Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-21

inmates could he provided and short TIM
ers' We're of necessity quartered in the
log "snacks.'
Flank Conley and Tom McTague un-
de took to manage the prison under a
contract With the state and so capable
have they been that each new prison
board has unanimously felt relieved to
know Conley & MeTague We're the low
est ri1ders and the prison was in safe
hands.
So5n after assuming control Conley &
Meta CUE began to urge the prison COM
missianers to permit them to begin the
erection of a stone wall about the
grounds, using the prisoners so Tar as
possible for the work. This was done and
a wall that had its foundation six feet
below the surface and rose twenty-five
feet above, With a of three feet
and a coping Of fiat granite four feet
wide on top was gradually built, unit!
when finished, it represented a belt 200
feet long, surrounding the institution
and ii required four seasons to complete
it. When this work was nearing COM
pie ton, a building over 200 feet long and
20 feet wide, two stories high, and built
of brick and stone was begun. In ms
hui ding is the dining room large enough
to seat 400 eonvicts at tables, the hospi-
tai. bakeshop, kitchen, washhouse or
laundry, tailor shop and at one end and
is ated from the mems departments, IS
tn female department.
This building, was erected practically
without cost to the state. Prisoners
made the brick, hey cut the stone, saw
ed the lumber, and as we'll, performed
the skilled labor required to put these
elements together in the walls.
The prisoners showed such adaptablllty
in mechanical pursuits that it was deter
mined to begin the erection of a mod
ern cell house. Thus it will be seen that
the prisoners have built about them
selves a wall intended to confine the men
who built it, while they went a step fur-
ther and built their own cells and hung
the steel barred doors to the cells IN
which they were locked for the night.
This might we'll be called the Irony of
fate" The work was well and cheerfully
done. however, and the prison boards
who nave been in office during the pro-
gress of the work have rewarded many
of the long timers who We're efficient by
reducing their sentences.
The cell house when completed in 1897
had room for 1886, and it, with the old
"wings' will give capacity for over 500.
The system of letting out by contract
to a responsible person or firm the en-
tire care of the prison and inmates was
" hAS
dollar with which to pay running ex'
penses and must of necessity find some
body to run the prison and pay all bills
until the taxes came i'm the following
spring. This Conley & McTague under
took to do. It was discovered that by
the use of practical business method!
and the absolute elimination of all poll
tics from the management that Conley &
McTague were agreeing for a fXe'
amount per capita to run the priso1
cheaper than any other western stat
could do and cheaper than a great ma
iority of the eastern states.
A contract was awarded Conley an
McTague in June last, running for tW
wears at the rate of 40 cents per day TO
each prisoner confined. Out of this Con
ley and McTague hire the guards, fur
nish food, clothing, heat and light, anC
in fact, absolutely every actual want {
t h inmates. In comparison the ceiebrat
ed Joliet prison in Illinois costs the stat
nearly 80 cents per day. While the Still
water prison costs so cents, and Vernon