The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-07-04
The Village of Windsor.

VISIT TO THE STATE PRlsoN-THE BUILDING,
THE INMATES, AND THE WORK THEY PER-
FoRM-THE WINDSOR HOUSE PAST AND
PREsENT--RE ETC.
The village of Windsor is one of the loveliest
among the many handsome places that dot the
hills and valleys of Vermont 1t is surrounded
by hills on one side and by mountains on the
other, while the Connecticut river bounds its
eastern border Nature has done much to
make the situation charming to the eye, while
the citizens of the town have improved upon it
in many respects. The streets are very broad
for a country village in New England, and,
what is still better, all are beautifully shaded.
The residences are, almost without exception,
surrounded by fine, spacious grounds, and many
of them secluded in bowers of trees from the
rays of the sun and the dust of the street
Evidences of wealth are abundant, and of con-
tentment everywhere. The mania for specua-
ton and business enterprise has not caught a
very firm hold of the public pulse or private
purse, as yet, although some little manufacture
ing is done in quiet, undemonstrative way,
which may be lucrative, although not con-
tagious.
Windsor has population of 2, 49, accord
ing to the last census, ranking fourth in size of
the towns in Windsor county and fifth in its
grand list is seventy-fOur miles from Montpe-
ler by rail, and is the junction of the Central
Vermont and the Sullivan railroads. Windsor
is mostly noted as being the site OF the
NhRMONT STATE fhlsON.
This institution, since the extended improve
| ments made upon the buildings under the act
| of the legislature OF 1880, is one of the best
| of its kind in the country and credit to the
state. The additions made in 81, under the
then board of directors, were greatly needed.
| The old central building, which was erected
away back in 1905 was taken down and new
| one forty-four by forty-sx feet, built in its
place. 1t is three stories in height with base
| ment and attic, and slated roof. The base
ment is divided into officers wash-room, din
| ing-room, kitchen, laundry, store-room, otfi-
GERS bathroom and female convicls' bath
| room. The first story contains guard-room
twenty by forty-four feet superintendents Of
| fee and keepers office. In the second story
| are the matrons sitting-room and chamber, Of
| ficer's reading-room and officers chamber.
| The third story has four rooms for female con-
| victs and separated from these by solid parti-
ton are two chambers for officers. The rooms
| for the female convicts are directly over the
| matron's room, and at all times under her SUI
pervision. The building is surmounted by a
| cupola in which is placed the bell. brick
| dwelling house has also been erected, directly
in front of the central building, for the use Of
the superintendent and his family, and con-
| nected by an arched passage way with the
guard-room, 80 that the superintendent can be
summoned, by means of an electric bell placed
in his sleeping-room, at a moments notice, il
| required. This house is forty-two by thirty
eight feet. two stories in height, and is a hand
| some improvement upon the prison quarters.
A new work shop has also been erected al
the opposite side OF the prison-yard, of brick
one hundred and forty by thirty-eight feet, two
stories high with basement. Here the con-
tract work Is performed by the convicts, which
consists entirely of the manufacture of shoes
| The labor OF all the convcts Is contracted FOL
| by Messrs. W. ID. Brackett a. Co. OF Stoneham,
| Mass, for the five years commencing August
8, 1881, at fifty cents per day for each man, the
state furnishing heat and power, by the use OF
two sectional boilers of forty horsepower each
and an engine Of thirty horsepower. The
work of making shoes is done almost entirely
| by machinery, and is both u novel and interest
ing sight. Each of the convicts Is required K
work at some part of the business, either peg
gng, soleing heeling or putting In the peg
and nails preparatory to putting them on thu
| machine. The uppers OF the shoes are made
outside of the prsion, and the shoes are theI
finished up here. From eighteen TO twenty
cases OF shoes are made per day-sixty pairs Il
| a case.
ON the day of our visit there were in the
prison eghty-six conyicts-six of whom are
imprisoned for life The lifers " are the fol
lowing: John Burns of Burlington, convicted
| of murder in October, 1868, sentenced to b,
hung and committed; James j. Snow Of st
Johnsbury. convicted OF murder in the seconC
degree; Horace X. Plumley of Rutland county
convicted OF murder in April 1869, SENTENCED
TO be hung, and committed; s, S. Woolley o
Newfane, convicted of murder in the seconC
degree in April, 1877; Sheldon Pond, acquitted