The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-06-11
A Letter from some Of the Boys.,,


the word with God and the word was God"
Letter from some Of the BOys.,'
We have here letter from one who,
some years ago, was all inmate of this in
stitution, and although it was not written
for publication. it contains so much of
worth that it would be a sin to withhold it
all from our readers. So we venture to
print the following portions:
l am living in the --- and leave
home every morning shortly after seven,
and it is the exception when l get home be-
fore half past seven at night
L see you had letter from "ROnda" /
was glad to hear that he is o K. Better
be out on the prairieS with ill smelling
Indians and peace loving soldiers" than in
the haunts of civilization lOating around ILL
smelling saloons and peace destroying gam
bling resorts. 1t is an honest fact that [
cannot see man, especially young man,
emerge from saloon without a feeling akin
to horror. can see so we'll the possibilities
of sin and shame and disgrace before him
that fam would draw him back from the
brink of the awful precipice yawning in
frOnt-of him. But how impOtent is the
power of a single man and that man Grip
pied by past record. And if did venture
to speak of what moment would it be?
Would my example be of any effect? No,
thousand times no. If man is strong in
anything it is in the cOnceit that he will not
fall where tens OF thousands of others have
gone down. This was brought to my mind
very fOrcibly short time after my release.
l had written home for the first time in sew
eral years and package of old letters was
forwarded to me. Among these letters was
one from friend who had long sought to
make me see where my present course
would lead me. In this letter she said that
she had heard that ] was growing dissi-
pated again Il had just been going through
one Of my periodical attempts to behave
myself) and she appealed to my manhood
to be man; to my talents that | should not
debase them; to my folks that l should not
bring sorrow and disgrace upon them. This
letter brought wildly to memory the many,
many words of warning this kind friend of
mine had spoken. Had they ever any eff
feet save perhaps transient one? No. 1,
too, was wise in my own cOnceit. Secure
in my own wisdom vanity. | unEeedingly
pressed on to fulfill my destiny and was
finally successful in what l had unthink-
ngly and unknOwingly been striving for
years to ACCOMPLISHING own ruin. All.
me. How often as | bend over my work
gone, and with them the possibilities. to a
great extent Of my whole life. But l thank
God daily that he permitted me to make
my atf1ctiOn blessing and that even now
the very bread that | eat is earned by the
knowledge gained in solitude and con fine
ment.
1t was always mystery to me to see men
come back the second and even the third
and fourth times. l cannot understand it
even now. There were times after my re-
lease when l could get nothing to do that I
got big snow shovel, and no meals that I
ever ate tasted better than those eaten with
the appetite thus gained. | was very fort
innate in getting place where could earn
my board. but man must have something
besides board There is an old saw that
''All things come to him who waits" 1t
should be not ''alP' things but some"
things comes to him who works. providing
he works long enough and hard enough.
But why these second termers would pre-
fer to work for ten cents a day and poor
clothes and poorer food and be ground un-
der the heel of despotic power l cannot i'm
agine. This is taking all thought of moral
ity out OF the question and bringing it down
to mere matter of ''now 1 eat and now
don't eat" The memory of bologna day or
ham hook day is not a fragrant one. or
ant one. l am aware that this is a very
stOmachy reason for treadng the straight
path. but it is one which l should think
would have its effect with those who have
not sufficient morality to keep out of prison
ON grounds of pure morality.
l met -- the other day and his dress
and carriage bespoke a kind of bravado
that did not like. This carriage has been
CHARACTERISTIC of most of the boys that I
have seen. l do not like it, A certain in.
dependence is all right but this is the de-
pendence of II have been in prison and I
don't care who knows it; am as good as
any other man and l would like to
see you dispute it," Well. this is all very
we'll in the proper place, but to my notion it
would be better to take off your coat and 20
to work. What think you brother mine?
1t is mournful commentary on human
vanity to see the mOurners looking back. on