Evening journal., 1901-12-03
WORKHOUSE A
GOODINVESTMENT'
Mr.. MeSerVe Says Il Will Pay
for Itself
WHAT THE PRISONERS EAT
Get Better Food Than Manv Persons
Outside Of Prison WallS-A Com
pariSOn Of Expenses
WHAT THE PRISONERS eat

Everything is progressing satisiac-
t0rily and after we liQuidate the
bonded Indebtedness on the institution
/ see no reason why the workhouse
should not be self-supporting," said
IChief Warden A. s. Meserve, of the
county workhouse, to a reporter for the
Evening Journal who yesterday after
moon inquired the condition of affairs
at the building.
Since the opening of the institution
many persons of the city have been in
terested in the matter of feeding The
prisoners, cost per man, etc. Mr.. Me
serve gave satisfactory answers to
Questions along this line yesterday,
saying that the workhouse trustees are
feeding 1S7 prisoners there at about s
ents a man daily. However small the
Cost may be it does not indicate that
the prisoners are being poorly fed.
! They are getting better and more food,
in fact, than many persons outside Of
Drison walls.
I'VE serve meals three times every
day but Sunday. and then twice" said
Mr.. Meserve. THE food stun con-
sists of beef. mutton, fish, baked
beans. hash and pork, bread, potatoes,
onions. tomatoes and coffee. Beef is
served five times a week; mutton
once: fish twice; baked beans and
pork twice bread and coffee at every
meal. and hash and all vegetables sew
leral times a week / believe the pris-
lOners enjoy their meOls. as / have yet
TO hear Of the first complaint to the
contrary"
Concerning the question Of bonded
Indebtedness. Mr.. Meserve explained
T hat the trustees had erected the insti-
ution at a cost of S175,00O which
! money was raised by an issue of bonds
q whose payment the county guarantees
Several thousand dollars Of this
| money remains in the hands of the
3 trustees and is being used by them in
] Injecting the running expenses Of the
institution.
!; Under the law creating the work
} house. the trustees are allowed 40
t cents a day for every prisoner fed.
= The purchasing in large quantities OF
b ihe food stuff and the business system
] governing the institution admit of the
. Saving of at least 80 cents of this
e amount daily on the meals of one man
; or S374.15 weekly, on the meals of the
e criminals now in THE prison. II
= is this money that viii be
S used in hQuidating the bonded in
e debtedness represented by the work.
3 house. and according to present pros
S poets the property will be free Of all
incumbrance in less than ten years. II
e. the meantime the saving on food sup
e plies alone will be more than sufficient
d to pay interest on the bonds and tn,
f running expenses Of the institution.
q About January / the making O
e clothing and other articles of wear
+ ing apparel will be commenced by thu
{ tlprisoners, which work also will yield
70 handsome revenue DO the county
v 1T will cost the county less thai
T $4,000 a year to employ thirteen mel
d and two women to guard the prisoner
e confined here" said Mr.. Meserve II
d conclusion.
A COMPARISON OF COSTS
That a comparison between the esti
: mated cost of keeping prisoners in TIN
y old New Castle jail and in the work
/, house might be drawn, the reporte
, inquired of an official i'm the sheriff
! office for information on the cost O
:, providing for prisoners under the oil
9 system.
y 1T cost about twenty cents a da
!. to provide food for each Of 200 prison
lers." said the official This include
t. two meals. which, although not elab
Orate, were substantial, and no com
plaint was heard from any of the in
mates of the institution, all seemin
to be in a healthy condition"
When asked about the cost Of war
den hire this same official replie
II that there were four wardens emplos
u led, Of whom three were paid $50 pc
month, and one $6666 2-3.
l. "The yearly payroll was about 5000
J. or several thousand less than that {
If the workhouse.
\ "As inspector of the stone pile on
# Of these watchmen was employed and
u was his duty to see that all those whit
20 in default of the payment OF fine an
costs, for minor offenses wielde
,e the sledge and broke stone for use
r county roads.
at 'All rock brought into the Jail yaI
NJ was received from the Delaware Grant
and Mining Company. of this city.
g came in blocks which range fro
twenty to forty pounds in weight an
was delivered at the Wilmington
Northern wharf at New Castle. T'v
men with horses and carts received s.
e. a month for hauling the material
oe the Jail. delivering it after beII
~ crushed. to the location upon II
as roads, directed by the commissioner
This work continued for about Il
ov months in the year.
- 1T is estimated that the cost
stone, delivered in the Jail yard w
about S125 a perch. The amOU
broken per day and ready for delive
IS. ing was nearly ten tons"
It Which system Will prove the mo
re economical in the long run remains
be determined.