Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-12-03

and like Il great gray serpent wound
in and out among the wagonshops and
planning that filed the prison yard.
Down beyond the foundry the begin
ming of the line, the head of the Ser
pent, was lost at the stairway leading
to the second floor of long, narrow
building in which whisk- -brooms were
manufactured.
An hour before, on the sounding of
a brass gong Mt the front, that same
line had wound round the same corners
into the building whence now it
crawled. There, the men had seated
themselves on four-legged stools be,
fore benches that stretched across the
room in rows. Before each man was
set tin plate of boiled meat, heavy
cup of black coffee, a knife, a fork,
and a thick bowl of steaming, odorous
soup.
During the meal other men, dressed
like the hundreds who We're sitting, in
suits Of dull gray, with little round
crowned, peaked-vizored caps to match,
moved in and out between the rows,
distributing chunks of fresh white
bread from heavy baskets. Now and
then one of the men would shake his
head and the waiter would pass by but
usually dozen hands Were thrust into
n basket at once to clutch the regula-
ton bit of half a pound. The men
ate rayenously, as if furnished.
And now, their dinner over, they
were marching back to the shops and
mills of the prison, where days and
weeks Were spent at labor. Those en-
ployed in the wagon dropped out
of the line when they came opposite
the entrance to their building. Those
behind pushed forward as their prison
mates disappeared, and never for more
than ten seconds was there gap in the
long, gray line.
A dozen men in blue informs
marched beside the line on its way
from the mess-hall, six on each side,
at two yards distance. Their caps bore
Guard in gold letters, and each
carried Il short, heavy, crooked cane of
pbllSllti W Illlt
On entering the workroom of the sec
ond floor, the men assembled before n
rallied platform, upon which red
faced, coatless man stood behind
desk. In cold, metallic tones he called
the numbers of the convicts employed
ION the whisk- broom contract" and
the latter, each in turn, replied "Herew
when their numbers were spoken.
"Twenty- -fourr called the red
faced man.
There was no response.
"Twenty- y-thirty-four The red-faced
man leaned over the desk and glared
down. Then voice from somewhere
on the left answered, "Here"
what was the matter with you the
first time?" snapped the foreman.
The man thus questioned removed
his cap and took three steps toward
the platform. In feature the word
"hard" would describe him. His head
was long, wide at the forehead, and
yet narrow between the temples. His
eyes We're small and close together.
His nose was fiat, and his mouth hardly
more than n straight cut in the lower
part Of his face. The lower jaw was
square and heavy, and the ears pro
truded abnormally. A trifle above me-
dium height, with n pair of dropping,
twitching shoulders, the man looked
criminal.
To the question he replied doggedly,
81 answered the first time, sir, but l
guess you didn't hear me-"
The foreman gazed steadily at the
man. Their eyes met. The foreman's
did not waver, but "2034" lowered his,
and fumbled nervously mt his cap.
"All right" said the foreman, quietly,
"but guess you'd better report to the
warden as soon as you get through in
here Don't wait for any piece-work.
Go to him as soon as you have finished
your task. I'll tell him you're coming.
He'll be waiting for you in the front
office"
Yes, sir" The convict did not raise
his eyes. He stepped back into line.
Then, at clap of the foreman's
lands, the men broke ranks, and each
walked away to his own bench or ma
chine. Five minutes later, the swish
of the corn-wisps as they We're separ-
ated and tied into rough brooms, and
the occasional tap Of hammer, We're
the only sounds in that long room
where 60 men toiled.
Now and then one of the men would
go to the platform where the foreman
sat bent over half a dozen little books,
in which it was his duty to record the
number of tasks completed by each
of the workmen ION his contract''-a
task" in the prison vernacular, being
the amount of work each man is COM
PEELED to accomplish within given
space of time. On the approach of Il
workman, the foreman would look up.
and a few whispered words would
pass between the two. Then the
broom-maller would dart into the
stock-room, adjoining the factory.