The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-03
for this disparity some explanation Is nec-

 drawn largely from the small towns and the country districts and before they were sent to prison they were engaged in healthful outdoor occupations and lived lives comparatively free from dissipation. The large majority of the county convicts on the other hand are drafted from Jeff ferson county and most of them come from the city of Birmingham. They are from among the lowest and most deprav- ed of the negroes. Many of them never did any work, and almost without excep- tion they are victims of dissipation and disease.
 The second reason is that the state sends only healthy convicts to the min ing camps and the sick or decrepit are sent to the state farms, or taken care of In some of other way. With the coun- ty eonviets the case Is different as the company is bound by its contracts with the counties to take such as are sent, and care for them until their terms ex- pire. and pay the county so much per month per capita no matter whether they can work or not. Many of the con- victs sent by the counties to the camps never do a stroke of work. They enter the hospitals on their arrival and never leave them until released by death or the expiration of their sentences. There are at Flat Top now several who have
  several months ago. There is one white man who is nearly "A years old and has a chronic sore leg. Another convict Ca negro) has lost both his hands, several have lost one foot or leg, some are blind, and many are in the last stages of con sumption or other disease None of the women are employed in the mines.
 The sickness among the convicts. in- cluding those who come with disease up- x.rh, uta are injured after reaching the mines Is ' per cent among the county and per cent among the state convicts This per- centage, however only includes those who are sufficiently Ill to be sent to the hospital.
 convicts Chased.
 When any convict reaches the prison he Is classed by the medical inspector, Dr. Judson Davie is the resident physt- elan in charge of both the state and county convicts. He is directly under Dr. Shirley Bragg, the state inspector. Once a month Dr. Bragg visits the camp and the state and county prisoners are as- sembled in their respective dining rooms. Their names are called and they come before the doctors in squads of eight or ten. Dr. Bragg and pr. Davie person. ally examine each one and class him for the ensuing month.
 The classes are one, two, three and four. The task of No. is to mine tons of coal daily. No. is expected to mine four tons, No. g. three tons, No. 4, two tons. All new men are placed in class No. 1, and no man is kept in No. 1 for more than six months continuously. If man mines more than his stint he Is paid for the surplus coal, and as proof that the tasks are not too severe, the superintendent c. w. Shilling, stated that many of the men had sums of from $50 to 5000 standing to their credit on the books of the company. They can draw the money and send it to their friends or they can purchase luxuries for their own use. They cannot, however, carry the money about with them, as 1t would lead to many evils If they were allowed to do so.
 Convcts Interviewed.
 Dr. Bragg classes both state and county men, and in all respects they are treated in the same manner, excepting that the state men are fed by the state. The sloss-S Sheffield company feeds the county convicts and is responsible for their safe keeping.
 l Many prisoners of both classes were in- l terviewed by the reporter who accompa- nied Dr. Bragg. They all said that all | prisoners were treated alike and subject to the same rules and regulations. Some of the state men said that they thought that the county men received a greater variety in the way of food. All said that the food was good and tha. they were limited only by their capacity. One oi the county convicts gave the bill of farc l for Monday, August 31:
 Mondays Menu. Breakfast-Irish potatoes, rice, grits Is4 I and coffee.
 | Dinner (taken to work in buclkets)- I Bread. meat raw onions.
 Supper-Pork, cabbage, onions corn l bread, white bread, biscuits. | They have all the condiments In the way of salt, pepper and vinegar that they wish. Moasses is served several times a week and fresh meat on Sunday. Sew eral car loads of watermelons have been used this summer and the vegetables are varied from day to day and from meal to meal The kitchens were scrupulously neat and the ventilation is So perfectly provided for that there is no ''priscn' odor to be detected any where about ths premises.
 Like Virginia Corn Bread.
 At the invitation of Dr. iavle the ,e- porter ate some of the corn bread and he is free to confess that 1t is the best that he has had since he left Virginia. Dr. Davie is employed by both the state and the Sloss-S Sheffield company and with his assistant has full supervision of the physical health of the prisoners both state and county.
 Those who are experienced In such mat ters say that this is a model institution of its kind. Dr. Bragg says that the camp of the Tennessee company at Pratt City is equally we'll conducted
 RICHARD WILCOX PARALYZED.