The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-11

than he have committed. The next
time he offended because he began to
believe that the hand of society was
against him. Working under this
system, they perceive that they are
looked upon as men, they are given a
fair chance and are encouraged,
boosted instead of being kicked down
the ladder.
81 don't mean that they all improve
just because they get the kind of
treatment they have. One man 1
have in mind has no desire to improve
his condition. When he is sober he
is haunted by the remembrance of his
sorrows and sufferings, SO he prefers
to be intoxicated. Another has lost
his powers of resistance. Continued
indulgence has weakened his will. He
has tried to brace up and has had
treatment and advice to assist him,
it seems impossible, yet he is still
trying. But in general they show ap-
probation of what is lone for them
and try to profit by the chance they
have.
There was big, brutal appearing
fellow, who was setn here first before
the prisoners were worked, and / took
such a dislike to that man that l al
most hated him before his term was
out. He was surly and disagreeable
and l. presume l didn't treat him as
well as l might, l disliked him so.
Well, he came back afterward and
was put at work with the rest of the
men. He vas one of the best work.
men and most willing prisoners 1
had and was a favorite with those he
worked for. Now this man gave that
different impression just because he
had a different chance.
These are all the words Of a prac-
tical man, not a p~enologist or a GRIM
inologist, or a theorist of any sort,
just a plain Yankee, whose ordinary
common sense supplemented by ex-
p%erience has shown him how good
work may be done for an unfort-
innate class of men. His sympathy
does not end with the term of inn
prisonment. More than one man has
been helped to employment, recon-
ciled with his family and given a fair
start toward responsibility by the
Sheriff, because the man responded
to the treatment he received in Jail in
a way to indicate that he was capable
of better things and intended to do
them.
There is no s~entimentality, no mol
lycoddling about this; it is a straight
business proposition, tempered with o
little of the human charity that is so
often missing in the treatment of Of
tenders. The financial results show
that the Sheriff is a business man.
In the first year he turned over to the
State about two-thirds of the total
amount received for the work of pris-
oners, and of the other counties that
tiled it some lost money by the ex-
pertinent. This year Franklin and
Orange counties alone are working
their prisoners. Orange county
has derived a small income
from this ource in the past, but
this year the men are employed
on the new Court House, which fur
nishes plenty of work. Neither of
these counties, though, will furnish
the surplus of $1,000 or more which
Sheriff Tracy will turn wei to the
State.
There are now 80 prisoners in the
Washington county Jail, of whom 20
are at work. They are continually
changing, but their number through
the year will average about Is. The
Sheriff had a large potato patch in
Hubbard Park last summer, but as
the plot was on a high piece of land
and the season was dry he lost mon
ey on the undertaking and has to
charge about $50 to profit and loss.
To have handled the business so as to
make $1,000 for the State with Is men
shows him to be a capable manager,
and to have handled the men so as to
give them a brighter outlook ON life
and courage to undertake a better
way of living, to believe the men will
give them a square deal if they will
play square, stamps him as a prac-
tical benefactor of his kind.