The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-12-11

of cord woods necessary at the prison,
which requires considerable force to
cut and haul, necessitating more
guards. In addition to this is the
coaling camp, using $50 convicts, and
the work is of that kind that requires
larger number of guards in proper
ton to the convicts than any other.
All of this makes the pay-rolls for
guards and employees very heavy.
The provision bills are high, too, be-
CAUSE, both from the prison and coal
ing camps, dinners have to be sent out
to many of the men at work, and it
takes more provisions to do this than
when the convicts eat in the dining
hall.
The character of work, digging ore,
working in the furnace, cutting cord
wood, burning coal, etc., all wears out
clothes faster than ordinary work.
Again, nearly two-thirds of all new
convicts are received at Rusk and dis
tributed from there, and all have to be
clothed.
A great many teams Of mules and
oxen, horses for guards, etc., have to
be fed, making the forage bills very
large.
All of these necessary expenses, not
generally understood on the outside,
making the total for operating pur-
poses very large, and it is but just to
explain it.
Mr.. R. A. Barrett is still the efficient
superintendent of the furnace and
manager of industries at Rusk, and /
am pleased to report that he and
Capt. Douglass are in full accord and
using every effort to make the prison
industries success.
1t was hoped that by the time OF the
completion Of the new furnace at New
Birmingham there would have been
built to Rusk a new railroad, or the
track of the present road widened to
standard guage, but nothing has yet
been done and we are hampered in
many ways because of imperfect rail-
way facilities. We entertain hopes Of
relief in the near future.
When the peniten tiary was located
at Rusk there was purchased for the
use of the penitentiary large num-
Der of acres of land, and at the same
time simply the ore privileges on other
lands were purchased. Two of these
tracts, containing 800 acres, on which
the penitentiary owned only the ore
privilege, situated two or three miles
from the prison, but contiguous to
New Birmingham, became the property
by purchase of the New Birmingham
Land and Iron company. In making
sale Of lots on this land it was found
embarrassing, because Of the encum-
brance held by the penitentiary on the
ore, hence it was proposed to make an
exchange, which exchange was finally
consummated by the transfer from said
company Of the same number of acres
of land in fee simple, which has on il
by measurement as much or more ore,
for the release of the privilege held, as
stated, by the penitentiary.
The land conveyed is we'll timbered,
at least mile nearer, and more &C
cessible in every way. The exchange
was an excellent trade for the peni-
Tertiary.
Capt. Douglass has made mention
of the shortage in the convict funds
held in trust by his predecessor, Capt
Ramey.
A short time before the resignation
of Capt. Ramey, 1 had good reason to
suspect that Capt. Ramey did not have
the money as shown by his statement
rendered, and by his book, and
promptly reported the matter to Gov.
Ross. The result was Capt. Ramey's
resignation. l demanded of him a
settlement, and he asked for time to
raise the money. Steps were taken
to find out the amount of his indebt-
edness to the convicts, and after a
careful investigation and examination
of the books, the amount as shown by
the books was found to be 50 800 81.
Included in this amount is $255,
borrowed by him from convict j.
j. Allison, and for which he had given
his note. This money had previously
been in his hands as other convict
funds. After Capt. Douglass took
charge, and Capt. Ramey never hav.
ing shown himself after his resigna-
ton, it was determined to open the
assistant superintendent safe to see
what, if any, funds were there. The
safe was forced open in presence of wit
nesses, and there was found $452.15,
still leavinga shortage of $4,000. con-
tinued to receive letters from Capt.
Ramey, begging indulgence until he
could raise the money from his friends
subsequently he paid $1,000 to Capt.
Douglass through one of his bonds
men.
Several months ago suit was brought
by myself and Mr.. Parish on his bond,
as authorized by the terms of the
bond. The case came up last summer
in the district court of Cherokee
county, and was decided on demurrer
against the plaintiffs. We appealed
to the Supreme Court which has
recently reversed and remanded the
case, and it will soon be tried again.
Under the decision of the Supreme
Court feel almost certain of judg-
want ooaipof Ta,1t