The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-14
THE PRISONS.
Visit by Daughters of the
Good Shepherd.
lnsufficiency of Food for the Women
and Sickening Dining-Room
for the Men.

a delegation from the Daughters of the
Good Shepherd, accompanied by a CALL
reporter and several ladies of the laity,
spent portion of yesterday inspecting
! the Branch County jail and the House of
| Correction.
Between sixty and seventy women and
girls are inmates of the first named insti-
tuition at present. forlorn detachment
recruited by sin and misfortune.
They are clearly looking personally and
| their quarters are well kept. There is no
apparent tendency toward grievance and
malcon tentment, except in one direction,
which seems reasonable enough The dis
trbution of food appears unsatisfactory
and incompetent. From dinner at p. NJ.
until breakfast at 8 O'clock the next morn
ing these unfortunates must fast-a condi-
! ton drastic and creative of nervousness,
insomnia aud an8mia. The women CON-
plain that they are not allowed to carry
| from the dinner to their rooms such pOr-
lions of their allotted food as they m ig BIT
care to reserve for an evening st0mach-stay
| and they declare that they suffer greatly
because of this long fast.
The wife of Superintendent Lowney
assured the visitors that three meals
would be supplied. but that the food ma
terial allowed is insufficient. Supervisors
Kennedy and Stanton, who met the visit
ors on the ground. demurred 10 this propo-
Sition. stating that the allotment was
abundant; aud this seems TO be borne out
fully by the schedule with Which Mr.. Ken
| apparently does not extend to the official
tables. which are more generously supplied
than the boards of the average professional
man or merchant. A small army of bottles
which have held the best French salad oil
is one feature of this EXHIBIT.
Something has been said as to the resig-
nation Of Mrs. Bartells. the matron of the
women's establishment. Her fitness for
| the position is amply attested by the in
mates, all of whom declare that they have
given and Will give her cheerful and ready
obedience. in view OF her unvarying kindly
treatment. which involves no sacrifice of
| discipline
In the House of Correction-for men and
| boys-was found state OF things gener-
ally satisfactory. In a few cells the pals
smelled most foully, in marked contrast to
| the singular freshness of the atmosphere
in most parts Of the building. The dining
room Of the men is simply nauseating. 1t
is hard to understand how human beings
in civilized community can be expected
to eat in such quarters. The flies alone
are enough TO revolt the nature of swine.
Ii was quite as disgusting as the justly no.
torous Belem prison in Mexico. There
was profound sensation among the ladie
when they filed from this den to the ex
qulstel y-alm0st sum ptuously-arranged
table of the officials.
The unreas"nablrness of the feminine
| mind again obtruded ut the sight OF a
fine piano in the officials parlor, which. it
appeared on inquiry, was paid for by the
city and county, and which appertained
TO Inc department of the women, who are
aggrleved because the instrument wa.
borrowed from their house, but not re.
turned thitner.
The Daughters of the Good Shepherd
are most progressive women, whose ener-
getic measures. have already procured
many needed reforms. 1t is owing to
their representations that the Supervisors
Committee on Health and Police at lasl
Mondays meeting voted the appointment
| of matt on at he Morgue, to obviate the
| pitiable and indecent feature Of the de.
nuding and handling by men of the
helpless and should be sacred bodies Of
| women.