The Somerset reporter., 1886-06-09
SELECTED.

SELECIED.
OUR STATE PRISON.
How 1t Looked to Our Correspond
ent.
TIE SOMERSET COUNTY MEN HAPPY AM
CoNrENrED.
"ThomaSton Thomaston = cried tn
brakeman down on the Knox & Iincoll
the other day, and awOkc from news
paper half inclined to be alarmed for tina
was the word of all others that had in III,
childhood days filled me with alarm
| 1t was stories of Thomaston as my futur,
abode that had held me in check NOR,
than once and now after years of more ol
| less correct living am aroused with Tia,
familiar sound of that name. Well as
| step from the train remember that the
! depot grounds are on the Site of the ole
Knox mansion and that the depot itself i,
a part of one of the Generals servants
houses. The name of the old hero is sure
to be pcrpctnated, and | am reminded OF
the fact by the hackman who meets III,
with II - cent grin and asks me if ! viii
90 to the Knox House. reply that what
was good enough for the General is good
enough for me and | 20. The town i
looking lis best Having heard of my
coming il has doubtless put on lis best
clio hes. The village is beautifully locat.
ed ON llle >lopng bank of the river George
and large and luYuriant trees. now in
their glory. add t, the natural beauty of
the place The principal thOroughfarc OF
the village is more than II mile in length
and is studded ON either side with large
trees whose branches meet over your head
rs you ride along. Passing up this ave
nue. from the hotel after tea | came to
THE STATES PRISON
which WAS my objective point This is
one oi the most imuorlant of our State in
stilution~. Somerset has the least mum
ber of convictS of any county of her size in
the whole State. At present there are
hut four there from this county and three
of them have but II few more years To
serve. To my mind the institution is one
Of the best managed of its kind in the
country Without going into any dry de-
tails as To the exact size and height of
each and every part of the whole inStitu-
ton | will tell what saw and how it
looked.
Stepping from the street into the prison
proper | was admitted through the guard
room to the Deputy Warten's Office. This
responsible position is now most admra-
bly, filled by Mr.. Winfield s. lIinckcy.
who i'll the absence of Warden Bean show
ed me over the institution.
Here are gathered Isl desperate men,
nearly all of whom would commit most
any crime to regain their liberty. Such is
the discipline, however, that they pass 10
and from their work as quietly and order
ly rs though they were engaged in any
well organized workshop. As ! entered
the prison the men were about leaving
their cells for their days work. They are
called by the bell at six O'Clock when they
be tir themselves, make their beds and
clean mp their cells. At $50 their break
fast of bread and coffee is passed to them.
When the cells are opened every man
steps out with his bucket and forms in
line. The buckets are emptied and the
line marches To the several shops The
blacksmith Shop receives the first quota
of men, the carriage shop the neXi and
the harness shop the third and last. Each
man enters the shop quietly and cummcnc-
Is his work, speaking to no one. At
noon he goes to the sink and washes up
and forming in n line marches passed the
bakery window gets his dinner and goes
to his cell. At | O'Clock he returns tn
work and works till L when hc goes back
to his cell and remains till morning, Th,
only work carried ON now is the manufac-
ture of carriages and harnesses Former
ly shoes were made, but that industry is
now abandoned and only one cohbler j.
now at work. lie makes the shoes for
his fellow convicts. \ large pleasant
room over the blacksmith shop is used n
Il chapel Here there is held preaching
scrv ce for the convicts every SUNDAY
morning, the pastors of the churches in
Ihomaston alternating in conducting tic
services, sunday Is "A day Tor letter writ
ihs ny All 'lc cohNlcts'
int WHY iIlGnc>l clasN Oh NoIh i uou'
~ e,''s ,nHutn'ioli' ne "orh'liahShll
u'NP'dSo" III 'ie caiilaStN an" naiilcSs'N
n''e' sll"" cleai lhaI the MoIh'i'i
VA" l'"'1I"I gus "'ic'I u Pr9ptrH u'retl'
eu ""n'u iaN' i''"ee ,nei'l 'Ineren' men
% 'nn', 'ii's ~" "ir' hc'e - II" 'r'l''
,f,,' ',"Nt' IA '''c ''at' 'I"n rpm III
'i'i''ii WV T. Tei M me Sei't''r' ioi
''"i We! A'''i .,'at Iei'Iii'N int, i"ui'''
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ne ntN' man saw on arriving al the
49,