Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-02-11
Gurska uaiip 5eutiuel.
PRISON DIET.


The food prepared for the conviets in
the Nevada State Prison is very plain,
but wholesome and nutritious. The
smell of the big, hot loaves Of bread
baked to a beautiful brown for their
table makes the visitor to the Peniten-
tiary hungry. A little previous absti-
nence makes the mouth water at the
sight Of the great, juicy roasts OF tat
beef aanked by potatoes baked crisp IN
the gravy. Hard muscular labor in the
quarry takes the place of spices and
sauces that whet the appetite, and the
c~onvicts attack these substantial edlbles
and their coarse but toothsome accom-
paniments with an avidity that j" foreign
to any but a perfect stomach, and Is an
unknown sensation TO the epieure who
lives to eat. vet never relishes his dam
ties. What an excellent promoter OF
digestion! What a saultarium our State
Prison is Its diet, coupled with its
discipline, makes it a r~estorer OF health
superior in its physical effects to any hos
pital in which medicines are employed
for the expulsion Of disease. Not that a
peniteutiary may take the place OF an
intirmary or hospital in all respects; but
it brings The patient under the benehcent
remedies supplied by nature, regularity
of habit, muscular exercise and plain
food. What a marvellous cure 1t might
effect in the case Of many old ''bums,
opium 6ends, equity gourmands and such
others as have temporarily lost their
healthful vitality by excess and dlsslpa-
ton! The good behavior and the hy-
gienic laws enforced at the Pen;tentlary
act as a reiuvenator upon convicts OF
this sort cut off within its walls from the
enervating effects OF vicious stimulants
and degrading habits. Could the reform
in morals be as thorough the
State Prison would become a g]ioriied
institution, as r~estorer Of men to society,
recreation in body and in mind. To
speculate upon such a result, however, Is
Utopian. The vicious criminals, to whom
their bodily health and vigor are restored
against the will, fall into decentralization
afresh as soon as they are restored to
freedom. All the satisfaction to be de-
rived by the phiIauthropist from eonsid-
eriug the improved sanitary condition OF
the felon in prison is the pleasure merely
that any benevolent person feels IN see
ing a poor, diseased animal grow well
and fat again under the discipline OF
humane treatment. Nov, there is that
poor old forger, Major" Wilson, who IS
remembered for his scurvy confidence
tricks in Eureka, as a whisky bloat
and an abandoned old blk He has
been, or will be. sent from Reno to the
penitentiary at Carson. In a month or
two there will be some water instead of
all alcohol in his blood, and at the end OF
SIX months the blossom will doubtless
have entirely disappeared from his nose.
g.. What there is left OF him will be built
up again, and his few remaining years
might be of service to him, after his
term of Imprisonment is over, il vice
were not in his bones. Warden Bell
might experiment with the "Maior."
He is a good subject for the ladies and
clergy, who visit the Prison Sundays, to
pray and sing for. Could they bring the
''Maior' under the influence Of saying
grace. they would make their own call
inc and election sure.