St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1905-09-22
uNNTON llCONlCS.



{ NJ nfiggs the "iinnion ilsconics' man
was r~csniiy invited o. the county wufk
trn ~ sec the wufk tsi.pners ~sv doing
and ai~p huw thsy wvfe trAtcd. The
whole thing ~ss svfN satisfactory aud
much lryond expectation. This TN,
~hich " alsuut one and one halt miles
below iinntun, brought, hcfc from
l pulion las, Novrmlef is surrounded Wy
loafd fence about twelve feet IN
hight II IL buili partly on the side oi
rsrty hill - rnshlc prisoners 90 get ~
the ruck of which there Il sufficient 60
last until nett spring There u guard
house =, the spu,h end and another =,
/ the north end oi the construction. In
each N stationed an armed guHrd In
the nof,hcas, corner oi the pcn u the
cushef.
A. prrscn, there are forty prisoner
although this number varies. All are
under sentences not exceeding one year.
/ seventy Eve yer cent ~ the prisoners are
under twenty years of aye.
Often We hear how cruelty prisoners
are treated and how hard they are made
to work the great infections for slight
faults put upon the prisoners and all
such things. II is certainly false IN this
instance. No better treatment could bc
wished for than these prisoners receive.
In these pens there is not the nagging NJ
often given employees Everything for
the prisoners convenience II handy.
Fresh drinking water. easy paths for
wheelbarrows, no impossible things given
prisoners to do. They have good tools
aud every thing that could possibly be
demanded. Those who are weak and
infirm or who may DE trine III are set
To work at saving wood, repairing tools,
or at something within their scope.
Those who are seriously III are sent to
the hospitals and given the best treat
ment. Some might think IL wrong To
put these men To such tasks. II Is really
kindness to let them work ~ IL keeps
them in health, and this outdoor work
keeps their minds normally employed
and makes them happier. n continually
discontented and unhappy.
Although the men are paid only fifteen
cents a week tfor tobacco) they work
with an interest In what Is accomplished
Every man is hustler. OF course, when
new men come who have been sentenced
for six months or more they as n rule,
feel "blue" and reluctant about working. |
This the guards expect and the prisoners
are allowed To act thus for day or two. |
II this condition continues hints are |
given through the older prisoners about I
punishment. This generally stops II. |
Those who continue refusing to work are
called up To guard house and lcctured /
In the presence Of others.
Hut one man IN the history Of this
pcnitcntiary has ever continued obstinate
and lac was Immediately sent 10 the
dungeon. The dungeon N an under
ground cellar possessing neither light nor
bed, having cement floor. The unfor.
tunatc gets half a loaf of bread aud pint
OF water every twcnty.four hours. lie IN
left there until he II ready TO work again
generally about half a day. This IN the
only punishment man ever gets.
After returning this man takes an
interest In the work aud also participates
IN the kindness which the Others have
bccn receiving. Good order " always
no attempts are ever made
10 stir up disturbance. Every man
willingly aud without hcsita.
lion with the laws aud regulations of the
pen.
A little while ago there was one
ni.chicvous fellow who desired Ia make
his escape. When the prisoners arrived !
lnc morning they found that there were
wagons ready for them 10 ill with dir,
inside the place, one wagon was placed
iircctly under guard house out of the !
guards sight. This prisoner climbed
n,o the cart while the other guard was ,
rot watching him aud let the others
over him with dirt, meaning Ia escape
when u was dumped. Meanwhile Briggs )
missed the man and thought that hc had
hat tired feeling. M went Ia hunt hun
he I.I H..l -. | 4
scapc. Nowhere was lac Ia be found. {
ir, Briggs saw the wagon aud, smelling ,
rat, went la the gate and scnt away the ,
The Wagon was left there am
lour when the poor fellow who would Z
ave escaped "squcalcd" aud was dug a
mt amidst shouts and jccrs. None oi
he guards said anything and he went
'ack Ia work subdued, :
Everything u conducted systemati.
ally, Hut this il not Ia say that they
Tc restricted irom all fun for they are !
llowed to talk and Joke, play little q
ficks and make fun, as much as they o,
lease. This Kindness aud systematic
rider which prevails is due Ia the unlir- z
ng efforts and tact that Mr.. Briggs, aud
he other employees, show, u
~ much for the treatment of the ,
Tisoners, The work Ia be- done by these q
zen Is crushing rock for the county
iads The greater quantity of the rock
broken by the cTusheT, the rest by n
and. Fourteen are employed in wheel, /.
X II to the crushcr, two at the feeder, y
id the rest get after the rock with
edge hammers, The boring is done by L
lree prisoners. One sits over aud holds A
'e bore while two pound, This is called -
snake hole aud the instrument used a .
1ll. The hrs, drill used in beginning /
hole Is eighteen inches long, the next 4
ght inches longer, aud so ON To sixteen
et-which Is the length sought. The %,
and tempering OF these steel :
ills Is a very difficult feat As il requires a
eat skill aud practice To temper them
hard as glass at the sharp edge Will II
,tehell has the reputation, which no
e can dispute, of heing the best man ia -
G country at sharpening and tempering
ills, No time or labor is lost ON T.
count of broken drills when those of A,
! make are used. The county has been
~ fortunate IN employing 81 good .,,,
IN as Viii Ratchet. III
II usually takes fourteen hours To bore A,
ixteen-foot hole. No hired help ever
rvs hole through solid rock in such
bit time. Blasting is done after the
soners are sent home, thus avoiding III
ances oi accident, Commencing the T.,
'st with five sticks of giant powder,
h charge is increased till as many as "a,
" sticks are uSed when the rock is in ~
ces, and next morning the fragments Al
ready for work The crusher. feeding
iithcult-and two men work ON half TT
nr shifts at the machine. a.
Three sizes of rock are turned out: No. Al
Aassing 5-l'ineh mesh; No. q, passing
i-a-ineh mesh, No I, passing a s.inch II
sh Zach grade has its chute ON the A,