The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-01-28
The Machine Shop.

The Machine Shop.
There are few more interesting sights. to
the average visitor to the prison, than the
above mentioned shop; at least judging by
the curiosity and interest manifested by
them when conducted through it; and per-
haps short description of it would not be
uninteresting.
The shop occupies two floors of the three
story stone building. which is 100 feet long
and &c feet wide. On the first floor the
heavier castings and rought iron parts re-
quired for engines. horse powers and sepa.
rators are prepared and finished. The Sec
ond floor is devoted to the lighter but far
more numerous parts. The ceilings of both
floors are each mass of revolving shafts
and pulleys. apparently so complicated that
confusion seems unavoidable. To the pull
leys or wheels are attached leather belts
travelling in every conceivable direction.
These belts revove the machines. of which
there are n in the building, viz: 81 lathes,
Is drills. planners, 3 shapers. boring
mills. 3 turret lathes, milling machines,
1 slottng machine. 2 key seating machines.
2 cutting off machines. machines designed
and used exclusively for cutting key seats in
shafts, 2 cap screw machines devoted to the
manufacture of cap screws, bolts. set screws,
studs, etc., and 100 ton hydraulic press.
At the present time there are % citizens
and 70 cOnvcts employed in the shop. Even
among the employees the amount of material
that must be finished in the shop daily
and furnished to the other departments is
scarcely realized. Thirteen hundred and
seventy eight pieces of cast-iron, weighing
So tons. lis pieces of shafting, not to men,
ton the innumerable pieces of brass goods.
bolts. studs. pins, etc.. that are required
daily. and when the fact that the larger
proportion of these different parts must 90
through at least two processes. somewhat
of an idea may be had of the immense
amount of labor involved.
Ninety per cent of the machine work is
performed by the wards of the state, and
while heretofore the majority of the wise
or bench work has been performed by citi-
zen labor, at the present time quite num-
Der OF the men are engaged in bench work.
There is something facinating in watch
ing the slow. apparently irresistible prog
ress OF boring or planning machine. 1t
moves slowly. very slowly, but the gigantic
force with which it eats its way through
mass of iron is simply wonderful. This
slOwneSs of speed of iron working machn.
cry is very often noticed and commented
upon by persons, and they are apt to en-
quire the reason. When an explanation is
given they fail to realize the vast amount of
friction that is developed and the heat that
is generated. AprOpos of this will relate
an incident that happened in the shop
several years ago.
A party OF visitors entered the shop one
day. Among them were several ladies,
and the attention of one was attracted by
long spiral shaving that had just dropped
beneath lathe One of the gentlemen
stepped quickly forward to secure the spi-
raj. and picked it up. The look of surprise
and bewilderment. that dawned on his face
as he realized that it was hot, and the
alacrity with which he released it proved
too much for the disabilities of the party.
AS regards the convicts becoming ma
chinists, the idea must be abandoned at
once, for they certainly do not have the
opportunity to learn more than one or two
details. Another disadvantage is that the
line of work is what is known as special;
although they may become good lathe.
planer, shaper or drill hands, they cannot
be classed as machinists. In order to learn
the machinist's trade an apprenticeship
must be served in what is known as job
bling shop where all kinds of machinery is
built and repaired. OBSERVER.