The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-09-01
A Convict's Daily Routine.

of life in Silverwater prison clearly
before the readers eye, it will be ad-
visable to detail a days routine. At
5:45 the gong rings. This sounds like
very ordinary and necessary pro-
cedure, but the morning gong is the
insistant fact that .disturbs ones
dream fancies, the everlasting re-
mindcr of ones status in life. At the
sound of it 700 men get out of bed,
wash, dress and tidy their cells. At
Sis they march to breakfast in the
dining halls. Breakfast over, they
return to their cells for a moment,
but shortly march out to the shops,
beginning work promptly at 7 o'clock.
Work continues until noon, at which
time a recess is taken for dinner. At
l o'clock work begins again, and it
continues until 6, when comes once
moro the silent march, and by 6:1o
every man is locked in his cell. Dur
ing eight months of the year the night
school occupies $50 men until 8
o'clock. The remainder may smoke
and read, or write verse, from 6 to 9,
at which time the gong rings and the
light goes out.
This is the invariable weekday
routine. On Sundays and holidays
comes a welcome change. On Sun
days the gong rings an hour later,
and after breakfast the men return to
their cells for longer period. Apro-
pos of the word "cell," the aristocrat-
| ic prisoner uses the euphemlsm
department" or "room," lest after his
release he may be unable to break the
habit of referring to his sleeping
room as a. cell. On Sundays, of
course, comes chapel service, which
continues from an hour to 80 minutes.
After service, attendance at which is
entirely optional, every man is turned
out for exercise With the exception
of the walk of few yards between
the cell house and the shops, this is
the only opportunity that the ma
iority of the prisoners get to breathe
fresh air. II it rains or SHOWS, even
this is denied them. After drill comes
dinner, and after dinner the key turns
again. From noon on Sunday to 5:45
en- Monday every man is locked in his
cell and left to his own devices. On
holidays, instead of chapel service and
drill. there are entertainments, fol-
lowed by few hours of quasi-liverby,
during which talking is allowed.
With regard to the meals, it is diff
fcult to remain wholly judicial. Mem
ories of many hungry days persist
days in which my plate was pushed
aside untouched. However, J. am will
ing to admit that the quality Of the
food was not so much to blame as the
method of cooking and serving. AS
the wears passed, 1 grew accustomed
to the diet. or to most of it. To par
ticularize, there were three moder-
erately appetizing breakfasts: PORK
sausage, beans and bacon; and four
most unappetizing: Hash (tWlce)'
liver and Bologna sausage. Similarly,
there were three good dinners: roast
pork and roast beef (twice), with a
good vegetable; and four bad ones:
Beef stew, mutton stew and boiled
pork and sauerkraut (twice). The
suppers consisted of bread, weak tea
without sugar or milk and diluted
canned fruit of a poor quality. But
the most unfortunate feature was
that the good meals came together
leaving an aching void on the other
DAYS. 1t is only fair to say, however,
that men who had been in other prls-
ons spoke very highly of the Still
water cuisine, and to add that the
conditions under which l worked
we're not conductive to the develop
ment of a healthy sppetite.-John
Carter. in September Century.