The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-02-13
How to Use the COnVicts.

COLUMBIA, s. c., Feh. 9.-Columbia
has the opportunity Of adding to her list
of enterprises frst-class shoe factory.
There Is already considerable prospect of
the enterprise coming here, and by the
subscription of $4,000 it Is an assured
fact. Superintendent Neal thinks that 1t
is better to employ as many convicts as
possible OF the Penitentiary grounds,
and with that view he approached the
directors of the Anderson Shoe and
Leather Company to induce them to
move their plant to Columbi and utilize
convict labor in the manufacture of shoes.
Mr.. Sloan, the president Of the COM
pany, and Mr.. Cox, director Of the An
derson Company, have been In Colum bia
and carefully looked over the situation
and are satisfied that the move would be
iudicious. There are only fourteen in
terested in the factory at Anderson, and
all of these parties are 30 situated that
they cannot come to Columbia. The
Anderson people, however, are 30 thor
oughly satisfied with the investment that
they are willing to have the plant moved
here, provided the people OF Colum bia
are willing to invest five thousand dol
lars in the enterprise and undertake the
The Anderson people are very we'll
satisfied with the situation there, as the
investment is paying very we'll, but they
believe after q careful investigation that
very much more money can be made by
the use of convict labor and the facilities
offered. The machinery they have Is of
the latest pattern and is capable of maxi
ing five hundred pairs of good shoes every
day with the use Of about sixty convicts.
The Anderson Company has been at
work for over year, and find good
market for everything that it has been
able to get out. Two travelling men are
employed, and altogether the investment
as il now stands is considered very good
one, but the Anderson people are ready
10 combine with Columbi' capital to
make a better thing out VI what they
already have, If Columbia wishes to put
no the money no doubt Columbian
will be selected as the manager of the
enterprise. =,
The Penitentiary authorities will pro-
vide the shoe factory with commodious
and good quarters.
CoIUMB1A, February 10.-There are
now 1908 convicts under the care Of the
Penitentiary authorities. The question
is what to do with them. Superinten-
dent Neal has very fixed ideas on the
matter and Is thoroughly convinced that
the best thing to do is to employ as many
of them as possible In the Penitentiary
walls. Col. Neal does not believe in hav-
ing any idle able.bodied convicts. The
effort he is making towards getting the
shoe factory for the Penitentiary 1ndt"
Gates how anxious he Is to have the bulk
of the convicts employed on the premi-
ses. Out of the thousand convicts there
are three hundred and fifty In the prison
walls who are employed In the various
departments Of the institution.
The bulk of the convicts are now em-
ployed on farms. Altogether there are
about score Of farms on which convict
labor is used, and those who have been
using this class Of labor are very well
pleased with it. It is q reliable kind OF
labor. and when once secured there is no
element of uncertainty or occasion to
worry that when most needed there will
be no labor on the farm. The Peniten-
tiary authorities make the best possible
mutual arrangements. The party getting
the convicts has to give bond Of $50 for
each convict employed, and whenever q
convict escapes the State gets $50, although
very few of them manage to get out OF the
way for any length of time. The State
gets Sc month for each convict and the
party leasing the convicts has to pay the
guard and supply the food. The State
looks after the medical attention needed.
Outside of the conviots employed at
Clemson and the other State institutions
there are ninety-three employed on the
DeSaussure farm, which is worked by
the State. Then the State works on
shares the following farms: Sherwood,
Speigners, Sims's, Wolf and Aughtry.
In addition to the convicts used on the
farms in which the State is Interested
are leased at a monthly rate on
the farms Of @. w. Saunders, J. w. See
gers, Scarborough, Hammond, Wood q
Lester, E. P. Earle, J. B. Watson, j.. 8.
Fowler, J. B. Cooley, A. T. Newell, J. a.
Alewine, A. J. Smith. Russell d Fret
well are using thirty-three convicts In
doing some railroad work. Stewards
quarry generally uses about twenty-five
men and the Coleman quarry uses
number whenever at work.
The convicts at the Penitentiary
are leased at the rate OF so cents
a day for each able-bodied man and 37t
cents per day for women and children.
There are only forty-one women in the
Penitentiary, and many Of these are used
in the repairing departments.
Col. Neal expects to give the shoe fac
tory good quarters. From what can be
heard there will be no trouble in getting
up the requisite capital to make the
change and have the mill operated by
convicts. It may be that since the county
bill has gone into effect some
Of the counties will make an effort to use
the short term convfcts on the public
roads. Yesterday, however, ten conviots
came in from Spartanburg, and the prison
seem to think that there is
likely to be an increase in the attendance
rather than falling off and say that the
times will be responsible for the increase.
Altogether it is an interesting problem
how best to use the convict labor and
sllow no abuses, which Is the watch word
of Col. Neal.-Sfecial to Ne,0s and Cou-
rier.