Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-12
Report of the Physician Inspector for De-
cember.
Speigner, Ala, Jan. ], 1916.
Col r. II. Dawson. President Board of

cember.
Speigner, Ala, Jan. !, 1896.
Col. r. H. Dawson, President Board of
Convict Inspectors. Montgomery, Ala
Sir: 1t is gratifying to me to be able
to say to you in this, my report as physi-i
cian-iIspector of convicts for the month
of December, that in my judgment the
entire convict system is moving along
well and with about as little friction as
is possible for it to do.
At this place, clearing land, ditching
and some necessary building are now
being DONE, as all crops have been gath
cred, house, ginned, etc, and at the
Tallapoosa river farm the new prison
building is fast nearing completion and
will soon be ready for occupancy.
There is but little sickness here or on
any of the farms and no amount of it
elsewhere, except at the shaft prison
at Pratt mines, where they have mea-
Sizes and from which the state is surfer
ing some pecuniarily, as the men nave
to be classed down for several weeks
who are attacked by the disease.
This disease was also at the slope
prison at Pratt mines, but has now about
exhausted itself for want of material ana
is subsiding. and those who have been
sick are being classed UP again to their
usual tasks
There is also measles at Coalburg, but
will not be very bad there, because they
had an epidemic last spring and there is
not enough new material to keep the dis
ease in existence long.
The Sloss company have perfected their
contract with the Messrs Walter Bros.
at Sprague Junction, on the Alabama
Midland railroad, and delivered to them
a numberof their convicts, who are unfit
for mine work, including so for nearly
all their men that the state was taking
care of at this place and at 1.-The Walls"
This is relief to Coalburg; but i'll will
not take all away from there who are un-
fit for the mines, and it is to be hoped
that they may be able to perfect other
similar plans in the near future.
In addition to the usual routine work
for December | have also, by order of the
board, visited the city of Tuscaloosa, in
this state, and the city of Columbus, in
| Georgia, in finding a proper person to
| furnish us with the necessary plans,
| specifications, drawings and other in
| formation and superintendent necessary
| to get the contemplated cotton factory,
| to be built by the state, at this place in
| operation--and succeeded in finding Mr..
| John Hill of Columbus, Ga, whom the
| board of inspectors, with the governors
approval, as you know, contracted with
to do all that we need in the matter till
| the mill is in successful operation.
| have also, by order of the board, ar
| ranged and contracted with Mr.. Howard
! Lane Of Birmingham, practical and ex-
| perienced brick maker, to take charge OF
our brick making operations for another
| year at this place.
The death record for December shows
| eleven deaths in the entire system and
| distributed as follows: Pratt mines I,
| Coalburg and Wetumpka l.
| The death at Wetumpka, however, is
| chargeable to Pratt mines, as he was
| sent from there in October sick-with
| consumption--and died in December.
This is a death rate of a little less, per-
haps. than 5 per cent per annum for the
entire system, which seems to be, so far,
about as reasonable as we can expect.
| Hoping the incoming year will mark
| an era of progress and prosperity long to
| be cherished in the history of our con-
| Wet system, | remain, respectfully. =
JUDSON DAVE,
| INSTRUMENTATION of ConVicts.