The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-06-13
Five Gents,

back'' l read until bell-time, $50, and thus,
endeth one day.
Now. my friend, just do a little figuring.
Take all the petty annOyances OF one day
and multiply them up into years, then set
the column of figures which represent this
suffering on one side of the scales and the
crime or otfense on the other side, and see
if you can make out which suffers the most
the man who commits the otfense or the
man against whom the OtfenSe is committed
And. mind, | am giving you only the phys
ical suffering to figure on. The mental suf-
fering will outweigh the physical ten to one
| must give you thousand thanks
for the beautiful bOquel. | have nurSed it.
tenderly. and tried to make it live two
weeks but it would not be reconciled to q
prison cell. But one OF the chrysanthe-
NUNS still lives and smiles amid the desOla-
ton. and two of the little vines seem to
take kindly to the place. My dear friend,
you could have done nothing that would
give me more pleasure than the gift of those
flowers, nor can you say anything that will
have so much meaning to me.
If the writer was to look over our prison
now he would find marked change. The
"buzz-saw' has given place to clear
toned bell, just loud enough to be heard
throughout the cell building. The general
tone of care and cleanliness has improved
to such an extent that we wear clean under
clothing, sleep between clean sheets and
under clean blankets. The food is whole
some and is furnished in sfficient quantity.
1t is varied every day. Our bill of fare is
substantially: Breakfast-fried sausage,
shoulder or hash; twice week fried or
baked potatoes. Dinner-TuesdayS, Thurs
days and Saturdays, soup. well prepared,
palatable and in sufficient quantity; Mon
day. boiled pork, beans and bread pud-
ding; Wednesday, potatoes and sausage
Friday. Goldfish and potatoes, or vegetable
dinner: Sunday but two meals are served,
but dinner is late and consists Of roast beef
and brown gravy with mashed potatoes and
mashed turnip; sometimes boiled eggs. A
sufficient quantity is served so that lunch
con may be held out' for supper Break
fast Sunday is bread and butter and coffee.
Supper varies throughout the week. 1t is
either bread and butter, hOmny, Oat meal,
dried apples, or something of this character.
Tea is always served with supper as is coffee
with breakfast. Warm biscuits and butter
are the staple Saturday evening meal.
Bread is furnished to any desired amount
with every meal. Pickles once week.
This is not polished, or exaggerated state
ment, but plain facts, as any one may learn
upon investigation.
The wOrkmen are now putting in electric
lights and every cell will be furnished with
light Of ten-candle power. This will be
burned from six until nine O'Clock, and each
inmate may employ these hours at reading
OF working at light mechanical work in his.
CELL
The library is furnished with all the
standard histories and works of fiction. It
is deficient in scientific and educational
works. In fact there is no one thing the
prison needs so much at this time as pro-
pelling force in the line of education. The
state laws are deficient on this most
important matter but it is to be hoped this
and other needs will follow the many i'm
provements that have already been made.
There is strong visible awakening
throughout the state on the needed change
in the prison system. The question is one
on which the public have thought but little
until the past few years. 1t takes time to-
educate the people at large on any question
of public policy.