The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-02-27
Legislative Committee Investigating
the Mines.

PETRos, TENN, Feb. %. The
committee has been spending some
time at hard work In the mines and
over the States property making
Investigations. Friday late in the
afternoon the party was shown
through one part of the main mine.
They were accompanied by Super
intendent Evans. A train of mine
cars drawn by small electric motor
was used to convey the party. Be-
fore entering the mine overalls and
miners caps and lamps were furnish
ed each one that wanted to make
the trip. The trip was only for the
purpose of sight seeing. After re-
turning the convicts were watched
as they came from the mines and en-
tered the bath room to prepare for
SUP per. The party was shown to
the dining room, and remained there
during the supper hour and watched
the convicts come down long flight
of stairs to the dining hall, which
seated seven hundred and thirty
seven convicts, both negroes and
whites, the negroes having one side
of the hall and the white men the.
other. Almost every member of the
committee saw some poor convict he
knew. Several boys under sixteen
years were seen, and some members
of the committee were heard to say
tn At they would recommend that
these boys be taken back to the
main prison and placed in reform
school. While the committee was
watching the convicts come down
large negro came six feet and
eight inches high, weighing 160
pounds and wearing number III
shoes. His feet were eight inches
wide. He is nineteen years old, and
was sent to prison for a term of one
year for stealing a coat. His name
is Williams; he was sentenced from
Covlngton.
Saturday morning the committee
was divided into three sections.
Section one consisting of Senators
Cox and Rice and Representatives
Cockrill, Crawford and Cleage,
were sent to investigate the timber
that is on the States property. Sec
ton number two, consisting of Sen
ator Bright and Representatives
Preston and Birdsong, were sent to
make an investigation of the mines.
Section number three consisting of
Representatives FoDville and
Thompson, were sent to look over
the books in the office.
Each division of the committee
put in the day at hard work. Every
thing seems TO be satisfactory with
the committee so far, except the
young boys that are found here
working in the mines. They will
probably have them called back, and
some method may de devised to pro-
hibit boys under l6 from being sent
here.
The Brushy Mountain coal mines
have been in successful operation
for the last two years. The follow
ing figures will be found in the six tn
annual report: Tue net profit for the
last two years was 1884, 281.36, or
an increase of S24, 1885 over the
two previous years ending Novem-
Der 80, 1900.
The following shows a net earn
ing per man per day for the period
covered:
Net profits, 1884, 28l.36; total
convicts maui tanned, 435, 53s, and
an average net earning TO the State
per day of 64.75 cents. The above
shows that every man maintained
by the State in this department the
past two years has earned, besides
his own maintenance and the sup
port of the institution, nearly 90
cents per day. The total cost of
maintenance of convicts per day for
the past two years, including rations
clothing, transportation, control,
and recapturing, was 31.66 cents.
Total maintained, 27,Os3, making
an average per day of 1928. Total
workers, 2O2,7 making an aver
age per day of $50 workers. Total
sick, excused, cooking, washing and
sewing, "a, $40, or an average per
day of producers of IS.
IL n ocI