The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-11-11
THE PENITYNTIiARY FARMS

Excellent Management and Sue.
ccssful Results--A Systematic
Organizer and Manager OF abur
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 arc under the CON
troll Of superintendent Neal. He
thinks this example shows that with
good management and steady labor
com bined there is in store prosperity
and life in the Old land yet. Mr..
Richardson said:
the State Penitcntiary, and, by tho by,
one OF the most thoroughly systematic
organizers and managers Of labor |
ever saw, invited a party, consisting Of
Secretary OF State TompkiDs, Collector
OF Internal Revenue Towncs, Mr..
Appel, of the Manning Times, Col.
Cole Blcase, Of Now berry, Mr. John X.
Garnctt, Of Hampton, and myself. to
visit the State farms on the Waterec,
in Kcrshaw County. We reacl ed our
destination on the Camden Road at &
o'clock p. N. Wagons with comfort.
able seats, drawn by sleek, fat mules,
driven by clean, polite convicts, await,
ed, rs,
SSomo 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 bOuntiful suppers were spread
Before retiring, being informed by our
host that we should rise early, (cvory.
thing rises early on the State farms,
we were awakened at & o'clock next
morning by neat, clean convict, who
after building our fires and furnish.
ing fresh water in our chambers, soon
after announced breakfast, WI ich was
appetizingly served.
After breakfast we walkod over
the promises of the Reed farm, in
spected the stockadc, hospital, guard
quarters, horses, stables, etc. The
stockade is most substantially built
house, about 20 by 100 feet, thoroughly
ventilated and heated by three
large stoves the windows large, outer
shutters and iron gratings, all per
fcctly secure. The barn is q splendid
three-story building, with thirty beau
tiful mules on the ground floor. Corr
and hay, products of the farm, arc or
the second floor and 1000 bushels o
oats, all threshed and clean, on The
third floor. Thence we went to tn,
gin house, where steam power wa
running gins, with numerous bales o
cotton lying around. The we'll ar
ranged COW stables and hog lots, tn,
latter filled with 250 or 300 fat hogs
attended by an old white convict, VIII
seemed contented and happy.
1--WE now proceeded to tho De
Saussure farm, two miles off. Her
the party got together and rode owe
the entire crops and plantations. We'll
my friends, it was u revelation to me
swamp lands that o fow years az
were under water and in forest an
perfectly valueless 80 far as agricu
fturar purposes were concerned, no.
enclrrcled by dams and dykes an
trunks. Somo OF the mbankmen,
twenty feet at the bases, and high an
strong enough to resist any freshe
| upon these lands | saw 300 acre
that VIII make at the lowest calcul,
zion l,O00 bales OF cotton and hundred
OF acres that will Yell from 30 to
bushels Of corn to the acre, and otht
crops In proportion.
On each farm are an equal mum be
OF mules and convicts, 80 OF the formt
TO 70 OF the latter. The mon are u
well fed and healthy, and all agree til,
they are comfortable and humane
and kindly treated. I saw no chail
or whips or shacklcs. Tho splendi
management Is due not only to Co
Neal, the mastor head OF this Stat
Penitentiary, but also to tho skiiit
and Intelligent assistance rendered mn
by his two lieutonants, Cooler an
Magill, both experienced planters an
managers. The selection OF two sue