The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-06

struck by The perfect good order, system
aud discipline everywhere discernable.
Even q superficial examination of the
amount of work that has been done.
shows the amount Of valuable property
that has been here acquired by the State
without expense to the people. The year
preceding Col. Lipscomb's admiristra.
tion, the institution cost the State the
nice round sum of $4,000. It is now
self'sustaining, aud before the commence.
ment Of the canal work aud the reduc.
t,on In the price OF leased labor, made
oy the State Ia reduction amounting to
Sl5,O0O), it paid handsome sum of
money into the State Treasury and
when we compare this record with that
OF hadica! rule, we stand astonished.
Under such favorable and progressive
selt'sustainiDg management we may soon
look for an and to the lessee system and
the utilization of all convict labor within
the walls of the peniteutiary; for il haa
been abundantly demonstrated that all
can be efficiently managed there, for
Colonel Lipscomb is good financier
and strict economist, and Captain Sigh,
under whose immediate supervision the
convIcfs are placed, is an indefatigabIe
worker and rigid disciplinarian, and both
OF these gentlemen have evinced the
possession OF rare skill in the manage.
ment OF most important trust.
Inc garden inside the walls 10 one of
the most attractive features of the insti-
tution. 1t comprises about six acres, and
Is neatly laid of in large squares, bound.
ed with barley, and presents a beautiful
ana attractive appearance. The warm or
forcing beds are about 800 feet long bv
hVe ieat in width, covered Eith glasS, and
veil a.otksd With ao1ors, lettuce. Tstiisb,
pepper, tomatoes and thousands of cab.
page plants ready for transplanting.
There sTe also onions Ia abundance and
q tlne bed of strawberries, about 800
bushels of sweet potatoes in banks of
e&rth and straw and in 6ne state OF
preservation.
The stable and lot presents scene
equal TO country barn yard. Tho stalls
OF the mules and horses are we'll kept,
and the cow sheds, with separate apart.
ments for each COW, item in number),
gives an idea that milk and butter is
plentiful. These fine cows cost compar-
atively small sums, as they are bought 40
beef cattle. The hogs are beauties of
their kind, are some forty or fifty in
number aud are fed principally from the
slaughter pena.
The slaughter pen 10 annexed to the
barn yard, and has all the necessary fx-
tnfes for butcheripg. The meat or cut.
ting room was we'll supplied with beef
aud pork on the occasion of our visit.
and there was spare.rib, backbone and
sausage in abundance, all of it peniten-
tiaIy raised.
The convicts, 552 in numbe:, present O
healthy and cheerful appearance. They
are well clothed and fed, and the odor
arising from the kitchen was exceeding
ly suggestive to a hungry reporter, hut
the company was almost too Select for
US. So we were not offended by the alb
sence of an invitation to dinner.
Ihe guards number fifty privates, six
corporals, one sergeant and one captain.
They are armed with Smith & Wesson
improved pistols and the Lee repeating
rifle: This latter firearm is regarded by
IS high an authority as General Sherman
as the finest weapon that is made, and
shoots sixty. four times in two minutes.
The guard is a fine body of young men,
all of good families and we'll trained and
intelligent. Their uniform is O neat
Confederate gray cloth.
ln walking through the grounds with
Captain Sign we inquired az to whether
be exp iienced much trouble with them.
His reply was:
oh no; they treat me with marked
respect, politeness and conside, ..tion, and
l govern them more by mo-. IL suasion
than rigid discipline"
how about the convicts, Captain
Ihey have humane treatment in every
respect. No pains is spared in instruct
ing them relative to their duty and to
prevent instead of detecting them in do.
ing wrong. INSTRUMENTATION seldom oc.
ours, they yield humbly, if not willingly,
to prison discipline"
Have you many escapes?
No; only four in nearly two years."
What ia the average number of deaths
six for the fiscal year commencing
November 1st-two from the yard, two
from Jervey's and two from Pringle's.'
AS regards thoee under contract?
Il hear of,no complaint. Those dis.
charged report good treatment ssd usual
ly look we'll"
What real estate has been purchased
oy Colonel Lipscomb for the peniten.
tia.y7
"Three and three.quarter acres in front
of the penitentiary for Sl,5OO. Twelve
and three quarter acres West of the ca.
nal known as "Tickleberry," for 81 900,
for grave yard, and 404 acres near the
canal for 81 4,250. All of these lands are
sown in oats. There 10 about fifty acres
between the canal AID river that il pre-.
pared for o corn CROP"
In reply to Q complimentary remark
in regard to the management, Captain
Sigh responded that they had done no
moro than their duty, but that they felt
grateful fos public appreciation, and that
it was moreover q pleasure to be asso.
ciated in the performance of duty that
was fully discharged and we'll done, OBJ it
most assuredly was by Colonel Lipscomb !;
and judging by our own observations, we
feel that is only we'll merited praise to
gay that Colonel Lipscomb is q faithful
officer, who uses care and strict inquiry
as to the necessity of every expenditure,
and at the same time provides ample
means for carrying on all the work Of the
| institution. His wise business manage.
ment Is evinced by the fact that, notwith-
standing. % previously mentioned, the
wages Of the leased convicts have been
reduced $4,000 per annum, and 60 much
has :c sc 70 the canal So7k, he has man
aged to make the institution not only
selfsupporting, but has also managed to
acquire outlying lands for the State, to
purchase Ere engine. snd to arm aud
equip the guards, and all this out of the
reduced earnings of the institution, and
now has on hand some $1,000 in cash
over and above all expenees. If there is
| n aimiiar institution in Tho land fhaf ean