The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-12-03

DR.. Pierce's Pleasant Pellets cleanse
the clogged system from accumulated
impurities
bettered. They would be sure of sutfi-
cient food, clothes and shelter, which
are very uncertain blessings in their
present state: besides being compelled
to keep tolerably clean for the first
time in their lives and made to work
at something useful. In the peniten-
tiary all are obliged to learn trades
blacksmithing, carpentering, shoe max
ing, etc. There is school also where
even the oldest and most densely lgnO-
rant are Taught to read and write; and
a chapel where ali receive religious
instructions. After year or two here,
the roto who came in ragged dirty and
worthless to degree, may go forth
clothed and in his right mind, having
formed new habits of neatness and In
dustry, and with a resource against
future want in the trade he has learned.
Nor is this all Those who never in
their palniest days of freedom pos
sessed dollar that they did not steal,
may actually have money laid up with
which to begin life anew. Good con-
duct does not count here toward short
ening ones term, but extra diligence
in well-doing is paid for in money. The
c+o az uAr}y. h,1t Inv
eXerting themselves they may accom-
plish much more than the amount re-
quired, and for every extra bit they are
fairly paid In the shoe department,
for example: The contractors, who
pay the government so much per annum
for working the prisoners, encourage
the men to their best efforts by keep
ing a careful account of exactly how
much each accomplishes every day. a
stipulated sum is paid for so much
work, and if man doubles the amount,
as many do, it is so much the better for
all concerned. \ workman easily
makes from thirty to fifty cents day,
and the amount is charged to his credit.
The money is not put into his hands.
but ticket representing that sum. II
he fails to do a reasonable amount, or
spoils material through carelessnesS,
something is deducted from the money
he has already earned, and he may be
otherwise punished. Though strongly
advised to hoard his funds until the day
of release. he may spend it il he likes.
The regular prison food is better and
more abundant than most of them have
been accustomed to outside; but on GER
tain days market people are allowed to
come in and sell tobacco, fruit, dulces.
etc, and there is no law to prevent the
men from spending all they can earn IN
this way. Once i'll three months each
prisoner may have visitors. and then
his relatives and friends, it he has any,
flock to see him. Many of them are
glad to have saved up a respectable
sum to give the wife and children, or
the aged parent, who perhaps have sad
ly missed their support. Said the SUI
perintendent: eff prisoners term is
long, it is not uncommon for him to
have credit for from 5000 to $500, which
is paid him in cash on the day of his
discharge. This, with good trade at
his fingers ends and the thrifty habits
he has acquired, makes new man OF
him; and if he gets into mischief again
it is due to innate depravity. But
when man has been long accustomed
to the quiet and order that reigns here
he has forgotten how to think for him.
self, and even his former name has be-
come strange to him. When first
turned adrift into the world, even with
; money in his pocket, he feels an over
powering sense of helplessness; and
many come back and beg to be taken IN
again"
But there is another side to the pic
ture-one so dark and terrible that as
we contemplated it the bright day
seemed suddenly overcast, the sun
ceased to shine and the birds to sing.
In this splendid model building,
there are Shiny, noisome cells where
daylight never enters, in which human
beings are literally buried alive. We
requested to be shown one of these
cells. The gentlemanly superintendent
denied that there were any such, and
showed us the interior of two or three
twilight cells, which he said were the
worst in the penitentiary and designed
for those condemned to solitary con-
finement. But we knew better: and
later, the judicious investment of a
dollar induced a subordinate officer to
give us glimpse Of what we came to
see. Under the massive arches of the
enormously thick walls, where per;
petual twilight .reigns even in the out
aldo roorna ara inner cells two feet