The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-30

Think OF &c. there was time this year
when the convicts had more waterme.ous
than they could eat.
WORKING is TEE DTCHEs.
A large number OF the cOuyicts at oil
three OF the camps have 20 work down iu
the muddy and Shiny bitches which arc
the canals In process OF formation. Some
OF them stand IN the mud almost up 20
their knees for hours at q time, digging
them out and piliug up the dirt m en-
bausments on the sides OF the canals As
a consequence they are not very presenta-
BILE sights when they complete their days
labors When they return TO the camp
they are required to take "a thorough
washing and change their clothes. This
is probably the least desirable of all the
work the convicts have 10 do.
From camp No. ], % of the cOnyicts,
mostly women, go over every day 10
work the county farm. They are kept
out i'm the fields during the whole day eX
cept at dinner time. and the results of
their work in the making of crops on the
farm, which will be spoken of later, are
truly marvellous.
The convicts get their breakfast and
supper at the camps, but their dinner,
when they are at some distance, is carried
TO them by one of the TRUSTEES. About
o'clock every night they are required to
next days work that is before them.
They are all chained together in the long
barracks, and guard with a shot gun
across his lap takes his station in front of
the door,
CAMPS nos. 2 AND B.
Camp No. 2, like No l, is a stationary
camp, and is located about three miles
and half northwest of the city II is in
charge Of Capt. w. J. Schuman, who
makes capable and efficient officer He
has under him fifty convicts altogether,
all Of whom are colored. OF these forty
four are men, two are women and four are
boys They are all at work on the Dun
dee canal and its laterals. This canal is
a very important piece of work, as it
drains the Dundee swamp, a necessary
piece of sanitation, as it is rather near the
city.
Camp No. 3 is a flying camp, and is en-
tireiy different from all the others. It is
located about three miles to the southeast
of the city, just west Of the Waters road
and is in charge Of Capt, p. F. Dewberry
who has under him twenty-five cOnyicts,
all colored-twenty-th men and two
boys. The men here live in tents,
there being one for the convicts
one for the guards, one for the quar-
termaster and one used as a kitchen The
barracks here consists of a long tent in
WHICH lnb men are all CUdlubu al ulglb
just as they are at camp No. l.
There is quite a difference between the
chef at camp No. 3 and Chef Leonard at
No l. Leonard is as black as the ace Of
spades, but dresses like a chef and has
the airs Of one. Camp No 3's cook is a
different sort of being, and no term can
express his slouchiness. He is a tall, vel
low negro who wears his stripes with APP
parent unconcern, and who is also consid-
cred a trusty
The water at the camp is obtained from
artesian wells, but at camp No. 3 there is
a well which DIR. Charlton had driven.
1t was made by driving a plugged pipe
down into the ground and then knocking
the plug out The men at camp No. are
also at work on a portion of the new
Casey canal.
CALLS THEM ALL JOHN.
The county convict camps are all di-
rectly in charge of the county engineer.
Maj. r. A. Blandford, who visits one of
them, and sometimes all of them, daily.
The work done by the convicts is also
under Mai Blandford's direct charge.
In his daily rounds to the camp Mai
Blandford has pleasant word for all the
men at the camp and they invariably
speak to him when he appears. "Howdy,
john" is his invariable reply. The Ma
jOr knows them only by that name. Out
side of Capt. Peck "John" is the only
name he knows at any of the camps. They
are all "John" to him
Altogether there are now 1S2 convicts
on the county works and Of these about
twenty are sick. A dozen or more were
adds TO the list as the result of the
grinding of yesterdays courts.
The convicts cost the county for
guarding and feeding about 29.4 cents per
capita per day. The entire expense, ev-
erything included is about 40 cents per
day for each man. This may be consid-
cred very cheap, as the convicts would
have to be clothed and sheltered at the
county's expense whether they were made
to work or not.
Altogether, the county's convicts are
well cared for, and under the manage
ment Of the present engineer the public
is getting good work out of them. What
has been accomplished and what is being
done will be the subject of a subsequent
article.