Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-09-16
ROAD M AKIN G.
HOW COUNTY DOES THE WORK WITH
CONVICT LABOR.


between Staunton and Middlebrook is being
macadamized, but so little is known of the
particulars of this important county work
that the VINDICAToE sent a reporter out
to the work and camp one day this week to
particularize and he found much to inter-
est. Messrs. Gooch & Waugh, the con-
tractors are not new to the business. They
brought their force to this work from the
Hot Springs, where they had just finished
the mile boulevard between the Warm
and Hot Springs which was pronounced by
the engineer in charge to be the finest road
he had ever seen.
The force of Gooch & Waugh is now at
work less than mile from town, near Mr..
H. F. Lyle's and their camp is about a
mile from there on the property of MI.
Arch Kinney. The force consists of about
120 negro convicts, with their guards and
bosses, manager, &c. The operations were
commenced in June little beyond Arbor
Hill and they worked towards StauntOn.
Nearly miles has now been finished and
where the metal has been beaten down the
road is excellent. There is only small
piece of road now to be finished near Staun-
ton which will require only day Oh two,
when the whole force will he moved out be-
yond Arbor H ill and the work bepushed on
rapidly to Mlddlebrook.
AS is generally known the matchmaking
| is done with finely broken limestone rock
which is abundant in great lodges and quar-
I.io oil n1npr fHo Civ inn af
broken stone called ''metal," is spread
upon the road. At first inches of the
cOarser inch sized rock is put down and it
is firmly pressed down with a 2-ton iron
roller, then 2 inches more of II inch stone
| IS laid upon that and the roller passed over
it again. The average width of the metal
road is 10 feet except for the first mile out
from Stanton, where it is 16 feet on ac-
count OF the more frequent passing of We
hicles and teams.
The force of 12O convicts is carefully
guarded by 16 vigilant young men armed
with double barrelled shot guns, who are
on duty with the eight different detach-
ments by day, and by night detail of three
who guard the prison where the convicts
are confined at night.
Mr.. T.. E. Waugh, a brother of the con-
tractor, who has had much experience with
convict labor, says this guard is more than
sufficient. He last year had so convicts
engaged in laying the track on the Coving-
ton branch of the e.. & y. from Bessemer
to Covington, rs miles, and had only three
guards, but did not lose man; that was
one guard for about seventeen convicts.
Messrs. Gooch & Waugh have one for about
every seven.
The work presents busy scene with the
steam stone crusher going day and night,
the wagons constantly coming and going
between it and the road, loading and I'M
loading, the men in the quarries blast ing
and drilling and picking, long rows Of
workmen sitting down among the rocks
hammering them to pieces from morning
to night, while over ali the ever watchful
guard stands with his gun ready for use at
a moments notice. Although this is cheap
labor it is very fortunate for the farmers of
Augusta that as this work had to be done,
the gentlemen who undertook it selected
just such labor for it. Farm labor is scarce
enough as is well known, and had the usual
wages paid on public works from $1.25 to
$1.50 per day been offered, the hands would
are the rule, and at the most important
season of harvest and seeding, the farmer
who is paying for this road work, would
have had his operations seriously crippled.
So it would have been that with shortened
crop on account Of curtailed labor OF de-
pleted purse on account of high wages he
would have been compelled to pay in order
to hold his labor, the farmers of the county
would have been in but poor fix to meet the
extra tax of $4,000 to build this road. A
vote Of thanks from the farmers of Augusta
to GOOch & Waugh for selecting convict
labor for this work would therefore seem
to be in order.
The camp presents very different pic
ture from the work. A long, plain, heavy
board prison with grated windows and tin
roof, and tiers Of plank hunks running
through the centre, with a mum Der of tents
grouped around for the officers and guard,
comprise the camp. The principal officials
here are the surgeon, DR.. T. n. w. Morris
who is also inspector, and the warden, MI.
j. B. Butler. Dr.. Morris is Louisa man
and quite at home among his strange sur
roundings. He, besides attending the sick
sees that the poor fellows are properly fed
and clad and not cruelty punished when
punishment becomes necessary. He also
sees that the laws of hygiene are properly
regarded and is an indispensable officer Of
the concern. Mr.. Butler is former Staun
ton man and well known here 10 years ago.
Since that time he has been warden on the
works of Gooch Il Hoge and Mason IL Co.,
in Kentucky, and is considered one of the
service of the State.
One cannot help having his sympathies
aroused at the sight of the poor creatures
in the convict force working hard from sun
to sun. many Of them with heavy iron on
the ankle to prevent their running, with no
compensation but s'vittles and clothes,
and no big allowance Of either, and
an armed guard and bad conscience
for company at night. But when you talk
with them your sympathy is somewhat
modified.
"Norfolk Billy when asked what he
was ''sent up" for? said mot for much
Boss. just killed a niger. l took care
not to kill white man, and if it hadn't
been for that Norfolk Blue Ruin flying to
my head would not have killed the Mig
ger"
A Bristol boy said in reply to the ques-
ton as to what got him into trouble:
"WeIl Marse de warrant stated dat I had