
DR.. Day, F. r. Delano, VIM. r. Marshall and
others, from st. Paul.
The train left the foot of Sibley street
punctualy at one and half O'Clock, making
the run to White Bear in % minutes, there
a half of three minutes for wood and
water, and the balance of the run
to the city of the red shirts
being closed in equally creditable time. This
route took us down the long and picturesque
coolie, through which ripples the little
stream that gave the power to the old pioneer
mill at that point on the st. Croix, and
landed us Immediately at the door of the
mansion of the Younger brothers.
The three or four hundred excur-
sionists quickly alighted, passed with
in. the walls, and were soon pro-
miscuously scattered throughout the five OF
six acres of buildings and bee hives of in
dustry, known as the Minnesota Penitentiary.
No one in particular took the lead, but divi-
ding into three or four columns, the party
moved through and along on their meander-
ing tours as fancy prompted.
AS might be expected, the
THE YOUNGER BROTHERS
we're the centre of attraction, and, after
passing through the cell building and the
tub factory, your reporter also allowed
himself to be carried along with the press
ing tide into the presence of the noted out
laws. They were on the third floor front Of
the large stone building used for the manu-
facture of threshing machines, where the
three brothers work near together, occupy
ing one department. by themselves, riveting
leather betting, &C., &C., as part of the
finishing work on said machines.
When we approached them they were sur
rounded by crowded mass Of fully one
hundred PERSONS including a number of the
ladies of the party. The brothers stood near
together and back to back to each other,
while as many as could got near enough were
not only looking and commenting upon
them as if they were a group of patriot
heroes just returned from long and bloody
campaign in defense of their homes
and fresides, but were pouring in
upon them an endless strain of sentimental
inquisitiveness. But it must be said of the
villains that they bore it all with remarkable
complacency and good nature, giving
promptly civil answers to all civil questions.
All three are healed Of their wounds, and
doing regular manual days labor. ''A]l
this side of that line of posts,'' says Jim
Younger, ''is our work and work room, and
they call that the Mason and Dixon Line.''
"How many are there of you who work in
here?" asked some one. "Four of u.s.
"Who's the other one?" quickly queries the
inquisitor. 'O-the guurdr' innocently
responds MIR: Jim: One youngster from
Kandiyohi asked this same border ruffian,
GLOW long are you in here for?''
when Jim, giving his left suspender
little hitch and running his hand
through his light brown hair, replied
"About as long as live, I suppose He, as
well as the other brothers, acknowledged
their good treatment, good quarters and
food, and that they much preferred steady
work in the shops to confinement in cell or
ward.
Cole said they had plenty of books to read
in the prison, but that :swhen the daily
papers are handed to us all the sensational
items and articles have been scissored out
The general ramble through the various
departments gave each and all a practical
insight into the various phases of prison life.
There were very few, however, in their
cells and none that we knew of undergoing
any particular punishment OF restraint.
The prison grounds embrace about eight
acres, situated right at the mouth of deep
coolie, Ia miserable location little to the
north of the main city, with only the main
railroad tracks between the prison and the
Lake St. Croix.
This institution was originally located by
commission consisting Of John McCusick
Louis Roberts and Major Hatch during the
Territorial days of 1851. Messrs
F. r. Delano, Jesse Taylor, Jacot
Fisher and Martin Mower being the
first contractors under the original appro
priation of $4,000 from Congress, finishing
their work in 1853. Mr. Delano was after
ward appointed Warden of the Institution
which place he filled for five years, or VI
to the time of the admission Of Minnesota
as State and REIMBURSEMENT of RESPONSE
bility by the general governments
The old, but still comely and substantial
"Warden's house, which stands on the sid
of the bluff just outside of the inclosure, i
all that now remains of the work of tn
early contractors, and the only visible mon
ument of expenditure of the total sum 0
$4,000 received from Uncle Sam.
The whole place was bottomless bog
and thousands were spent in drainage an,
hunting foundations, which work does no
show at this time.
Since then the State has expended upo]
the Saltwater Penitentiary and grounds an,
the care of convicts, 100000. The presen
enclosure covers, as stated, some eigh
acres of ground, one-haf or two
thirds of which is covered by the necessar
buildings for workshops, factories, foundry
store-rooms, lumber stacks, ETC., not to fol
get the splendid fve-story cell building
where the industrious rascals cat and slee
in perfect safety.
eighteen feet high by four feet thick, wit
frequent openings in the shape of lony
barred windows, and such great gateways a
Tho 1r;1,o 1uov ard roilrood tracks roe,>oo+;,,c