Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-03-29
WOAAN'S DEPARTMENT.
MODEL PRISON FOR WOMEN.

du Interest III tuc 1sc1OI uldtOEy AAiSOA
for Women at Sherborn, Mass. that
can not resist giving our readers a
slight account of visit there last
week.
1t was on Friday. one of the coolest
.days of the cold spell. but every part
of the prison was moderately but COM
fortably warm. and the ventilation
good. Order quiet and neatness
reigned throughout, and yet there was
as little of severe restraint or forced
regularity of behavior as one could
imagine to exist in a prison.
The laundry is supplied with steam.
with washing-machines. mangles. etc.
and the finest work is done. 1t is in
demand in the neighboring towns, and
it is even sent to New York.
Its kitchen, with its ample range, its
table covered with the wellbrowneb
loaves, and its huge kettle of hasty-
pudding. gave promise of an abundant
meal after the days work.
The shirt-room showed a busy group
Of women. who run ninety sewing
machines in the manufacture of nice
white shirts. They receive them all
cut from the mandatory, and COM
plete them. even to the buttonholes.
1t was gratifying to sec the interest of
the women in the work. One of them
came to say that a achine
was out of order-and Il can't get as
many shirts done as want to-" she
said; "when l have good pile of
shirts done 1 can sleep o nights
The admirable superintendent, Mrs.
johnson, whose long experience in the
sanitary work and as a commissioner
of prisons has gwen her the practical
training for a work for which she is
eminently fitted by nature, is the life
and handspring of the whole. Her
faith is large, and the starts on the
basis Of belief that every woman who
enters within the prison door may
there begin to lead good life and to
leave the past behind her. She does
not wish to turn their eyes back to
their sins, but forward to the b tier
days that may lie before them. and to
make them feel that their future de-
ponds mainly upon their own efforts.
While she maintains firm discipline
and requires steady work and
thorough obedience. she tries to help
the women to conquer Their own diff
culties, as often by indirect means as
by the exertion of their wills. Let
any one consider the lives which have
led these women to this place, and
imagine the restlessness and nervous
irritability which they must suffer
from in contiaed and monotonous
round of work. and they will appreci-
ate the wisdom of the superintendent
in giving them the help of outdoor
work and even a few minutes play in
the open air, instead of threatening
them with the solitary cell and the
dungeon.
Mrs. johnson feels this need. and
with wonderful success she has estab-
1isl,ed a dairy on the grounds, with
garden and a greenhouse. The
women do all the butter-making. and
the knowledge of such work fits them
for places i'll the country when they
90 out. So valuable IS the training
here received. that these women arc in
demand for domestic service. and
many of them find good homes where
they are well treated and may lead
happy and useful lives.
Time and space fail me to tell of the
many things that interested me in this
establishment. met the women in
the chapel at evening, and talked to
them of the wonderful life of the plants.
and the work that they are doing. and
j think Twas not deceived in believing
that they entered fully into my
thought. and felt the wisdom and or
der and beauty of the vegetable crea-
ton. 1t is easy to make 4 momentary
impression upon them. for they are
generally not stolid. bu; cxcitablc and
impressionable; but it is only the
steady. quiet discipline of years which
can give them strength to meet the
temptations Of the world when they 60
out. This truth is never lost sight of
by the superintendent and she places
fidelity to duty and thoroughness in
work above emotion and sentiment.
The graded system is so fully car
ried on. that the woman has always
something better to look forward to,
which depends II on her own exertions
and which is with n her own power.
This reformatory. for we hardly like
to call it prison. is wholly managed
by women, and a thousand lessons
may here be learned of woman's fit
ness for work and for government
When saw the admirable industrial
education given. and learned how it
opened sure employment even to this
class of women. I asked myself:
Must women become criminals be-
fore they learn this lesson-that work
which is not we'll done is worthless in
tho ,r.rEot and that all work m