Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-17
In GRANITE HALLS.
IRON OUND HUTCHES AND THEIR
INHABITANTS
Where the Shoe Pinches-The
Gospels Superseded.

The complaint made by Ossian of the
halls of Bzlclutha, viz: that they were
deserted, can be urged with little truth in
the case Of the corridors and alleyways of
the prison building at Folsom. The latter
are never deserted, and when not thronged
by their natural tenants, the prisoners,
they are patroled by armed sentries, whose
brisk and wide-awake movements efectu-
ally dispel any notion Of loneliness En-
tering the building by the principal gate
way. and passing under a low, rounded
arch, the visitor finds himself in the main
avenue of the prison. which on either side
is Ranked by twin Whitewashed buildings,
which are the dormitories or cell-heuses.
TIE buildings in question are des-
titute of architectural beauty, but their
massive structure and extreme length i'm
press the beholder to the extent of rem
aering him Indifferent to the absence of
floridity in design. White as the SHOWS of
Shasta, the prevailing monotony of tint is
in some degree relieved by the ebon black
ness of the cell doors, and by border of
red paint which skirts the bases of the
building for about foot in hight. The
tops of the latter are flush, and coping is
being laid around their extreme edges,
which, when finished, will very much en-
nance their sightliness. a high pitched
zinc roof shelters the barracks, the inter
vening space being lit by skylight which
runs the whole length of the prison, as
well as by windows and window ports at
the side. Standing at the extreme end of
the cell buildings,
THE VISITOR Is AMAZED
At the amplitude of accommodation which
of opened iron doors, each an exact copy
of the others, seems to be endless, and the
statement that there are less than $50 of
them is at first received with incredulity.
The cells are small apartments, measuring
some 6x7xS, and when the doors are closed
ventilation is secured by wicket and per-
forations made in the plate of the latter.
which, with grating let into the wall at
the back, permits constant but weak cir
culation Of air through them. In these
recesses the prisoners spend the major part
of their time, for not even in summer
when the days are longest, do the prison
ers' working hours, including interruptions
caused by meals and recreation, exceed
more than eleven.
Thus the convict gets to look upon his
cell not only as his sleeping apartment but
as his temporary home, and in the course
of his occupancy Of it accumulates round
him quantity of household gods, which
he not unreasonably sets great store by A
rtruckle bed, a lamp, bench and table are
all the furniture that the State provides,
and if the convict needs more he must
rustic it up as best he can. Selecting any
of the cells at random, it is to be noticed
that the walls of many of them are decor
ated with pictures, and in others, where
pictorial art is unrepresented, red and blue
calcimining not infrequently relieves the
oppressive monotony of whitewash. In
the adornment Of their cells, prisoners APP
pear to have preference fer primary
colors.
THE TINTs OF THE PUNJAB PREDoMI-
MATING
And those of South Kenangton being in a
decided minority. One cell that has
lately been tenanted by prisoner of arts
tic proclivities has painted on its walls a
series of landscapes, so cleverly executed,
that could they be removed from the
plaster, quite a sum might be Melted by
exhibiting them. While the affairs of
the inside of the prison are controlled by
the Warden and his deputy, the assigning
of the prisoners to the different cells is to
great extent committed to the turnkey, a
functionary that prison could as i'll dis
pense with as hotel its clerk. OF the
two vocations, | am not sure that it does
not require higher order of abilities and Il
larger acquaintance with the foibleS of hui
man nature to make a successful turnkey
than successful hotel clerk. The cells in
Folsom being double, and in some cases
quadruple, the task of getting men to-
gether who will agree, is no easy one. To
accomplish it, the turnkey must have 4
knowledge of the temperament of his
dodgers at his fingers ends, for on a suitable
alliances of cell partners depends the har-
mony of the whole establishment. 1t by
no means follows that because two men
can get along in the same apartment to-
gether for a week, that concord can be
maintained between them for six months,
all experience going to prove the direct
contrary. Convicts have an odd way of
wearying of one another's society and of de-
string an alliance with somebody else. As
far as practicable the turnkey endeavors to
house together those natures
WHICH HE THINKS WILL BEST AsSIMILATE,
And in this he is guided to certain ex-
tent by the mutual wishes of the men.
Any changes that he makes are submitted
to the Captain of the Guard and the Dep
uty Warden, nor do these go into effect
without the sanction of the officers named.
Every cell in the establishment is inspect
ed and searched not less seldom than once
day, with the object of ascertaining
whether 1t is clean, and whether there is
any plant of tools or contraband drugs in
1t. The office of turnkey is no sineuure as
may be imagined, and to thoroughly in
spect and ransack over three hundred cells
i'll the course of single forenoon, is an
achievement compared with which any of
the seven labors of Hercules would be
childs' play. In the performance of it
Mr.. Paul is assisted by deputy and
"a band of faithful TRUSTEES, of which
the chief has literally grown gray in the
service of his master. The locking up
process has so often been described that |
shall refrain from touching on it here, but
shall content myself with offering some
remarks on how the prisoners spend their
time during the long hours which inter
Sene between lookup and curfew. During
the day that has passed the prisoner has
been too busily employed with his work to
feel the time hang heavy on his hands, but
rs soon as
THE BOLT Is SHUT on F9pN
He,is thrown ON his own resources, and it is
In the evening, more than in the daytime,
that the ennui of Imprisonment really
makes itself felt However adapted for
one aanother's society the occupants of a
cell nay be, increased knowledge of one
another's characteristics rarely produces
increased respect; oftener familiarity
breeds, contempt, each prisoner being able
to derive more entertainment from his
newspaper or book than from vapid con-
versatien with his empty headed cell-Raate.
Though rarely illiterate, prisoners gener-
ally are very i'll infor1aed-at least on all
those more massive" topics, some imper-
feet knowledge of which is absolutely es-
sential to the intellectual communion of
"soui with soulp With the privilege of
burning light till 8 o'clock, many of
them pass the time by reading if they can
get hold OF a newspaper SO Guch the bet
ter, if not q book is not entirely unwel-
oOn,a A srreet daal hos baa,, ID ,,,S o,,J