Cañon City record., 1909-11-11
A fine ROAD IS BEING BUILT
TOWARD COLORADO SPRINGS
Convicts Are Doing Good Work on Cauon
City Colorado Springs Road d-Red Hill
VIII Be Reduced to An Easy Grade

the care of the commonwealth for
the safety OF the state.
From the viewpoint OF the men the
liberty allowed is near-bliss. why.
this is a puddin' for u.s." said one of
them, and another said that he "reck-
oned that IT Is as good as earning
$40 a month"
Down at the camp where the men
eat breakfast and supper, and where
they have their sleeping tents. there is
a regular little colony of well laid out
tents, separated by streets. The men
took 10 to IL days in making every
thing clean and convenient
The camp Itself is practically a self
supporting community. One OF the.
most Important adjuncts. the bake
oven. is capable OF baking 20 loaves
of bread at a time. and the samples
which the grinning negro cook
brought forth for inspection. were
raised to heaven" Near the oven is
the kitchen. wherein another negro
is supreme. Here are arranged row
on row OF liars, cans and other recep-
tacles. all kent as clean as soap and
water can make them. Most as good
as Delmonico's." said Sambo. proud
ly. although not as big in variety"
he added. rather sadly.
Near the kitchen is the commissary.
replenished each weels from Colorado
Springs dealers-which was not the
fact before the FL Paso board OF coun-
~ commissioners decided to patron
ire home Industry.
Four commodious tents accommo-
date the colony during sleeping hours.
victs themselves-pafrols the streets
and sees that thieves do not break
through and steal.
The tent which probably has Ii
most longing eyes cast toward 1t is
the big dining tent. where the seats
are more comfortable than those in
the -walls"-As The penitentiary at
Canon City is called-and where the
men gather morning and night TO
do justice to the plentiful food set
before them
Lest the boys" as they like to be
called. feel IL necessary TO come TO
town TO a barber shop. the camp has
its oNn artists TO WELD the scissors
aud razor. and here. on Sunday. the
men get their weekly barbering.
A tailor shop and minute shoe fact
ory are Included in the outfit. and
in these places is repaired the wear
and tear of the rough country in
which the work Is being done. One
man is kept busy attending to this
end OF the work. and the men them
selves show as much delight over an
artis,ically placed patch, or water
resisting piece OF leather as does the
proverblal school boy with his first
pair of long trousers.
All sanitary conditions are care
fully looked after. and a bathtub. one
Of the largest, is kept near the big
caldron OF hot water. which is in the
elegantly appointed bath room. as one
Of the convicts jokingly remarked.
Modes Of Recreation
Sunday at camp Is with most day
of rest. And the menas and meth
ods OF resting are many and varied.
Some stroll over the hills and lie in
the welcome November sun. while
others obtain horseshoes from the
camp blacksmith and pitch quolts.
Not the least exciting is the game of
baseball. which is in progress nearly
every Sunday, and many are the hair
raising finishes OF the ninth inning.
When the convlcts were around Trim
dad on the road work they played the
Starkville and Trinidad teams and
made an excellent showing.
In the evening. however. the men
gather around the big fire and become
silent. while the camp stringed quar-
tet plays airs and songs OF all kinds.
And It's real music. too" said one
OF the audience. "Mebbe you think
them boys can't play" Quite possib-
ly other audiences than those OF per-
sons wearing the stripes have listened
TO the quartet.
The board OF county commissioners.
which has charge OF the Ei Paso
county end of the work. consists of
b. A. Banta, chairman; II. Hutchin-
son and J. p. Madden. They request
that magazines be left at the county
commissioners Offices, whence they
will be taken to the camp. The COM