Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-31

manship entered the prison he spent
his Sundays in writing letters for
from fifty to sixty prisoners. So sue
cessful have been the efforts of the
present corps of teachers under Chap
lain Byers, that there is now only one
man in the prison who cannot write
his own letters. This is simply re-
markable, when it is remembered that
a large percentage of those who could
not read or write were men between
80 and 40 years of age.
The Prison school.
Chaplain Byers states that the eff
forts of many of the men in acquiring
education is revelation to him. They
seem impelled by genuine thirst for
knowledge, altho of course, others
take up and continue it because it
helps to kill time. There are now 1874
in the school. The studying is done
during the noon hour and at night,
the recitations being from 6:15 to
7:45 p. m. The work for the week is
divided as follows:
Monday--Second and third readers,
primary arithmetic, writing, spelling.
Tuesday-Geography, senior arith-
metic, writing, spelling.
Observation-Disclosures arithmetic, adj
vance arithmetic, writing, spelling.
Thursday-Second and third read
ers, primary arithmetic, writing, spell
ing. 4
Friday-Progressive arithmetic, his
tory, English, composition, writing,
spelling.
Saturday-Junior arithmetic, senior
arithmetic, writing, spelling.
Private algebra, elementary geome-
try and German are taught i'll the cells
Some of the Lessons.
The current list of questions in his
tory and geography, the former to be
answered May 25 and the latter May
20, was prepared yesterday and are as
follows:
What important capture was made
Aug. 1S, 1864?
Who was sent by Lee to threaten
Washington?
Where was Gen. Wallace defeated?
What was the ransom asked for
Chambersburg?
What three important captures were
made by Sheridan?
What was Sheridan's loss?
Under whose command was the Red
river expedition?
What was the aim of this expedi-
ton?
What fort was captured March IA?
Who was in command of the attack
at Sabine Crossroads?
Who was victorious at Pleasant Fill?
Was this campaign a triumph for
the federals or confederates?
Geography.
What is the principal occupation of
the north and central states?
Where are the different mineral re-
gions?
What city in the metropolis of this
section?
Name the largest lake port?
In what two divisions of time is this
section?
What mountains in Missouri?
What two rivers?
Name five of its principal cities?
Name four lakes in Minnesota?
What mountains in the Dakotas?
Where are the bad lands?
Name three principal cities in Kan
sas?
Name the three principal rivers in
| South Dakota?
Where is the highest land in the
state of Iowa?
How many lakes in Minnesota?
Where is the source of the Missis-
|sippi?
What is the most thickly populated
state west of the Mississippi?
What the chief distributing point
for the products of the Mississippi
valley?
Where is the geographical center of
the United States?
Library 10 Popular.
The records of the Cedar Rapids
public library show that during the
year 1899, 5000 books were loaned.
The records of the Anamosa prison
library show that during the same
period 29,246 books were read by the
500 inmates of that institution. These
books were divided as follows:
I TlctioH -. ........ .21, lao
history ..... 80. $1,000. 2,S14
literature ...... 80. 80. 1902
a!aVels ana adventures ........ ], 104
biography $3.50. ....... ...... 629
Magazines (bound) $50. ...... 61o
hellglous $3.50. ....... -. SIS
| foetry ...... ........... ...... 257
| oCleHce .......... $500. ..... 305
When Warden Hunter assumed his
present duties there were no books
in the library, that department hav-
ing been destroyed by fire a short
time before. Now there are 4,30O
books on the shelves, 100 not cata.
logued and about 300 ordered. Dur.
ing the past year but three prison
ers were reported for serious viola
tions of the library rules and but
seven cautionary notices issued for
minor offenses.
There are several new buildings ia
go up and many plans to be carried
out before the institution will be COM
pleted, but Warden Hunter is push.
ing things with his characteristic
energy.
Iii..1ts2.
Poison In Potatoes.
The public is becoming excited ov