Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-02

the professional mendicant, whose days
are haunted by it's threatening horrors.
The Father Of 1t
The hobo is the father of it. He was
aided, of course, by the usual fellow
criminals of the changing, but the
hobo we- the chief promoter and archi-
tect of the boulder heap. 1t was made
for, by and because of him-yet still
he breads it, shuns it, loathes 1t, even
as a sim may dread the fires of
Tophet
EARLY n the morning, closely guarded
by officers on horseback, several wag-
ons may be seen unloading the prison.
ers of the county Jail in front of this
formida BILE rock pile. The prisoners
Lave unifo-ms-coarse, unsightly uni
forms made o. jeans. One-half of their
trousers is blue, the other half brown.
Their Houses are the same.
The guards are experienced men. Two
of them take care of from forty to nifty
prisoners, fol- the guards know their
business we'll and there is no trifiing.
Each of the officers is dressed in plain
clothes, wi a Stetson hat drawn down
above lis eyes, a handkerchief about
his neck. No matter where the prisons
ers are working, his eyes are upon them
all. He sees them individually and col
lectiVelv-all a. the same time-for ms
eyes are trained for treachery. HIS
hand is always ready at an instants
notice to shoot.
He is we'll armed, and shrewd ana
quick, There is no doubt about MS
aim. If necessary he must shoot' anu
# he shoots he hits.
So thu prisoners realize there is little
chance to escape. Even IL they 40
where can they hide from the tell
tale evidence of the blue-and-proWn
clothes they wear?
But the prisoners of the Los Angeles
county changing have record, the
guards say. They are considered the
| best behaved prisoners on the coast
They work quietly, steadily, willingly,
| and all the time the changing has
been operating there have been only
| two attempts to escape. 1t may be
because they realize the hopelessness
of attempt, or it may be they are
we'll trained. Give them the benefit OF
| the doubt.
All Must Work Hard
When the changing arrives at the
rock pile there is no lettering. Each
and every member, though manacled
or free, must set about his work.
There is a sort of mesa from five TO
eight feet high which the prisoners
must rae level with the two avenues.
Each and every rock must be taken
from this mass of dirt, which comprises
about an average block, and placed IN
the big pile. This rock is USED IN max
ing cutters OF culverts.
The Los Angeles county chaingang'
which has erected this diminutive rock
mountain, is said to have built some OF
the finest roads in the state. Many an
automobilist or motorcyclist mas spec
for miles over long stretches or beautl-
full country reads, smooth, hard ana
inviting and enjoyed the ride SO mucn
that he did not stop to wonder VINO
had made it possible. 1t does not oc-
cur to us, when we are spinning along
over some OF the best county drive
ways (and we have but few GOOD ohes)
that we owe the pleasure of our ride TO
the chaingang-the men who, in blue
and brown serge costumes. with balls
and CHAINS about the limbs nave
worked many long hours on ration
of only bread, beans and coffee, ana
without compensation, to make the
roads so inviting.
We do not stop to think, either, thar
this same great rock pile ana TINS
same free making of county roads, mas
done more than all the officers OF the
law combined to keep Los Angeles
comparatively free of professional va
Grants and criminals.
"Hail to the rock pile!" excla.ms the
law-abiding citizen.
IL with the rock pile!" echoes the
wandering Willy.
The pile is still growing.