The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-09-21
HOW 1T AFFECTS STATE REFORM
AToRY IN TEXAS.
THE WORK OF the INMATES
Youthful Prisoners Cultivate LARGE
Crops, Erect Buildings and Make
Themselves Generally usefu
Report OF the Board.

yenile law passed by the thirtieth leg.
islature Is responsible for decrease
of twenty six in the population OF the
state reformatory at Gatesyile, I'm
/ the last two years. according to the
/ biennial report of Capt J. \. Boyd. as.
sistant superintendent of the Texas
state penitenliaries, in charge of the
/ rcformatory.
This report was made to the peni.
Tertiary board in session at Houston.
Our prison population has decreas.
ed twenty-siX in number in the past
two years, largely due to the juvenile
prisoners until they have committed
/ the second or third offense before
committing them to this institution.
We have turned out some boys at the
expiration Of their terms with the
knowledge OF trade that now gives
| them employment at good wages and
/ ii is urgently requested that our in
, stitutiou be fitted up to teach them
more useful occupations and thereby
enable them to become honestly self.
supporting and thus eliminate them
/ from the criminal class
Captain Boyd reports that the in.
| stilution kept within the bounds OF
| the appropriation made by the legis.
laure, except the item of discharge
gnd transportation, which is short
sl2i15, notwithstanding the cost OF
living has increased in all lines and
it was necessary to furnish anew the
] building that was burned and rebuilt.
| out of she maintenance fund 81 ,O60.-
90 was saved.
The recommendation is made that
the appropriations to this institution
/ be made in lump sum as is done
/ with the other penal institutions, to
! be used as directed by the board of
penitentiary commissioners and super
| intendcuts. thus enabling the reforma.
/ tory TO use the balance for unforeseen
nece ssities and thereby avoid carry
/ ing u deficit, as in the discharge and
| transportation fund.
Discussing crop conditions, the re-
port says:
owing to the drou,hs in 1907 ana
/ floods and drouths in 1908, the crops
have been light. There was however.
enough produce rails to run the
/ place tnis year. or practically SO, but
/ the cotton crop fell short, there be
| ing only 223 bales gathered April
81, 800 acres of cotton aud 800 acres
of corn We're killed by frost. 1t be-
land was planted in cotton, which
makes our entire cotton crop late
and our corn crop short in acreage.
The drouth set in before the remand
er of the corn was ma.ured cutting it
short and causing our cotton to shed
at least half The fruitage. However,
a reasonable good crop of oats We're
raised, having threshed 5000 bushels
besides toll. We sold four Thousand
bushels for $l,723.9S, put up for seed
and feed the remainder. We also
put mp 25,OOO bundles in the sheaf
and about So tons OF millet and sor-
ghum
The present corn crop is estimated
at 5000 bushels, the cotton at $50
bales. In addition G00 bushels of 20
tatoes, good croO OF tomatoes, es-
timatcd at 25O bushels, and good
crop of other vegetables were raised
and consumed ON the place.
TO the state in the last two years
Sii,7S2.2S were remt,ed. Sanitary con.
ditions are reported as being better
than ever and the health of the In
mates excellent. The permanent i'm.
provements, i'm which the labor of
larger boys were utilized, consist OF
large and comfortable dormitory,
including chapel, kitchen and din
ing room built OF brick ana two sey.
enty horse Tower boilers. \ shos
shop and a tailor shop for the making
of the clothes and shoes worn by the
inmates are now in full blast. The in.
stitution is also making lis own mat.
'resses. at cost OF fortyfye cents
each, that heretofore cost from $lI5
to s225 each.
OF the l47 prisoners in the reforma
tory 1874 are natives of Texas. The
birthpaces of the remainder of the
population are; Mississippi, 8; Mis-.
souri,, l;MeXico 8; Kentucky, /; Ok.
,ahoma, / Colorado, / England, !
New Mexico, /.
Nacafinns Mnnld nlnasa the hnNs