Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-08-01
Rock Island People Spend Day
Pleasantly at
Joliet.
BEE PENITENTIARY AND CANAL
Merry Crowd Well Handled by the
c., l. r. & p. Manage
ment

4 tue IOdI anu Idbl4Cs WIN oA CS1OAS
effect. Corn in the tassel, oats in
the shock. green meadows and dark
| woods, formed a continuous pano
| rama for those who were not too
lazy to look at it. While nearly
every seat in the first section was
taken by Rock Island citizens, there
was plenty of room in the Sec
and one, and the parties picked up
at the towns along the way, while
adding the spice of variety to the
! social atmosphere, were drawn to-
gether and assimilated by the badges
bearing the legend, Rock Island. >
which were distributed while en-
| route.
The two sections arrived in Joliet
about 10 o'clock. within Is minutes OF
each other. The excursionists were
met and formally welcomed
at the train by Secretary VOL
colt, of the Business Mems
association, and committee
from the retail merchants of that
place consisting of C.. F. Pinneo. C.
w. Hart, A. C.. johnson, j. z. Muir
ply and j. w. Ganson. Secretary
George Schneider and Vice President
G. A. Mcdonald, of the Rock Island
Retail Merchants, replied to the well
come and the crowd dispersed in var
ious directions.
6. II. kingsbury, president of the
Rock Island Retailers association, be-
ing passenger on the second section,
did not arrive in time to respond to
the welcome in behalf of the associa-
ton.
The MAJOR portion at once sought
the street railway leading to Lock
port. six miles up the valley, and
paid visit to the far famed control
ling works of the Chicago drainage
canal. The work done here has often
been described, but the magnitude of
the undertaking has never been exsg-
gerated. The sluice gates and bear
trap dam extend lengthwise with the
main direction OF the stream
which makes a short turn at
this point. They are operated
with ease with one hand by the engi-
neer in charge. and thousands of tons
of water are raised or lowered. The
basin above is 40 feet deep, blasted
from solid rock and wide enough
for the largest lake steamer to be
turned in. For IL miles up the stream
there are huge piles of rock rising to
peaks on each side and forming a
sight that ranks with the results
wrought by seismic disturbances. A
bridge is being installed over the dam.
The water is clear and even reflects a
greenish hue from the bottom, but it
gives off an unmistakab'e Chicae
odor, caused by gas, that quickly
spoils the paint on all buildings lying
near the stream.
State Penitentiary'
The other main attraction was, of
course, the state penitentiary. The
hours for visitors had been set at
from o'cloc OK till 8, and the admis-
sion reduced from so cents to %
cents. The visitors were piloted
about sc and made the rounds in an
hour.
The main prison covers 10l
acres and is surrounded by 20-foot
wall, upon which are eight towers
containing guards armed with Maui
ser rifles. Visitors enter from the
south of the main building contain
ing the offices of the establishments. |
Within are the cells and |
buildings containing the shops. etc. |
The cells are built against the walls |
and are set in two rows with a corri- |
dor between. When possible each |
cell is occupied by two convicts. The
main factories are those for the man. |
ufacture of boots and shoes, chairs. |
harness and saddlery and the stone |
cutting department. Each prisoner
is taught trade, If he is able to
work, and while at work they are not |
permitted to look at visitors or con-
verse. The penalty for the infraction
Of the rules is confinement in the sol
Itary, where they are fastened with
their arms through door all day and
are fed on bread and water. The
working hours are from till 6.
There is fine library and there
are religious services on Sundays at a
chapel where the music, which is of q
high order, is furnished by choir of
convicts. The admission fees of visi-
tors 60 to the support of the library
md the chapel. The convicts are d.
vided into three classes and dressed
The second class, into
which all new corners are put, are
dressed in gray. Ii the conduct is
yocd at the end Of q year they are
yiven navy blne- On the other hand,
Z they prove unruly they are given
he old garb of stripes. There are
about 1900 convfcts in the main
building
Womans Prison.
The woman's prison is east of the
main prison and built on the same
ines Ii has 20-foot walls and con-
aims work rooms in addition to the
quarters. 1t is conceded by criminolo-
lists to be the finest woman's prison
n the world, but visitors are not al