The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-11-09
THE PENITENTIARY FARMS
Excellent Management and Sue
CCssful IteSults-A Systematic

ccssful Results-A Systematic
Organizer and manager of Labor.
The Beaufort correspondent of the
| News and Courier gives the experience
and observations of MIR. Hal w,
Richardson, Of Columbia, who has
recently visited the farms belonging
to the State which are under the con-
troll OF superintendent Neal He
thinks this example shows that with
good maEage and steady labor
com bined there is in store prosperity
and life in the Old land yet. Mr..
Richardson said:
the State Penitentiary, and, by the by,
one OF the most thoroughly systematic
organizers and managers of labor |
ever saw, invited party, consisting of
! Secretary OF State Tompkips, Collector
of Internal Revenue Townes, MIR.
Appel, Of the Manning Times, Col.
Cole Blease, of Newberry, Mr. John X.
Garnett, OF Hampton, and myself, to
visit the State farms on the Wateree,
IN hershaw County. We reacl ed our
destination on the Camden Road at 6
o'clock p. m. Wagons with comfort
able seats, drawn by sleek, fat mules,
driven by clean, polite convicts, await
ed us.
Some of the party, four in each
wagon, went to the Reed farm, and
four others were driven to the De-
Saussure farm. where bright and
cheerful fires greeted us and warm
and bountlful suppers were spread.
Before retlring, being informed by our
host that we should rise early, (every-
thing rises early on the Stat, farms,
we were awakened at 6 o'clock next
morning by neat, clean convict, who,
after building our fires and furnish
ing fresh water in our chambers, soon
alter announced br akfast, WI iuh was
appetizingly served.
After breakfast we walked over
the premises OF the II ,ed farm, in.
spected the stockade, hospital guard
quarters, horses, stables, etc. The
stockade is most substantially built
house, about 20 by lC0 feet, thoroughly
ventilated and heated by three
large stove the windows large, outer
shutters and iron gratingS, all per-
fcctly secure. The barn is a splendid
threo-story building, with thirty beau
tliul mules on the ground iUor. Corn
and hay, products Of the farm, are on
the second floor and 1000 bushels of
oats, ali threshed and clean, on the
third floor. Thence we went to the |
gin house, where steam power was
running gins, with numerous bales OF
cotton lying around The well ar
ranged COW stables and hog lots, the |
latter He'd with $50 or 300 fat hogs, |
attended by an old white convict, who |
seemed contented and happy.
we now proceeded to the De-
Saussure farm, two miles OFF. Here |
the party got together and rode over
the entire crops and plantations. Well, |
my friends, 1T was Il revelation to me. |
Swamp lands that few years ago
were under water and in forest and |
perfectly valueless SO far as agricul- |
tural purposes were concerned. now
encircled by dams and dykes and |
trunks. Some Of the embankments
twenty feet at the bases. and high and
strong enough to resist any freshet.
Upon these lands saw 1900 acres
that will make at the lowest calcula-
tlon 100 bales OF cotton and hundreds
OF acres that will yell from 30 to 60
bushels OF cotn to the acre, and other
crops in proportion.
"On each farm are an equal number
OF mules and convicts, 30 OF the former
to 10 OF the latter. The mon are al
well fed and healthy, and all agree that
they are comfortable and humanely
and kindly treated. | saw no chains
or whips or shackles. The splendid
management is due not only to Col.
Neal, the master head of this State
ouU diSO W Iio Shlllul
and Intelligent assistance rendered him
by his two lieutenants, Cooler and
Magill, both experienced planters and
managers. The selection of two such
admirable lieutenants is an evidence
OF Col. Neai's discrimination in their
selection and retention.
The State has its own saw mill and
all the lumber and shingles used are
manufactured on the grounds. Car
penters, black smiths, wheelrights,
and other workmen are found among
the convicts, and are conveniently and
judiciously disposed upon the premises.
1 never saw plantations upon which
there was place for everything and
everything In its place to exceed this.
| Now, sir, If what | Eavo described
does not emphasize and prove what
have attempted to exhibit that good
planter with other conditions for sue
cess added, such as strict and system
attic attention to his business and
steady, reliable labor, can make money,
then there Is nothing else will, and
need not prolOng this interview. Suf-
flee 1t TO say that the whole party re-
turned to Columbia duly impressed
with the magnitude of what we had
seen and with Col. Meals wonderful
capacity and ability as a manager.
"One great regret we all felt was
the absence OF the Senator McLaurin,
who was unexpectedly prevented from
joining our party, as he had signitied
his intention of doing"