The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-01-05

NO FIDELITY AMONG CONVICTs

Maj. A. Griffith. in the Pail Mall ma ga
zine, describing a visit to DAFT neer,
writes: Dartmeor is now before very
thing an agricultural colony. Perehej-
up here high among the Devoushi. e
tors, at an elevation of 1,e60 feet ab1Ve
the sea level. it has become a ~nsodei farm,
under the intelligent and enterpris irs
control of Sir Joshua Jebb, Sir Edmunj
Henderson, Sir Edmund du Cane and MIR.
RuGgles-Bris who have in turn been thu
chief admisistra tors Of England's prison
department For nearly fifty years lhs
reclamation Of waste or common LAND
has been carried on at Dartmoor. In 1851
the complete cessation Of transportation
obliged the authorities to seek employ
ment for conVictS at home, and the ole
war prison at Dartmoor was reoccup'ed
Since then about fourteen hundred acres
of moor and bog have been convertet
into good arabic and pasture land
AS we enter the farmyard We ms
upon characteristic scene full of icc;-
dent and colo1. In the open central space
surrounded by the timeworn buildings OF
somber, greenish-gray stone is great
group of farm laborers. all convicts, tor-
Ing the carloads of splendid swedes
brought in by prison teams with convict
waggoners. 1t is healthful useful oe-
cupation-far better surely than the.
IL
These are willing, fairly contented work
ers. and this in spite OF their unhappy
condition so plainly shown by tkei
guardians with the Inevitable rifles, and
their uncouth, unfamiliar livery--the
same hideous caps, knee-broeches, sait-
ers and striped smOck frockS, only with
the added glory of broad scarlet fac.ngs,
for these are ''red-collar men," the best
behaved most trusted convicts, who are
nearing the end of their time, and w1lc
are employed in semi-freedom about the
place. They are all ''red-collar men at
the farm; we come across them, every
where in the COW house and calves
house and stables: one Of them harne sses
stout cob into a pony cart which Is
to take me shortly to the most distant
works ~ = ...~-.-
Meanwhile the farm bailiff shrewd
Scot from Aberdeen way, shows me round
the buildings, and with pardonable bride
calls my attention to his filter mil h.
cows level lot, uniformly red III colo.
and mainly North Devons, the local breed
most suited to these high attitudes. al
though a dash of other blood has b.e
imported, for good returns in milk are
as important as hardihood. Ano Their house
Is full of calves. which are being care
dulIy reafed lott rtSef mo e
attractive are the perfect little reny
stations, to whom come pony mares
from all parts of the moor and who's
offspring are SO excellent that a prIson-,
bred pony can be recognized anywhere.
We are now more than a mile and a
half from home; yet here in this seem
ingly isolated spot far from help in case,
Of sudden 1nsurrection, with no safe
guard against some equally sudden rush
for freedom, but the power to shoot
straight, a couple of warders are wcra-
ing twenty-five convicts. I can see from
my point of vantage other similar parties
far away, stationed, like these on the
outskirts of the prison lands, at long IN
.tervals apart. What keeps all in check.
all safe, within these limits? The strong
arm of systematic discipline, the COM
plete, if not too willing. subsection of the
many to the few in authority, who vie q
their power effectively, yet not too OBJ
trusivey. The distant prison, Staining.
gray and grim upon the central hill is
really in touch with and has its hod upon
every point, with an admirable system
Designating. z. .-E
A Gordon of armed sentries, the civil
guard, surrounds the outermost bound
airy; within it each detached officer con-
stantly controls his men, counts them
over continually--for the number he takes
out he must bring back, alive or dead
keeps a watchful eye on their temper,
industry and general demeanor. 1t is
this ceaseless supervision, this sense
that every movement, every thought al
antee against outbreak. But, more than
this the authorities know from long ex-
perience that there is no fidelity among
convicts; combination-the most dreaded,
the most punishable of all prison Of
fenses-any concerted action is all but
impossible, for some one in the plot is
certain to play false and betray his fell
ows.
One word now as to the work of re-
clamation in progress here just under our
eyes, This is perhaps the most interest
ing of Dartmoor sights, for in this pri-
mary operation the soil isrbeing worked
for the first time /since prehistoric ages
or the glacial epoch It is done by
trenching-by digging down two or three
feet and throwing up the black, Shiny,
peaty subsoil, turning it over and ex-
posing it to the air, then burying the
surface soil foot deep in order to kill
the tepmost grass. Whenever neces-
sary, stone drains are laid three feet
down, at intervals of from thirty to forty
feet. 4.
The land is then left to lie fallow for
time, after which the first crop is sown.
rape or rye, according to the season OF
the year. Sheep feed Oft this as soon
as it natures; then come swedes and
then a short rotation of crops-swedes
first, then barley, then grass seed, for
after this the land 50 newly reclaimed
is destined to be laid down In permanent
pasture. OF this an expert agriculturist
speaks in the highest terms, recording his
opinion that no cleaner or puier pas ture
can be found anywhere than that LAID
down on Dartmoor farm within the last
few years. A field that grew nothing
but PUSHES twenty years ago will now
carry one bullock an acre during the
summer months. This work of reclaim
alton is going on continually, slowly but
surely; the average amount of land add.
ed to the farm is some twenty-five acres
year, although last year it was linz
itea to eighteen acres. a. diminution
caused partly by the rocky character Of
the soil attacked, which occupied moro
men in quarrying and removing stone
than in trenching, partly through tile In
clement seasons.
Dartmoor in the last year or two has
not exactly had clean record as regards
escapes. Last winter and in the winter
previous the public was startled by sto-
RES Of daring attempts to break from
prison--attempts that were successful.
too, but only for time. The world IL
small, even in those far-off wilds; the
fugitive is very Isbmacl, with price
: on his head, and every mans hand
against him, so in every case his free
dom is short lived. Among Dartmoor
traditions are some strange, even com.
ica1, episodes. such as that Of the fugi-
tive who took refuge In the upper
branches Of q tree. fell asleep there and.
found when he awoke a picnic party 1T
lunch underneath him. The story gees
on that he dropped uuon the tab.ecloth.