The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-06-16


capacity for seven hundred persons,
and listened to . short address from
the warden, Major Hopkins. At the
commencement Of his address the
Major said he could truly say, - he
frequently heard the chaplain remark
to the conyicts on Sunday, II am glad
to see so many Of you here J" After
the exercises in the chapel we proceed
ed to the dining room and partook OF
bountiful dinner. After dinner we were
shown through the different depart
ments of the prison. Every one mani
tested surprise at the universal clean
illness throughout the prison and the
perfect discipline and system with
which it is managed. Major Hopkins
is undoubtedly the right man in the
right place. The prison yard contain
ing shops and other buildings, contains
ten acres and is surrounded by q wall
twenty feet high. 1t was first occu-
pied July IL, 1858. The prison build
ings proper consist of two cell houses
25Ox5O feet, each containing S44 cells.
The central building, between the cell
houses, is 6Ox83, feet aud four stories
high, containing offices, living rooms,
etc. The total number of persons who
have been convicted and served SELL
fences in the prison from Jan. l, 1867
to June l, 1862 is 3,OO8; discharged
during that period, 1929, leaving in
June l, 1882, 6S5. The
earnings of the prison are now greater
than its expenses, which is due to the
coal mine which is now operated IN
der the management of the prison.
The mine has not been worked quite
one wear, and yet there has been
mined 544, 255 bushels, of which 2Ol,-
600 bushels were furnished to state in
and the remaining 343, 255
bushels were sold at an average price
of cents per bushel. The total cash
outlay for producing the above
amount of coal was S9,17O. At three
O'Clock we took our leave feeling inn
pressed with the fact that the peniten-
tiary, as well as the press, Is an i'm
portant factor in civilization, and that
the management of the Kansas peni-
Tertiary reflects honor on its warden
and trustees.
From the penitentiary we ran up to
Fort Leavenworth, where we were
formally received by Gen. Pope, after
which we were escorted through the
numerous government buildings and
the beautiful groves. Here we were
given a concert by the military band
and the Knights Templar band, of Elm
poria, which accompanied the excur-
sion. We were then taken to Leaven-
worth and furnished quarters for the
night and after supper attended recep-
ton given by the citizens. Leaven-
worth, still the metropolis Of Kansas, is
a fine looking city, has beautiful loca-
ton and might have been, and we
think ought to have been, the city OF
the Missouri Valley. After being shown
round the city Thursday morning we
boarded our special Santa Fe train and
ran down to Wyandotte.
At Wyandotte we found carriages in
waiting to convey us to places in and
around the city. We first visited the
mammoth packing establishment OF
Fowler Brothers and PlankingtOn &
Armour, and were shown through all
the departments through which cattle
and hogs pass on their way to being
stored in tin cans and being put up in
mess pork and canvass hams. They
seem to utilize everything about cat
tie and hogs which they slaughter. ex-
cept the aroma, which filled all the
unOccupied space about the establish
ment, and none of our party had ever
been in the stock business enough u
| enjoy such ''smells." We were next
driven to the stock exchange and
stock yards, and after inspecting these
we were given a long drive through
the Suburbs" and taken to ARM
strong. We were informed of the fab
ulous prices that the men who owned
the "dirt" in the suburbs" were get
ting for it. Armstrong has been taken
under the protecting wing Of Wyan.
dotte and now forms the sixth ward OF
that city. In fact Wyandotte has
with her corprate limits more acres OF
land than Kansas City, aud confident
ly expects in the near future to "take
in Kansas City, Kansas, and two OF
three little manufacturing towns In Its
vicinity. The indications now are
that the great city of Kansas and Of
the West will be at the mouth of the
Kaw. Shrewd capitalists in Kansas
| CITY, Leavenworth, AtchisOn, anC
throughout the country have become
con WINGED of this fact and have made
investments accordingly.
Our drive" terminated at the State
Institution for the Blind, where we
were given grand open air banquet
After the feast we attended the eXer
cises of the graduating ::class at this
Institution, which were alike credita
BILE to themselves and the institution
The diplomas were presented to tn
graduates by Gov. st. John, who tolt
them that they should not feel tina
they had gained their education at thu
expense Of public charity, but to re
member that under the public schoO
system of our great commonwealth W.
guarantee instruction to every child IL
the State.
This institution was established il
1868, and had % pupils the first year
For IL years past the average attend
, ance has been from 50 to SIS, being q
many as there were accommodation
for. The Legislature appropriate
$40, 900 for a new building which j
, now nearly completed, when this il
done there will be room for LIS pupils
The course of study embraces the reg