, 1878-09-19

were cutting out clothes, others were
working on sewing machines, and
Others were sitting cross,lrgged or
the table plying their trade. The
third room in this story is a large
square apartment which has been
used all last winter and spring as a
chapel, and very interesting have the
services been which were held there
under the auspices of Rev. Mr.. Mitch
ell, the prison chaplain, many of the
|prisoners have excellent voices, and
Iit was really touching to see these
men in their uniform prison dress
with large numbers in white or red
paint upon their backs, uniting to
gether in those beautiful, simple
tunes from the Moody and Sankey
hymn book. From the chapel, We
followed our conductor to the shoe
factory, which consists of two large
rooms in the second story of another
stone building. Both Of these rooms
were full of machinery and prisoners,
all, both the animated and the inan.
innate, busily engaged in the manu-
facture Of shoes. Every part of the
shoe is done by machinery, with the
exception of few stitches in the in
step which are put in by hand, and
the shoe lacing, a narrow strip of
leather hand cut, and finally the
polishing of the shoe by hand, when
completed. Every shoe, before it is
finished, goes through twenty ma
chimes and more than that number Of
pairs of human hands. The average
number Of shoes per day manufac-
tured here is one hundred and fifty
pairs. Most of the shoes worn by
the soldiers of our army, are made
by the prisoners Of Fort Leaven-
worth prison. Under the shoe fac.
tory is the laundry where the prison
ers' clothes are washed. First they
are placed in huge boilers run by
steam, where they remain about
three hours to become thoroughly
cleansed. Then they are run through
wringing machine, afterwards
ironed by another machine, and final
| ~ hung on clothes horses, which run
on rollers, and. pushed into heated
chamber where they are quickly
dried and ready for use, this whole
process taking at most but five or six
hours. On the same floor, next to
the laundry, are the bathrooms OF
the prisoners and their guards. In
the bathroom for prisoners are two
rows of tubs, both supplied with hot
and cold water, and between each
tub are racks with clean towels on
them, and cakes of CASTLE soap. All
the prisoners are required to battle
often. The guards bath room has
two tubs in it and on the walls were
hung pretty pictures. Iquite covet
ed these excellent facilities for bath
ing, for, with the exception of the
houses of General Pope and his staff
and those Of the prison officials, none
of the quarters here are provided
with such luxuries as bath tubs, mucl
less with hot and cold water pipes
In the lower story of the fourth
stone building is the blacksmith shoE
where all articles used about the
prison buildings are made, such as
hinges, nails, screws, &c.
| Above the blacksmith shop is the
chair factory, where we were very
much interested in seeing with what
rapidity the different parts of the
chair were sawed out, pIaned, turned
and bent by steam to the requisite
shape. Each company at this post
are supplied with these chairs which
are substantial as well as good look.
ing. At present they are fulfilling an
order for 1000 chairs to be sent
to the different posts in the
army. The fifth building we entered
is two. stories high and built Of wood.
1t is the guards barracks, and the
accommodation for them are very
comfortable, if not luxurious. These
are considered the finest barracks in
the army. In the cellar of this build.
ling are two cells called dark cells in
which are kept the worst prisoners,
while in these cells, the inmates are
not allowed to converse with any
one, we asked permission to examine
the cells, the narrow dark oell' hav-
ing mysterious fascinating sound
to us daug t'rs Of Eve, but Mr.. Cla-
gin said it would hardly do for ladies
to examine them.
The most inviting Of all these
buildings is the HosPIrAL, which we
next visited. This is a low one.sto-
risd building Of red brick, with large
wings on each side, aud beautiful