The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-15

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human IN the treatment Of United
States prisoners In the penitentiaries
and; jails belonging to the government.
Punishment 1s far lighter than most
men think it ought to be, and II q pris-
oner halfway behaves himself hs Is
better cared for and more kindly treat.
cd than heswould be outslue the great
stone walls.
Despite the fact that the average
cost day to feed q prisoner ct Fort
Leavenworth is IL cents and at Atlanta
prison 10 cents, the daily bill Of fare
is far above that found In many thou
sands Of homes In every state In the
country. It equals that Of the average
w0rkingman's home. The cheapness Is
due wholly to the fact that the gov
ernment raises much OF its own vege-
tables and some Of It's meat and that
the work is all done by prisoners.
On June "a, 1906, the breakfast at
the Atlanta penitentiary, whore 1858
men were confined for various offenses,
consisted Of bologna sausage, potatoes.
bread, butter and coffee; for dinner
the bill Of fare was soup, beef, pota-
toes, wheat bread, Ice water, and for
supper It was bread, butter and coffee.
But for the milk and vegetables raised
on the farm the cost would have ex-
ceeded - cents a prisoner on that day.
On June % the bill, Of fare at each
meal was as follows: Breakfast, oat-
meal, milk and sugar, bread, butter,
coffee; dinner, salt pork, potatoes, to-
matoes,s wheat bread, ice water; sup
per, liver, bread. butter, coffee. All
kinds of meats are used during each
month and the attempt is made to
have the bill Of fare vary as much as
possible.
No prisoner is prevented from get
ting as much as he wants. All pris-
Dners are seated in one dining nall.
Their positions must be erect, their
arms folded and their eyes to the front
until the signal Is given to commence
eating Strict silence must be OBJ
served during the meal. Staring at
visitors, talking or laughing or gazing
about are forbidden. Eating or drink
Ing before or after the bell sounds,
using vinegar In the drinking water or
putting meat on the table are prohib-
tied. A man who wants more food
makes his wants known to the many
walters by signals bread, holding
up the right hand; II coffee or water,
holding up q cup; IL meat, a fork; If
soup,S spoon: If vegetables, q knife.
II 1t is necessary to speak to an officer
about the food or service the left Land
Is held up and the officer goes forward
and listens to what Is said.
Wastefulness in food is prohibited,
and q prisoner is required to prevent
the waiter placing more food on his
plate than he can eat. At the conclu-
sion of the meal pieces Of bread must
be left on the left side Of the plate
and knives, forks and spoons on the
right side
So long as a convict has q good rec
ord and obeys the rules he is entitled
to one ration Of chewing and smoking
tobacco each week, snfacient to last
him all week: to permission to write
once In two weeks; to see friends once
In four weeks; 10 receive newspapers.
magazines, books, etc, as may be an
proved by the warden; to receive fam
lily photographs, COMBS, brushes, pow
der, soap, tooth brushes and other
small articles. One OF the first pun
shmets for disobedience Of rules Is
reprimand. The next is the loss Of the
tobacco privilege; the third, loss Of the
letter privilege; fourth, loss of good
time; fifsh imprisonment in solitary
confinement on restricted diet: sixth.
imprisonment In solitary confinement
on restricted diet, handcuffed to the
door; seventh, reduction in grade:
eighth, reduction to stripes; ninth, loss
of all good time.