The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-28
THE STATE pENITENTIAny,
Its Capacity and Mnnngcment-'on'
dItion Of Prisoners and The NcceA.
silly for More Prison Facilities

Correspondence OF The Herald,
HuNrsyILLE, April "a, 1850,
Huntsville, where one Of tho State pen-
tentiarics is located Is pretty little place,
1ho capital of Walker county. II IL stu.
ated In tho timber with n heavy growth Of
oak, hickory md other iimbers, peculiar TO
Mo sandy region Of the State all about H. II
10 conveniently laid of and Is built
up with commodious and substantial
business houses and neat handsome, com.
Portable dwellings II hns tho mir of quiet
retired, wcll-to-do country town, content in
business way with the trade Of tho country
immediately surrounding II, Having been
the home Of Sam Houston In his Lifetime,
the State Normal school named in romem-
brance Of him Is located here, and adds no
httln TO the importance Of the place. This
institution seems TO be progressing salisiac-
torily, accomplishing the ends for which il
was founded--tho education of teachers Of
both sexes ut the expense of tho State, that
they may be fitted to Mke charge of tho free
schools But rs the object OF this letter is
to treat Of the
STAIR PESITENTIARY,
Here located, | will at once enter upon that
theme The walls of the ponitentlary aro
77S feet by 500 feet, enclosing nearly nine
acres of ground. Inside of these walls are
the prison cells, $50 in number, and the work
shops, in which the various industries of the
prison are carried on. The cells aro most
substantially and solidly built, that they may
DO strong ms well MS warm in winter They
are small in size allowing only room for
narrow bed aud small space for the prisoner
10 sit or stand in. In the winter time the cor
ridors between the rows of cells aro warmed
with stoves, which furnishes suf-
flcent heat to make the
oels very comfortable. In tho summer they
are hardly ventilated sufficiently. The dining
hall is large and oommodlous, and the kilch-
en- Is supplied with al the appliances for
convenience and cleanliness. The cooking
is most excellent, the food for tho prisoners
being always wholesome, ample in quantity
and prepared as it should be to insure
health. The
BILL oE FARE,
As before stated, is not Only abundant for
the wants of every prisoner but it is varied
and of frst.class quality. For breakfast
thore is pure coffee, with sugar for those
who use II, an excellent article of
molasses, corn meal or flour bread,
potatoes, bacon or beef; for dnrer, soup,
bacon or beef navy beans, potatoes; all the
vegetables that are in season and corn or
1inur bread, dried apples or rice; supplies
oou. stS s"u Sn o,u"st , uA'ePl 'nat mere
NV 1900 ,,ns, WIN ano prs W. OF
rarnoi w urn i ho'' 'no Wwh VI huht,,
M, ~ s"auuu 70 o'''s'n'eu wnere az
snv nv ,a,'uu' "''e ou .li's iar'h 'oe
n iie = a "n tno "'' ~, ior 'ae prison u'e
En-. .,iaue, 70 "''J lasuu inero Is a'so nos
R'M "n1 - ',.n p',somors a,e cared LOT;
ms - u a,Se ,oVhl wen tent'a,eu ana we!
iurhisneu wnere inc SICK nave the very bet
Of medical attention 1S, md careful nursing,
anu 'ney my w"'onou m'er WIN assluuous
care pom W 'no lessees ana cuperlntend-
ent, that tney may not want in anything
heVe's'uy WI '"e'r "e''-oe'hg ana comfort
I'm o"AL
is neat, AIRY, well lighted, well furnished
nall, where every sunday the prisoners have
gospel minlstratlons and are taught the pre-.
cepts OF morality, virtue and religion. Moral
suasion, kind and just treatment are the
agents used In the government of the prison,
PUNISHMENT
nlovor ho;nc rooor,oa % ,,ho,, ,,
~ WhaSsvsr ,Se Io, h'en nea', % a'o'a
sa.o os sbsoln,a noco.s;,y hn usyt ~ Is y
mu,;Or "nd !, ia movos s1 oiOHsns aOoua pS
Nv nrdor " OF tSa Roara " ~. n;ua oNSep'
AL csll ana sT IN . nV"'G ~ Dmeo.Sn' NV
sra 40 n,, 'au ~ ,",u i.ae.s 'ns s'ocNs'
T. n sno Ss's pGn'sn'nents, aid lne one
An. ~ " nv . usv y M en.Iy OF osu CON
nth ia.s no p liz RECORD Oh oenaVlor,
behavior II Is fsoi So,ssv s,me LOT sO"dI