New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-04
THREE TENNESSEE TOPICS.
SCHOOLS, CONVICT LABOR AND SETTLERS.

1
| Tracy Cry. Tenn. Dec 21.-This little noun
tain town Is interesting TO the traveller on more
than one account II has the only coal mines in the
| South that are extensively worked. Over three
hundred penitentiary convicts are employed IN
these Mines and the place affords therefore, an OPP
portunify for examining the system OF leasing con-
Wet labor SO generally adopted By the Southern
State Governments since they fell into the hands OF
the Democratic party, and so strongly condemned by
| people who look at the matter from philanthromc
| point of view. Besides, there are large tracts of
wild plateau lands in the immediate vicinity OF the
town which, from their cheopness and the sau-
| brity of the climate are attractive to Northern
men who wish to settle in the South
Other points of interest are the fine views
one gets while coming up the mountain side on the
railway which climbs to the brow Of The plateau,
and the ambitions University Of tho south at
Suwanee, a village created BY the school, about
twelve miles from Tracy City / am sorry the
achievements of this institution have not been com
mcnsnrate with the ambition Of its founders, which
was to build mp OF the high. healthy, picturesque
tabie-land of the Cumberland Mountains the
greatest seat Of learning in the Southern States
Only portion of the endowment funds subscribed
have been paid in, and the attendance Of strtens
has, am told, declined nearly one-half during Tho
past three years, largely account of the yello"
many homes IN the communities from which the
University draws it's principal support. The instr
tuition still maintains high grade Of scholarship,
and NAV hope, now that better times have come TO
the South as well as to the North to regain at least
its former measure of prosperity. 1t is under the
control of the Episcopal Church, and its term times
aud vacations arranged IA to best SUIT students
from the far South. The boys study all Summer
when it is cool and healthy here in the mountains
and hot and siclly in the lowlands of the South.
and 60 home for their long vacation Just before the
Christmas holidays.
have obtained much information about the
way the cOnvicts are worked and treated as c0uid
be got IN few hours stay. All the men sentenced
to the tennessee Pententiary ieased to single
frm for $40 GEO year. The State is at no charge
on their account save for the salaries of inspectors
the contractors being bound to receive the prison.
ers when convicted by the courts, transport them to
the places of confinement, feed cloth and guard
them Formerly the price paid the state was
$50 600 and the State paid the cost OF transporta
tlon but at the last letting the competition was
sharp and the price run up under the idea that
a great deal of money could be made out OF convict
labor The contractors Gre bound to keep men
sentenced Tor murder rape and arson, in the State
Prison. at Nashville They also employ there
nch prisoners as are not strong enough TO do severe
|
a company working mines in East Tennessee, a few
are employed on a cotton plantation III the western
mart of the state, and the remainder work III the
mines and about the coke ovens at this place. or
the 80 convicts here only thirty-fye are whites
There are FIVE female prisoners, who aIe Kept busy
mending and darmng. / found only four men IN
the hospital to-day, and they had nothing worse
than bad colds. The healthfulness Of the force IS
remarkable considering the hard bic OF labor IN the
mines all day and close confinement III cells at
night. The prison is rude affair, consisting Of
high wooden buildings surrounded by high plank
stockade The narrow muddy spaces between the
buildings afford very little room for outdoor re-
creation. Judged by a Southern standard tolera-
BILE degree of cleanliness is maintained. Supper
was on the tables i'm the dining hall as looked
through the prison. For each man there was tin
plate full of stewed potatoes, big square chunk
OF corn-bTead, and pint cup OF coffee. One OF the
guards said meat served for breakfast and din
uer | went 20 the mine entrance with two Of the
contractors to the prisoners march to the stock
ade They came iii confused hucdle-a black
threatening cloud of Misunderstanding negroes,
with here and there a white man. whose face was
so begrimcd with coal dust as to be almost as black
AZ the rest. Eight armed with donble-bor-
relied ebot-guns guarded the 'front.' flanks and rear
The dismal procession halted near where we stood.
and could see by closer inspection of the prls
opers' faces that most of them were OF the lowest
and most brutal tyne of negroes. few wore fet-
ters "These" said of tho contractors, are
long term men. The motive to escape Is so much
greater with them that we have TO take extra pre-
cautions" noticed a number or men IN the striped
garb of convicts working around the coke ovens
without any guards. ..
"Why don't those fellows run away ~ asked
Because they don't want to-" the contractor re-
Piled 1--WE have about thirty whom We never
What can make man contented with such a
life as they leadT
II don't know. The negro is curious animal.
| These men are attached to the place. Probably
they never got much eat before in their lives
When their terms are mp they will hire out to us
as free Iab0rers in order TO remain here"
The contractor said the miners worked ten hours
| a day in Sumner, and nine in Winter. They had
their tasks and If they got out more than the pre-
scrbed number Of bushels they were paid for the
extra amount. About fifty dollars week was
usually paid tas extra w0rk money; Ihere was
very little trouble about discipline he said, and
punishment was seldom necessary. hear no
charges of cruel Treatment. Fortunately for the
convicts in Tennessee the lessecs are entenen OF
humane feelings and the contract system Is there
fore seen here at its best Even under these CIR
cumstances, the fact that it is Inherently bad
system begins to be appreciated by the people OF
the State and it will probably be abolished at the
end of four years when the present lease expires
The vice Of the system is that the cOnylcts are
brought under no reiOrmatOry Influences III they
escape barbarous treatment. their prison life Is no
more elevatIng 10 the moral nature than that OF
mule and at its close they turned loose upon
society more dangerous men than they were before
their punishment began.
Tracy City Is the best point of departure for
ing large portion of the Western side of the Cum
bertrand Plateau An investigation OF the quality of
the wild lands cOnvinces that they are of nearly
[ he same quality all parts of the Plateau save
where small of sandy plains or rocky ridges
are encountered Hundreds Of thousands of acres |
are In the market al prices ranging from tty cents
to two dollars acre. Ii is however difficult TO
ascertain who the real owners are, the grants and
surveys are so entangled. The only safe way for n
pnrcr is by investigation of county rec
ord. that he has good chain OF titles gong back
OF 1888, and buys from man who has held |
undlsputed possession of the property for
over seven years. Most Of the grants sold |
in the East are worthless / am still Of
- a. ID fha