, 1897-11-01
niHB WYOMING PEN.
ooam OBSERVATIONS on RECENT
CHANGES AT THU IN
sT1TUTIoN.
vaisahss improvements Made at Mod
eFate Expense-An Excellent Gar
80 Supplied the Pri,ou Tables
Farming Carried on With Decided
S~ecess-Fine Oats an Barley.

SSccess-Fine Oats an Barley,
From an humanitarian standpoint a
penitentiary should not be a place Tor
the punishment of indiviLuals cgnyict-
60 OF crime, but rather a place Were
tney may be kept apart from society
a made to feel that estal,ishcL rules
n the rights of Others must be re-
spected. harsh treatment bfiGg jni!ict'
ed only for the purpose Of enforcing
disciplinary rules of the ms iiutiDa. In
the average penitcntiary at least ~ per
cent OF the inmates are ~, l"1llf vi
cious by nature, hut hav hen fought
to their extremity by d.. 5 r'. 'rce
OF circumstances. Sue men r.. be
reformed in a degree /! rr in
fuences during their is. lr-n 0 50,
ciety. Humans but firm .1ar bod
reading matter, who'll mn. .r and
plenty Of exercise are .wGg no uiu>
ences which have n ter ..r.g fu. nvate
the character of the col. r
These observations q. ,aloifN mind
by a visit to Wyominp 'a'e p."nl in
stitution. These who bad ow n to
visit the institution s~...-a' r...s ago
and again more recent haven. tel the
vast change which h .rT' uyrr the
institution and its inmates. The very
atmosphere seems different. At times
In the past the prisoners wore a hunt,
ed expression and ever had q sCowl UT.
on their ~countenances, the appearance
OF the warden being the signal for
trembling and fear, but lis different
now. Rules are strictly enforced and
obedience is required Of all. but prs
oners now understand that il they give
proper attention to the regulations they
may live in peace and even content
ment, enjoying some privileges which
are beyond the reach of The extremely
poor people outside of the walls of a
~penitentiary. Lessee N. K Boswell and
Warden N. d. Mcdonald have a high
appreciation of their duties to the state
and the convicts under their charge,
and they are acting their parts as be-
hts men who have teen used to giving
n compliance to the golden rule.
IMPROVEMENTS.
During the past summer some need
ed improvements have been made at
the pen. Early In the season Mr.. Bos-
well obtained the permission of the
city council to build an %aqueduct
from the city water mains to the peni-
tertiary. This work was performed at
very moderate expense to the state and
at the resent time, instead of being
compelled 20 pump the water necessary
for-Ls' in tuition from the Laramie
FLYER, il flaw freely into the building
by gravity p essurc, and the energy
thus saved is applied in some other di-
rection.
Another Improvement which adds
much to the institution ) the filling in
of the great hole in froIt of the ward
ems house. The grounds there have
all been leveled up and low present a
nice appearance.
PENITENTIARY farm.
Mr.. Boswell's first moveafter becom-
Ing lessee of the peniten.iary was to
prepare for farming on thu government
grounds, rightly believing that a large
amount OF produce could 10 raised and
at the same time the prisoners could be
given exercise in an occupition at once
fnvigorating and clevatinZ. The soif
was prepared and a sple,did garden
planted, although ii was net IN to tho
Standard which will be attained next
year. From this garden tie prisoners
were supplied with nice fresh vege>
tables all through the sumner and I'D
to the present time. and now there ia
si'F"d in the cNrcl'"nt rnnt cellar to
lilo nth of the s-.rt. % suGciept cab,
'".' . last for ..I'a Do. f.lr months.
e"0.-I turnips II rn',ha as to last
all tier, and a r antity OF
bees md potatoes. -ln 4 minis and
cabbage were a splendid crop, some OF
the t%urnirs being nearly the size of a
mans head, and the cabbage heads be-,
ing large and sound. Lettuce. raddish,
es. peas. beans. ETC.. in great ~profusion
gr1rph tho nriyorarc, &ollao ~ -.
the time when such vegetables were in
season and they were thus supplied
with much wholesome food which
would necessarily have been denied
them had it not been for the peniten-
tiary garden.
But the raising Of small truck was
not all that was attempted at the peni,
Tertiary farm. Several acres were