Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-01-22
Workhouse Report.
To the Hon. C. &. Smith, Chairman of the Couu-


I0 the Hon. Z. Ii. smith, Shelrman OF the Goup-
ty Court.
The undersigned, superintendent of the
Shelby county workhouse, would most
respectfully submit the following report
of work done by the convicts: From the
1st to 4th OF October too wet to work on
roads; the work was discontinued in Non
connah bottom on the the 9TH of October,
and took hands to commence work on
Trezevant avenue. The convicts worked
during the month of October eighteen
days, at an average of fifteen men per day.
The balance of time was lost from rain
and from guards being sick two days.
The convicts have been at work, since the
work was finished on Trezevant avenue,
on the old plank road, making q fill at the
first bridge this side of Wolf river bridge
There was deep cut to be filled on an
| average Of twenty-one feet deep, sixty feet
| long and fifty feet wide. There has been
several days of rain during the time of
making the above fill, which has washed
away considerable quantity of the dirt
which has been thrown in. There was four
| days lost after commencing the above fill
in unloading barge for the Cooperage
| Company, which contained about 170 cords
| OF stave timber. There were four days
/ taken up during the month of October in
unloading twenty cars for the Cooperage
| Company. There were sixteen days work
done during the month OF November on
| the roads, with an average OF fifteen men
per day. During the month Of December
there has been only twelve days work
| with convicts, at an average CT seventeen
men per day. The number Of men worked
| could have had larger average, but one
OF the mules belonging to the workhouss
has been in condition to disable him
from constant use. The mule had large
wart just before the right fore leg when
bought last spring, and it hiss grown so
much larger that it was necessary to have
him worked on each day to have the wart
cut off, Mr.. Lawless has been attending
to him regularly for some weeks, and now
has the wart so much reduced that the
mule will be able to perform the usual
work. The mules, with the exception of
the aforementioned one, are in good con-
dition. There has been no work OF any
kind done by the convicts since the 18th
OF December, the roads having been too
wat or the ground too much frozen for
work. / have had my own pay discon-
tinued since that time up To the let of
January, 1884, as can be seen by the time
given in for pay for the month of Decem-
Der. l suggested to the chairman of the
County Court that it would be best to
have the time OF superintendent and
guards stopped on the 1st OF January.
yorable for any work to be done on public
roads. The guards, however, have been
on hand regularly up to the present time,
January 7, 1884. l was elected superin-
tendent OF the workhouse at the April
term of the County Court, 1888, and was
ordered then to work on the public roads.
l have worked to the best of my ability to
try and discharge the duties which were
incumbent upon me, but cannot say that
the working of the roads so far has been
a success with the convicts. There has been
too much time consumed in going to and
from the place OF work, and the tools and
team furnished were not sufficient for the
number OF men belonging to the work
house. As there has been an election or
dered at the present term Of the CountV
Court for superintendent Of ~
house, l would most r--o.c,,,li,, i,o rssi.r moin
my office as sncr s,+.. The list OF mules and
too'- belonging to the workhouse is at
tached to this report, all Of which will bt
left al the county Jail or workhouse.
remain, yours respectfully,
A. G. WARD. Superintendent workhou.e.
List OF tools belonging to the Shelby
county workhouse: one two-horse wagon
one set wagon gear, two carts, two pack
saddles, two pair cart breeching, foul
leather collars, four blind brides, two
pair cart lines, one pair wagon reins, fou,
pair names, one double tree, one double
plow, two single-trees, one road scraper
six spades, seventeen short handle sbov,
els, one ak and handle, one hatchet, one
file, two picks, twenty four-penny nails
twelve half-gallon tin buckets, one water
bucket, four leather halters, four mules
sixteen shackles, Qess two) fourteen, ons
eurry-comb, one horse brush, two curt
bits, one cold chisel.
A. G. WARD, Superintendent workhouss.