The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-07

May be Made Today.
The board of prison. managers holds
meeting today, andit is not among
the improbabilities that there will be
shaking up of the Republican office
holders that owe. their positions to
party allegiance and the board. The
fact that Warden Wolfer has been
allowed to remain at the head Of the
institution is not taken to mean that
any other officer of the institution has
a mortgage On his position. In fact,
with the passing of James S. O'Brien
from the board, the hold of the Repub-
licans has become pretty uncertain,
and even Wolfer himself has had the
last prop taken from under him. If he
remains at the head of the Institution,
it Is going to be on his own merits
from this on, and not because he has
had the support of all the Republican
members of the board, and half the
Democrats as we'll. 49,
1t has been considered odd that VOL
fer's experience as steward of the Jol-
let prison and his connection with a
correctional institution at Detroit,
Mich, should have made such a Won
derful prison man Of him as some peo-
pie make him out to be. Illinois, which
knows him best, epropably, has never
been after him, so far as the reports
OF his press agents have gone, nor have
any of the more important penal insti-
tutions, although. it is said, he has
been after some Of them. When he was
down in New York with an eye on the
Connecticut prison, he returned by.
way Of Washington, and it was report
ed that his visit to the capitol was to
see what chance there was for his ever
getting the wardenshfp of the govern
ment prison at Leayenworth, Kan.
Still 1t is supposed he will remain in
Saltwater. s.- :.. .--~z ,,ss.,,-.-. ,,
There are others. however, filing po-
sitions that it is belieyed, can be filled
satisfactorily by some of the men in
the reform ranks. There is the clerk,
for instance, George Bixby by name.
His chief recommendation for the po-
sition is the fact that he is Tams Blk
by's brother. That was recommends
ton enough. Bixby's work has been
done, it is said, mainly by the con
victs. In the last prison report there
is a. financial statement which is in
serted in the report proper. 1t Is
double page and Is headed Tables
showing earnings and expenses for
1S97-189S.''
The G | b has been informed that
that was gotten up by a certain con-
Wet. When Bixby put him to work on
the report the convict is said to have
asked, Where is the book showing what
stock there is, on hand?" Bixby re-
piled, "Why, go down to the building
and take an inventory of what there is
there. That is the only>eway I know
of getting at it." The; man followed
Bixby's Instructions. The same au-
thority has it that there are some
books in the Irvine plant at the insti-
tuition into which is supposed to be
entered statement of all receipts for
the plant, the raw material, oil, ETC.,
and that, for four. months Of last year,
there was not an entry in those books.
If the board will call for those books
this morning, it can see for itself
whether or not such is the case. unless
the books have received : attention
within the last three weeks. The
months in which the matter of keeping
the record was neglected, The G l o g
was Informed, were April, May, JuEe
and July.
The position of engineer IS also a
Desirable one, since there are always
engineers among the convicts, SO that
the engineer has little to do except
draw a comfortable salary and super
intend the job. Blixt, the slayer of
Catherine Cling, it is said, does most
Of the work of the engineer in the, en-
CINE room, while there are two or three
assistants to help out in the steam fit
ting, etc, etc.
Then there is the prison physician
DR.. Merrill has had that snap for a
good many years and has, since he has
held the place, found time to take an
active part in party politics. Whether
or not he has given all the time the
law requires to the institution is not
material, the fact that he has been
at all times an obnoxious partisan, 1t is
claimed, is reason enough. why he
should be given rest now and some
man in sympathy-gwith Gov. Lind and
the administration he represents put
In the position.
Then there is a steward over there
whom Wolfer imported from Illinois.
1t is thought there is probably some
man in the whole state of Minnesota
who could look after the prison fare
and who could give the convicts just as
good food as the present steward, and
neither the deputy. warden nor his sec
ond assistant have any license to ex-
pect to retain their positions for, any,
thing they ever did to; help the reform
administration.
The state prison. agent is another po-
sition that some friend of the admin
istration might be able to fill. He is