New-York tribune., 1897-01-31
MAKING WORK IN SING SING
WARDEN sAGEs PLANS FOR KEEPING
CONvICTs BUSY.
SOME OF THE MEN ARE MANUFACTURING
brushes OTHERS ARE LEARNING TO
DRAW AND ABOUT ONE HUNDRED ARE
CUTTING STONE. BUT NEARLY
HALF ARE KEPT IN EN-

DRAW. AND ABOUT ONE HUNDRED ARE
CUTTING STONE. But NEARLY
HALF ARE KEPT IN EN-
FORCED IDLENEss.
Despite the best efforts Of the prison authorities
to provide work for the convicts who were forced
to leave the shops on January by the operation
of the new Constitution. 65s OF the lo4' inmates ol
the prison at Sing Sing are idle and are resor'nls
to all imaginable means to kill time Heavy drafts
are made the prison library by those VINO can
read but there hundreds who are iihtera'e
whose sight Is defective, or who from physicai OF
mental reasons deprived Of that pastime. Ihey
are confined in their little cells. from which they
are marched 10 their meals in the mess hall and to
the locl-step exercise, which takes up only three
hours Confinement and broodng are showing their
bad effects in the physical condition and in the con-
duct of the idle men, and degeneration Is one OF the
first fruits OF the enforced ideness.
Warden Sage has done everything in MS power
he SAYS to better the condition of the men, and
given work many possible by making
necessary repairs and improvements on the grouhus
and in the buildings but these will not suffice TO
keep the large force of men at work. ana notning
feasible has been suggested by the hundreds OF
humane people who have volunteered to help solve
the problem Making supplies for other State IN
stutons is the great hope of the prison authortes
and the first steps in that direction were taken
in Sing Sing last week with highly satisfactory re-
suits One end OF the old brush-fbre shop mas
been fitted up as brush-makng establishment
where twenty men are now employed In the manu-
facture of brushes such are used In state inst-
tutions Scrub. shoe. kasomine hair and DUST
brushes included in the list. An instructor
has placed in charge Of the men. who nave all
had some experience in the brush business or some
kindred business. The bored brush blocks are rur-
nished and into these bristles. horsehair ana ram
pico grass drawn with wire by the hano process
Although the have been at work only rev
~
sell as first quality of their class in the market.
Mr. Sage hopes 10 have the force increased to forty
In few days.
About forty men are employed In the quarry and
on the road drawing stone to the sheds In the
prson incIosure where the stonecutters are at
work The force of stonecutters numbers ABOUT
one hundred at present. but 1t will be augmented
by dfty as soor az accommodations can be pro-
vided for the men. There no orders on hand
for the stone but 1t is being cut ard dressed ana
piled up in anticipation OF dorand for it, Much
of the dressed will be used in rebuilding and
repairing the prison, and in relaying the walks III
and around the prison buildings
The new building, with its hospital. chapes. mess
hall and stora ge- rooms Is rapidly nearing compile
tion but 1O5 men are still employed there and
Rany OF that number would be perfectly willing to
have the job last like the Albany State Capitol
work. because with its completion their activity
will come end, and their prison life VIII have
horrors.
New work has also been laid out in the depart
ment known the State SHOP where many OF the
prison supplies are made by convicts. The old
State shop was the place where the new prisoners
took their first degree. There they were stripped
of their citizens clothes, shaved and shorn, ana
then clothed in the stripes. The new shops are
larger than they were. One-haf will be devoted to
the clothing and the other to the shoemakng In
dustry and the receiving department, which re-
mains In the shop. has been so much Improved Dy
the introduction of modern bathtubs and easy bar
bers' chairs that the place Will look less forbiddng
to the newcomers.
About one hundred and twenty five men are kept
moderately busy in the jobbing shops about the
place and the rest of the working prison popila-
ton Is divided into small companies Of cleaArs,
runners, messengers. etc.
The latest plan for giving the unemployed con-
victs something to do, which Is designed TO break
to them. is the formation OF drawing class 1t was
begun few days ago. A large room next TO the
brush making department has been fitted for the
purpose with long tables at which about 'ffty men
two hours in the afternoon Mr.. Sage. In speaking
OF the class. said that the men were selected
out of the Idle company for their intelligence and
their past occupations. There Is nothing remuner-
ative in the scheme to the State. and the lessons in
drawing are given simply to afford the men some
employment and to develop any talent which they
resting on the table. Is rudely constructed desk,
about 1Sx24 inches in Size and on this Is spread a
piece OF manila paper, on which the artlst-convct
draws the lines which the instructor mas marked
on a blackboard at the end OF the ROOM The task
is a simple one and thus far has consisted OF rudl-
mentary work. The teacher Is convict who Is
consisted Of simple cross and its component lines
and the papers which were handed In at the end OF
the session showed that most OF the men could han
de pencil.