The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-02-20

have Ueell HhOSC 1OrciDly Drought TO my
consideration.
have fully verified the fact that steal
ing cannot and does not pay. A principal
reason for this is that stealing. like many
other formerly thriving industries, has been
ruined by Over-prOtection. Jay Gould, Ives,
StaynOr & Co., private detectives and
mortgage companies now monopOlize the
business to the detriment of all smaller
concerns.
l have learned that in prison one does
NOT have to go from home to hear the lat
est calumny against them. But i'm con-
traSt to this latter, L have also learned
that as Staunch and true friendships are
formed in prison as in the outer world
And these friendships are more valuable at
times than the veneered friendship of the
outside world. for they are not made
through policy, or for selfish reasons, but
through honest sympathy and good will.
In my experience here have also found
that great and primal cause of all crime is
the desire for rowing life that has such a
strong hold upon SO many of us. 1t will
be admitted that the value of practical
knowledge of the world and of worldly
matters cannot be too highly estimated.
But what misery and suffering always ac-
companies the search of this knowledge in
nearly all cases. How many lives are
stranded on the shoals of degradation while
i'll pursuit OF this requirement! Look up
the records of so per cent of all criminals
and it WILL be found that no appreciate
number of them were guilty of even slight
OtfenseS VIII lie at hOme-whle surrounded
by the benign influence of the family circle.
The germ of evil is seldom developed where
hn Snr Ginrs r.
reason more than any other that we see so
many men take false names when arrested.
Their innate pride makes them shrink
from disgracng the name of their parents.
The last night spent here called to bid
farewell to one OF the inmates lying Seri-
Ously ill in the hospital department. He
Is very young man, mere boy, l might
say. and during our conversation l reverted
to his friends and relatives, asking if he
had heard from them or if they knew his
present whereabouts and condition. He
replied that he did at long intervals hear
from them indirectly. and added that he
would not inform them of his present plight
even though he was morally certain he
would die shortly. This boy may be doing
wrong by not confessing his situation to his
parents, but can admire the motive that
prompts him to such action. He was a
rover and did wrong. but his instructive
love of an honorable name rebels against
his casting a shadow of shame on the fair
eScutcheon of his parents and he deserves
credit for his noble intention.
The rover is always an easy prey to temp
tatiOn. Like wild train he is travelling
without orders and knows not when or
where he must stop or turn back. Upon
examination of the statistics of the prison
1t will be seen that but small portion of
the inma ara Or have haan acfual raci-
dents of the state. This but further proves
that the quality OF inhabtiveneSS is strong
against the cOmmittal of miSdeeds. The
rover does not know what he is in search Of
or where he is to find it when he starts out
on his nOmadic travels. His only idea is to
see the world, become a sport or man
about town.
| have also learned that moral courage
and pat .ence are the two most essential vir-
tues IN a prisoners life here and are the
hardest to cultivate in prison. Patience,
courage and hopeful spirit are the powers
that brighten the life of the prisoner and
make his lot bearable. They are the foun-
dations for his future. the star that guides
him to full appreciation of the beauties of
liberty.
In concluding the last article 1 expect to
write from within the walls it is unchar-
liable in me to tantaliZe fellow unfOrtunates
by speaking of the freedom soon shall en-
joy. But L ask, who would Willingly sell
this bright boon. Liberty-whO would ac-
cept price to serve term of years in
prison? No one, certainly; but yet this is
the very thing that men are doing each
passing day-selling their happiness and
peace OF mind for the fmsy chance of gain
ing small sum of money that could be
more easily acquired by legitimate means.
While one man lives reasonably well on ILL.,
gotten gains. nine others are either cOnvicts
or worse than paupers. l Will reiterate
that every man who serves term of impr.s-
Onment learns that crime does not and can
not pay. and the man who depends upon