Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-13

In 1884, before the next session Of tho Legis.
lature. The law still provides that each
town may select its text book committee In
u manner similar to that provided In 1873, 80
that the several towns may all have different
text books, which would lead 20 great cOnfu-
sion and annoyance, The town committees
who selected the text books ia 1879 show.
ed more wisdom than the Legislature
that made the law, for In majority
of cases they held county conventions
of tow committees and adopted the SANE
text books in most Of The towns Of the towns
of the county. The Legislature has II IN its
power to TO justice to parents, teachers and
scholars by providing for q uniformity VI
school books throughout the State, and in
some way regulating the price Of them. 1t
is to he hoped that whoever, hereafter, de.
Cid,s upon the reading books to be used will
selcC, some that do not almost entirely ignore
speeches and selections of patriotic charac-
ter. The matter Of the reading books IN
school Influences the patliolc feelings aud
moral character of most Of the scholars
more than their instructions affect their
their style of reading. Many scholars get
no other reading of that kind. II is to be
hoped that the Revolution, the naval battles
of 1912, and the war for the suppression Of
the Rebellion will not be altogether crowded
out of the reading books in our common
schools
The state Prison.
The last Legislature appropriated twen-
~ thousand dollars Tor the purpose OF
rcbuildings and improving the Stale Pris IN
and its surroundings. The act pro, tiles for
constructing suitable drainage from the prison
10 the Connecticut river, for the construction
of Il new brick shop of sufficient capacity for
the employment of all bonvict labor and for
al ho al ht,il ah
suitable accommodation for the Supcrin-
tendent and officers of the prison, and
suitable quarters for female convicts.
This provides for almost the entire reno
deling OF all the buildings about the prison
except the two prisons and the new shop built
four years ago. The State Prison Committee
of that Legislature evidently came to the
same conclusion that every candid person
mnst have arrived at upon inspecting the old
building of that institution, viz. that the
two work shoys and the central building
were in every respect unfit and inadequate
for the purposes to which they were put and
that the system of drainage into an immense
cess pool in the rear oil the prison was a
means of breeding disease and death for the
inmates Of the prison and the surrounding
village Of Windsor. The buildings were old,
and had none of the COnvenicncps of modern
times. They were probably all that was re.
quircd at the time they were erected, but
public sentiment has advanced very much
IN respect to these matters, and to day de-
mands better lighted, better warmed and
better ventilated buildings, even for STATE
Prison couvcts than it did fifty years ago.
The State Prison directors have expended
the appropriation economically, yet with n
view to the enlightened public sentiment OF
the pre- sent day. The buildings will be found
to be substantial, convenient for the uses Ic-
quired, and if not ornamental, at least not AN
Oilcusc to good taste. The house Of the SUI
peiintendent is connected with the central
building of the prison, and his sleeping room
is in immediate communication with the
guard room by an electric alarm hell. The
central b1ilding Of the prison proper contains
the apartments for the female convic.s, the
matron and the assistants of the prison. The
guard room which is also in this building, is
so arranged that one keeper can see the cutirc
length of both wings of the prison, and have
the oversight of all the prisoners without
leaving that room. Considerable saving of
expense and great increase in the security
%. the prisoners is gained by this arrange
ment.
The new work shop, which takes the place
of the two old ones, is much better adapted
10 its purposes than the ones whose place ii
takes. Less guards are required IN it, and
the gain in health, comfort and cleanliness is
considerable. The engine is in the basement.
but the boilers are in building by them
selves, TO lessen the danger from accident.
The boilers are Of sufficient capacity not
only to run the machinery, but to warm all
the buildings, and steam pipes ARE now pu,
in so that the old system OF cloves and long
stove pipes, with the consequent dripping
and smell of SCOT. are done away with.
The directors have made Il new contract
for the labor of the Convic,s on much more
advantuga ous terms than the old one. AIN
satisfied that in the end the prison can be run
much more economically with its new build
ings and improved arrangements than ii could
be before with the old structures and incon-
yenicnt surroundings The prison now, in
It's buildings, its arrangements and superln-
tendcnce, will compare favorably with any
like institutions in the country, although the
whole establishment has cost the State but a
titllc of what such prisons cost most of the
States Of the Union. The sewer, built from
the prison to the Connecticut river, is III
every respect very satisfactory. The health
OF the prisoners is remarkably good, and this
favorable condition is due in Il great meas
ure to the complete disposal Of everything
Of filthy character by the sewer.
Al the time of the superintendcnts report
two years ago there were one hundred and
torty-two cOnvicts in the prison. When his
report was made for this session there were
but ninety-four. This is extremely crafty.
! ing, aud indicates some improvement in the
morals of the State, although part Of the
change may be due to u more prosperous
condition of business, and besides the House
of Correction takes few convicts that before
its erection were sent to the State Prison.
The House Of orrertiOn.
Now that the House of Correction il in
successful operation and doing its work SO
well, we can hardly realize that the State
could ever take care OF its criminals without
it. The old system OF commitments TO the
common ails was relic of barbarsm Then
the young. and those whose otfense was
slight misdemeanor, were thrust into prison
with those hardened in crime aud kept in
idleness that fostered every vice and encour-
aged every crime. To-day the young and
| those who have accidentally fallen into crime
do not herd with old offenders, and the time
Of all is occupied with industry helpful to
them and profitable to the State. The State
Prison, House of Correction and Reform
School give US three grades OF punishment,
with an attempt to reform the younger Of
tenders.
On the 3lst day OF july 1880, there were
sixty-six prisoners in the House of Correc-
ton and four in the Rutland County Jail,
which is in the same building and under the
same management Two years later there
were forty-four prisoners in the House OF
Correction and one in the Rutland County
Jail, making difference Of twenty-five in the
two years. This is gratifying.
The last Legislature appropriated six
thousand dollars to pay the debt which had
been incurred in building workshop and
making other improvements during the two
years previous, 1t also appropriated one
thousand dollars for building an addition to
the workshop. This addition has been built