Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-31
TRAVELLING IN THE WEST.
YOUSs LAEOAsTKIAs RBo BEES
sI8HTs IN OHfUs CAPIpAI,
Columbus u city Not TO I,e sneezed At where
sixteen Railroads Cross and Cenire-A
nusy hive OF Material Indus
try-Tbe Peniten,iary
Special Correspondence of fISrrtLraEScrr.


make up his mind to the shattering of sew
eral OF his idols. Presuming biat he II a fond
son OF the Keystone state, he has probably
considered that Ohio is well enough in its
way, but that IL must not be mentioned in
the same breath with Pennsylvania, no far "a
progressyeness and industrial prosperity
are concerned. Aud just here is where he Is
entirely wrong. Ohio is great state in its
material resources, and its cities are filled
with mon brmmng over with enterprise
who find no work more congenial than that
Of contributing to make their towns the hives
of busy industry. This old town OF Column
bus was moving along in slipshod fashion
up TO the time when tho war broke out,
when 1t had population OF about l2,0OO peo-
pie. II was a moribund kind of place, so
the old citizens will tell you. The war
seemed To give it the impulse long waited
for, and when bedrock prices were struck it
rose Anteus-lke in its newly acquired
strength, until now sixteen railroads cross
its streets and 5000 people live within its
borders.
What stranger finds most 10 admire
around Ohio is the royal magniiicence with
which it does everything relating to the pub
lie veal. The state house here in the capital
city covers with its ground - acres in the
very heart of the town. The spacious lawns
are well kept and are trayersed by graveed
walks in every direction. Squirrels play
fearlessly under the broad trees, and Will eat
crumbs from the hands OF a stranger. Woe
TO the dog that dares touch one OF these pets
of the city. The three public parks OF wide
domain are renewed evidences OF the city's
magnanimity. These are thronged on Sun
| days and holidays, and save many DOCTORS
bill in atording the poor place for Tree and
| intelligent recreation.
THE ONO PENIrENrIARY.
But while Columbus il filled with many
objects of interest to the tourist-such as the
asylum for the insane, the buildings of
which are a mile and quarter in circumfer-
ence, the splendid institutions for the deaf
aud dumb, the idiotic, the blind, etc, the
place that will most vlvidly stamp itself on
the visitors memory is the state peniten-
tIary. This is situated in the manufacturing
end of the town and covers an area of forty
acres. Ii recalls one of those old walled
towns of Rome's palmy days, but the simile
is not good so far as concerns the Inhabitants
therein, for the penitentiary birds do not
breathe that free air considered to be oSSen-
tial to the welfare Of Roman citizen.
Ohio has long demonstrated the pecuniary
success OF the convict labor here. Within
the penitentiary walls here the state has
from time TO time accumulated an industrial
plant that must now be worth millions.
Great stacks standing sentinel from immense
brick buildings tell the story OF the big
money that Ohio has invested in the scheme
to keen its prisoners at work. To make them
pay for their own keep and to husband con-
siderable money for the state. The magni-
tude of the plan may be guessed at when it
| is stated that there are l,7s0 prisoners con-
fined within the four walls Of the penieu-
tiasy. But a small percentage of these are
women and intirm men, and the balance
work like pack. horses AS may be imag
| ined all these prisoners require big body
| of attendants, their number, including
l arla nd at aIa q Va in
| these narrow confines are gathered nearly
| 1000 souls, 10 per cent. of whom ever sit in
| stern Judgment over then less fortunate
| brethren.
| Truly it is strange community. The
| streets are paved and guttered by the con-
| victs, who have also a fire department.,
| manned 10y themselves, ready To fight the
| flames at a moments notice. church in
| which they are all driven every Sunday
| morning like so many sheep is in the middle
of the broad quadrangle made by the jail
| walls and the front of the jail building
| Here the workmen i'll the shops do not waste
| any time in idle talk. Save for an occasional
| order by foreman, aud the constant noise of
| the whlrring machinery, one might imagine
| himself viewing body of automata per-
forming the work of men. Though the con.
| ViCts work side by side for years, they may
| never exchange word. Above them on all
| sides and within ear shot sits the ineSorable
| guard, who is ready to punish them for the
| slightest iufraction OF the rules, 1t may be
| easily understood lhat II tnls vast DOuy Oh
| men had any means of communication with
| one another the Jail officials would be only a
| mOuthtul for them IN an lnsurrectiou. There
| FORE though ii seems harsh to put upon them
the martyrdom of perpetual silence, 1t is bL
| prudence, born OF experience.
| AS visitor walks through the shops in
| which so many different kinds of articles are
made, varying from the heaviest kinds oi
iron work to the lghtest variety of wheel
and bending work, he cannot help If lie
| have any Imagination at all, thinking of the
| possible histories of the men who here labor
| Ill silence the slaves of the state. The broad
| brows and keen, intelligent eyes OF some de
| note intellectual ability that might have Won
| honorable distinction in the paths of iuteg
| rity. Some have made but one false steI
| that wrecked their lives. For these the
wells OF sympathy fill up. Brutal vicious
| ness is on the faces of others, and gratitude /.
| telt that the strong arm of the state is suth
| cent for the protection of their law.abidinE
| brethren from these tigers i'll the humaI
| forest.
| MoURNFUL SPECTACLE.
The convicts' dress betokens the repute il
which he is held under the prison regime
, | Gray indicates exemplary conduct, blue il
next III grade, and striped suits are worn 10y
the most incorigible While your CORES
| pondent was viewing the institution, he Wa
| privileged with the sight of this vast army o
| Convcts martialed for dinner with all tn
| precision OF war veterans. The place is tn
. handsome lawn crossed and reCrossed b,
a | walks dotted with fountains and flowers IL
the quadrangle facing the great white jai
building with its myriad of pitiless grate'
windows. Work in tho shops has been sus
v | pended for "A briet interval OF reireshment TO
) the convict toiler. In front OF each sho
i | forms tho company or companies that labo
; therein. They are told oil i'll squads {
D | thirty-tive and stand close together, all wit
: folded arms. Each company has guar
. | with a loaded musket in command. AS til
eye wanders in every direction, it encounter
a field of mixed blue and gray with Occ,
sional dashes of striped suits to lend som 6r,
v | ness to the picture. Suddenly signal
| given, and the men are on the move. Thos
= | companies nearest the reiectory are advance
II few PAGES, and those to the rear are move
- up. The heavy tread of marching feet
., heard from all sides, as the companies Nv
"a by two in lock step file down the broad wall
IL that lead to the reiectory, and when all al
thus massed, single file Is formed and tl
long professions through the several doo
OF the refectory begin.
A mind-reader would have an ample scol
for the play of his fancy in the sight OF tn
legion of convicts passing before him. Son
there were in the mourniul procession wi
seemed capable of much better things Si'
by side marched repulsive looking neg
with white man whose face and gener
appearance marked him out as one who hi
begun liie's journey under skies OF the mt
roseate hue. Gray headed sinners grown o
in vice kept step with the young boy irc