Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-11-07
TIE FOLSOM PRISON.
A Correspondent Gives his Impression OF
the Place and It's Surroundings.

A Correspondent Gives His Impression Of
the Place and It's Surroundings.
EDS. REcoRD-UNIoN Those who located
the Folsom State Prison did not have in view
the idea of making the coming convict in love
with his enforced abiding place. They did
not calculate on his becoming weaned from
the place OF his birth nor did they endeavor
to create within his soul longing to revisit
the scenes of his atonement for deeds done in
days of his freedom. Conceive of q forest Of
scrubby trees hanging to the sides of scrubby
hills, down whose broken slope Time has
plowed deep, wide gulches, and walled them
up with the widest of rocky masonry, and
f1onted it with o river, Insignificant st this
time Of year, whose oozy current creeps redly
and noiselessly away from this home OF all
things homely, down to the sea, and the place
plays through the readers mind with fever.
phantom vividness. Let this scrub oak aud
pine pastoral photograph itself on his mind,
and straightway he views the land wherein Is
sited the branch prison.
On the side of ravine that was then in
itself synonym of perfect ugliness and eter.
nal unftness, was raised large and beautiful
e
and lasting as the everlasting mountains.
From quarry close by the great stone was
clipped and dropped into walls with one
swing of the derrick, until three high stories
were towering over the gulch, and a length
of five hundred feet by eighty broad ran
back towards the head of the ravine. The
building clung to the hillside like the bsronial
masonry on the precipice-banks of the castled
Rhine, and the roadway leading to the en-
trance was rough and hard as the way of the
transgressors who were destined to people its
cells.
Several hundred convict recluses were
transferred to he cloisters of the penal mon
astery and initiated into the work of redeem
ing these courts from their wild hideousuess.
The Warden took upon himself civil engi-
neering powers, and mined the bills until the
surface of the place assumed something of a
horiz lntal appearance, and order began to be
disclosed by every blow of the pick and drill.
In forming the perpendicular sides of the
earth walls, the stone blocks were dug out
and swung into position where masonry was
needed, thus killing two birds with one great
piece of granite.
A trip to this strongh hold ia full of interest !;
the visitor first finds himself within horse
shoe of sentry posts, where Gatling guns and
Winchester rifles look menacingly in all di-
rections. Once inside this circle of firearms
his personal responsibility entirely ceases
The State takes full charge of his being and
strong interest in his further actions, see-
ing that he makes no contraband commuuica-
tions or presentations to her wards. Under
the supervision of keeper he is at liberty
to go wherever he chooses.
The front end of this long building is two
half-octsgonsl towers of rough stone, the
window and door-sills being dressed. A
L.
on whose threshold the convict leaves all
hope behind, for there he meets the Warden,
and his initiation into that officials family
and into suit of striped clothes is double
degree soon conferred. A number and cell are
then assigned him, and he takes his place
within the silent walls of civil death.
The prisoners are called up st o'clock A.
NJ, and after their little housekeeping duties
of cleaning up the cells, they are unlocked for
breakfast. Each man lines-up in his place,
and with hand on shoulder, down they
go. Without the least confusion.
800 men take steady tramp to the eatiog
hall. There the officer of the watch takes
his position overlooking the large room, like
the chairman in convention, and with a dig
ni6ed tap of his gavel seats the body. So
admirably is the order maintained, and so
we'll are these men drilled in their move
ments, that it seemed as if they eat by rule !;
that this host of jaws rose and fell in per-
feet uniformity of motion. Meantime the
guards for the prison are all posted on the
hill overlooking the grounds, the csnnons
trained. and everything prepared to check
any break for liberty. After the meal the
men again line up for egress. Each man, as
he passes through the double gateway into
the outer yard for labor, is Tailed by two
keepers, and his whereabouts during the day
is watchfully known to these officers. Should
convict wish to enter the building he IS ad
mitted ct the first door, his number recorded,
passed to the inner door, again numbered,
aud let in. On coming out the same precau-
tions are taken. Eternal vigilance is the
price that kills the prisoners liberty here.
When once outside the convicts go i,nme-
digtely to work, no idleness being permitted,
and quickly the shops ana qusrrys are
manned. AS the workyard is below the
buildings, the men at their labor are not only
under The eye of every guard, but in view of
the Warden himself as ne sits III MS Office.
Consequently no overseers are placed among
the workmen, the managers prsferring to
trust mans honesty in doing a fir days
work, and to let him forget while chseliDg
the hard granite that he is in fettered ser
vitude, if that Can be possible with the Cat
ling batteries and rife barrels shining
brightly in the sun as they point unpieasantly
down on him. No system is prscticsd, be-
yond precautionary measures for safety. that
is calculated to degrade man, and no treat.
ment shown that will make his lot harder
Ga the contrary, his reformation seems to be
the object constantly aimed at. The visitor
sees and hears of Io indignities needlessly
cast upon the men. They work steadily un-
der the skilled foremen who are employed to
direct the stcne- cutting and wall building,
but wha really have no authority over the
convicts.
The portion of the proposed walls which
fronts the river is almost finished, and when
the new granite saws, which General Nc
Comb is erecting, are put into operation, tbs
work OF inclosing the grounds will bs hast.
ened forward. AS far as stone walls are con-
cerned, the place is entirely open, and, to
careless observer, the prisoners can walk
easily to freedom but such a feat would not
he so easy after all, for the ever.watchful
sentries, with guns in hand, are thickly
posted, and however alluring are che thoughts
OF freedom, the effort to gain it il too ex-
tremely hsz lrdous to invite the attempt.
A tabout 5 o'clock P. NJ. the steam whistle
calls the men from work, and the line is
quickly formed for the entry. The
double tallying and numbering is
carefully gone over again With, and
when every man is locked inside If
the prison, the guards are called ln lrOm tue
hill-tops. After supper comes the lock up.
Each prisoner stands in full view at the door
of mis- cell, that the keeper may see him ere
the bolt is turned, and as that officer sp-
prosches the convict closes the door on him
self, the paddock is sprupg, and the outside
world is securely closed against him. The
prisoners are allowed oil, and are permitted
10 use lamp until o'clock, when every cell
light goes out, and the condemned man is
left TO undisturbed meditation and dreams of
himself and the outside world. and the fearful
reality that by the righteous judgment Of the
law be is, for the time. civilly dead.
Folsom, November 2, 1888 CT.
CoLUsA COUNTY. The Willows Journal
man grows enthusiastic over the future of
Colusa county