Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-12-24
the W0RK-H0USE.
The New Quarters Of the Law and
Rock Breakers.
How The Birds" are Gagged and
Provided For.
Lors OF WORK. BUT NO FUN.

few of our good and law.abidini
citizens have visited the premises OF
know anything as to the manner II
which It is operated. With the pur'
pose OF enlightening them somewhat
a representative of this paper made
his way out there a few days since tc
see what was to be seen an9 Learn
what was to be learned.
WHERE 1T is.
The grounds can be entered by
going out either West Seventh OF
Ninth streets, but the Ninth street
route Is best. The building 10 situat,
ed about 800 feet from Ninth street
north side, nearly opposite the resi-
dence Of "Uncle Burwell' P. Jones
It stands on the south side of the &C.
dar grove, lately purchased from thu
Sharp heirs. The track reaches from
Seventh to Ninth streets and contains
over % acres, and was sold to the city
and county at $50 per acre.
THE SUB ROSA PURCHASE
was made by the city, but the county
as we we're informed quite recent,
by a member of tho County Court
was q co-purchaser-or rather
silent partner. The city authorize
had for a long time intended purchas
ing the track of land, with the inten
ton of converting It into city park
and knowing full well that II tn,
county entered the market, the own
ers of the property would at onc'
raise the price from $50 to 500 PEI
acre, the purchase was made by
the city. After receiving the title
the city decided certain part of i
to the county. BY this transaction
we have no public park but a work
house.
TERMS OF PARTNERSHIP.
What we have been able to learn o
the terms between the city and coun
ty to erect the building may b
summarized ss follows: The city wa
to bear one-fifth of the expense incur
red in the construction of suitabl
building and all necessary improve
ments; when person is tried an,
found guilty violation of the Law
and fine is fixed and the fine Is no
paid, then the offender is sent to tn
work house to serve out his fine a
the rate of one dollar per day. Tn
offender then for the time virtual,
becomes the property of the county
and the city is at no expense for tn
feeding or other care of the prisoner
He is then put to breaking rock BY
the Superintendent, and the rock !
afterwards purchased by the city
from the county at so cents pc
"box."
THE GROUNDS
In the spr ng and summer are 70,
mantically beautiful, north of thu
work house. Innumerable cedari
cover The hillside, and are so thick In
some places that during the hottest
summer days the temperature never
rises above 90 degrees. Just under
the surface of the esrih-and jutting
above 1t in many places-the fines
limestone is found, The limestone
Is what made the land most desira.
BILE. The supply is inexhaustible,
and on account of the extensive street
being made every year
by the city authorities, no more de-
sirable piece of land could have been
secured at such low price.
THE BUILDING
of a work room, in the east
ern end of which are three "cages''
for the close confinement OF prisoners
when not at work. That il, Super
Intendent Biggerstaff tells US, those
serving ont their fines are placed in
he cages at dark, after supper, where
hey remain until the next mornin g
until the breakfast hour. After break
last they are taken out on the hillside
aud put to quarrying or breaking
rock, being closely guarded and made
% work diligently during the day.
The same labor hours are observed as
Forbes q Bros. planning mill. There
s no play allowed to go OH at any
ime-it is work, work, all the time.
L used to be as soft thing as the
professional do-nothin0 to -mske-a-
living scamp wanted, to be placed in
all and fed highly at dollar a day
o pay fine for petit larceny or
,sinting the town while on a drunk /;
nut 1t is quite different now. The
nan with the white skin came
rom his resting and feasting place
,leacbed and fat as a hog, and the
'cullud gemman" again made his ap.
on the streets slicker and
sucier than ever.
NOW THEY SWEAT!
"By the sweat of thy brow ,halt
hou eat bread all thy days." in
his place, is Felix Biggerstsfrs order
vhen a prisoner "is sent up" either by
he city or county. All those seeking
a soft place" as reward for misde
neanor of any kind had better go to
ONE other part Of the State. Every
revolutionary measure 10 taken TO
the escape of prisoners. The
sw aud rock breakers have an ornr.
nent in the shape Of an iron spike
bout 10 inches in length placed on
ach ankle to prevent their running
90 fast If they should ever get Out
he barbed wire fence which enclos, 8
bout two acres north of the work
louse, where the disciple of Macad-