Cañon City record., 1909-11-11

The Colorado Springs Gazette. OF
recent date. SAYS:
Half a hundred convicts, working
on the honor system, are building
two miles of road in the famous
Dead Mans canon hill. 1s miles south
of this city. thereby reducing the
grade from % per cent to per cent.
This is the first strip OF the Colorado
springs-Canon City road which Will
be constructed under the appropria-
ton of $4,000 made by the last leg
islature.
1t is expected that this highway VIII
he one OF the finest IN the west wnen
completed. and automobile owners
and the drivers OF many teams which
eater to the wants OF the thriving
ranch district nearby will be glad
that the long. steep hill which has
halted so many conyeyances In the
mast. has been conquered
Although the state officials are nom
inally In charge OF the construction
work. the direct supervision and the
manning is in the hands OF the III
Paso county officials. Surveyor w r
Woodside and the county commits
sioners are the men who are making
n success Of the undertaking. which
will Gu. off many hard miles between
this city and Canon City.
To one knowing the prison pallor
and averted eye OF the convict. the
wholesome appearance and hearty
will with which the men at the camp
TO on with their task is almost won
derful. AIacri,y characterires all their
movements. and the eight-hour day
during which they work apparently
passes quickly.
Reducing the Grade
Already they have completed. In
month. many fills and cuts. and nave
bu,lt two large retaining walls on
the worst curves Of he road. All this
with the establishment Of per
cent grade has been done with an in
crease of only half a mile ir the
length of the highway on the hill.
Two months more win leave thas
stretch OF road a monument botn I"
the engineering skill OF those In
charge and a tribute to the Industry
and trustworthiness o, the peniten-
tisry convicts.
An i.soO-foot cut. varying in depth
from 10 20 IL feet. has been made
on the top OF the hill. Many thousand
eubic yards OF earth have been re-
moved from this part of the under
taking which is being used for the
nils lower on the road. Some OF the
rock. where the highway curves
around the sides Of the canon. Is al
most as soft as the earth. but In many
Of the worst places repeated blasts
are necessary to loosen the shale and
granite
No pains are being spared to make
the road safe above all things. and
after the rock has been removed the
road itself is built only partly on the
nils, and for the most part on the
solid shelf of the mountain. At
Rocky Point" one OF the worst sec
tons of the road. the wall is to be
cut away 25 feet straight into the
mountain side. and just beyond that
point "hogback" will be cut into for
a distance Of 25 feet
As n substantial acknowledgment
OF the worth OF the convicts. each
one receives 10 days OF his sentence
for every 80 days OF work. Some Of the
men have thus clipped several months
from their time" for they have been
away from the walls of the prison
for nearly two years.
Armed guards are not employed.
though OF course measures have been
taken TO frustrato n possible attempt
TO escape.
Working On Honor
In charge of over 80 men. a num-
Der which will shortly be increased
to 90. there is a saptain of the camp.
and two overseers. Only a few OF the
workers are ever under the direct
eye of these men. for the operations
cover a wide area. Once in the day.
however. they all come together to
do justice to a meal which the grub
wagon" has just brought from the
tents. The good cheer which is said
to be 50 necessary for a perfect d.
gestion is here In plenty, along with
the excellent food which is given
them. and one would hardly think
that these men had been taken under