The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-01-09

One of the boys working in the tub and pail
factory came near losing day last
week. His coat sleeve caught in the buzz saw and
it was a mere chance his arm was not cut off.
MIR. ]. A. Westby, late deputy warden. in
and shook hands Monday. His family will occupy
the deputy warden's residence until spring when
Deputy Langum will bring his family to saltwater.
The old bake shop is being converted into tin
shop and blacksmith shop. A workbench has been
put in and forge is being built All the state
blacksmithing and tin work will be done in this
shop
The shOemakers and the tailors the hard
est worked men about the prison these days.
Five hundred yards of striped cloth was received
last week and is now being made up fast as pos
sible.
A packet of letters bearing foreign post marks
and addressed to Chas. Grossman. Minnesota PEN
itentiary, may be had by the owner if he Will
make himself known to the Warden or the prison
postmaster
AS the criminal calender for 1890 is not likely
to be much of an Improvement on the widowed
arrangement of preceding years, would advise
people to be satisfied with the ones they get at
insurance offices.
When Shakespeare compared life to play
the stage he did not count upon the professional
heavy villains quitting for Canada at the COM
mencement of an important act. This probably
is why SO many "supes assigned to that part.
Several of the guards have fallen victims to
seductive la grippe. Mr. Ben Cayou has had the
severest attack of any of his fellows. Mr.. Ris was
laid up for few days, but he is too tough and
well seasoned for such efeminate disease to get
the best of.
Mr.. Charles F. Anderson of Minnear oils, was
around through the prison with Warden Randall,
Tuesday. Mr.. Anderson formerly resided at
Rochester. this state. and is au old settler He
and the Warden have been acquaintences for
thirty years.
The snow and cold has put stop to further
masonry work on the wall Monday evening
Foreman Carlgren called his off and told
them to gather up the tools and stack them away
in the shanty. The boys were not sorry to aban-
don the work for it was becoming little too cool
for comfort Mr.. Cargren says he will ''roust-
about" around at odd jobs until "spring, gentle
spring. comes again.
Work has begun 10 boom in the tub and pail
factory. We were up there the other day and
found Supt. Covell encased in blue overalls and
pine dust, flying about from one machine to an
other showing his men how to make pals. There
is not man in the shop that even so much as saw
pail made before, consequently the work is not
progressing very rapidly at present. But the men
are learning as fast as could be expected, and the
Supt. is not kicking Quite stack of unfn shed
pals are accommodating and the shop has every ap-
pearance of enterprise and eoaheadativeness
There is an easily dscernible vacuum in the
average social amenities and 'small talk of ife
Upon entering the yard the morning after the late
snowstorm were greeted with 1T showed last
night" This certainly profound truth as
the material proof of it visible on all sldes
But why need we be told it? Simply because
people must talk, you know: but now that we are
in better humor after thinking the matter over,
we conclude that just senseless things have
been said by ourselves and every one else as WELL
and we will cheerfully accept the 'vacuums" in
consideration of the good intentions of the speak
eIS.
One of the visitors to the prison this week
upon entering our sanctum gave vent to a sup
pressed sigh of mingled retrospecton and blended
| hope as he complimented US on our pleasant
quarters. saying he W shed he had had as good
when he was boy. AS we did not quite agree
with him in regard to any life being worse than
that of prisoner he told al great length about
his many hardships on board a whale-ship when a
boy, among the least of which he said, was drink.
ing the water-bewitched and tea begrudged de-
| coction they had at meals, and taking sheath
knife at night time to find the softest plank of the
deck to sleep on. We do not doubt but the gen.
teman had hard time of it, still will take the
whaler every time in preference TO prison.
| The rrepressible Farmer Rose is up and at it
again. Rose is good-natured. easy-going chap
who does not pay much attention to the latest
| jokes, blu he swears condign punishment on the
next man that mentions McGinty in his presence.
few nights ago one of the men called Rose to his