El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-26

lars similar to these they had on their
necks.
All Done by Hand
Machinery has small part in the
work of this prison. Human muscle
takes its place. The flour used in the
kitchens is ground between millstones
turned by men who sweat as they drag
them around 1 saw a gang at such
work. and was told that each was ex-
pected to make and clean about 80
pounds of flour daily. The sweat stood
on their brown skins as they worked,
and they tOiled hard at the grinding
On my way through, the yards I saw
the pumps working. The water of the
jail is raised by great barrel like wheels
so hung that as they turn they dip
down into the water. To the rims of
the wheels buckets are attached. These
fill as the wheels enter the water. rise
to the top as it goes onward, and empty
out into a trough when it is turned
over. The motive power for each of
these wheels is half dozen convicts,
who, holding on to bar overhead,
stepped ever upward, their weight turn
ing the wheel.
The TreadmiII Abolished.
This work was in the open. and it
did not seem especially hard. 1t IS the
only treadmill that is now at work IN
the JAIL The great saw and planning mill
sum III CAAot
ence, but it is idle having been displaced
by a boiler and steam. 1t was actively
working when I visited this Rangoen
Jail 20 years ago, and in the eye of my
mind I can still see the picture or the
convicts then toiling. This treading ar
rangement was running a large planning
mill with all its accompaniment, as well
as other shops containing machinery.
It operated a ebuzz saw and scores or
machines run by pulleys and wheels do
ing the work of modern steam engine
Imagine a long narrow room about 80
feet wide. in which six great cogwheeis
II feet in diameter are so fitted TO-
gether that they make continuous
wheel 100 feet long, running from one
end of the room to the other. Let the
cogs of this wheel be boards half an
inch thick, so made that they form
set Of steps upon which men standing
can by their weight. make the wheel
move There is a bar above TO whlch the
men can hold, and to which they can,
if necessary. be chained TO keep them al
swork. When 1 was here last. L saw
$50 men clad only in waist cloths. hold
ing on to that bar. and walking up, up,
up, turning the wheel as they did so,
and so by their weight running the
machine shops and the planning mills
The men so punished were mostly IN
corrigibles. who had committed terrible
crimes They all had chains on their legs,
but the chains were tied to their waist
cloths to relieve their ankles Several OF
the convicts had their hands fastened to
the bar overhead. and all were forced
TO keep trading TO the unmusical jingle
of their iron bound legs.
The Cannon Ball Drill.
AS far as I can learn, the prisoners
are now we'll treated I saw no flogging,
and there is no cruelty worth mention
ing. One of the severest punishments
! saw was a gang of four men exercis-
ing with cannon balls. This is imposed
upon men who cannot be controlled in
other ways. Each man had a cannon
ball weighing 80 pounds in his hands,
and at the tap of the gong went through
certain motions. The four men worked
in unison. AS the guard pounded the
gong they lifted the shot from the
ground. Another tap and they held it
close to their waists. another and they
raised 1t to their shoulders, and then it
went as high up into the air as their two
hands could reach. Other signals caused
them to lower it slowly until it again
reached the ground. There was a mo-
ton for each tap of the gong. and the
work went on for hours at time an
told that the fatigue soon become ter
rible. and that the men win welcome any
other punishment TO escape this
A Well Managed Prison.
The Rangoon prison is excellently
planned and well managed The build
ings are great sheds of one and two
stories. running out like the spokes OF
a wheel from a circle, in which the
guards stand, so that they can inspect
a half dozen or more shops at one
time. The dormitories are arranged the
same way. Everything is clean and
sanitary, the prison death rate being
only Is per thousand. Among the jail
institutions is a large garden. where
anti-scorbutie vegetables are raised for
the prisoners, nearly all such food be-
ing produced inside the jail.
The prisoners have enough TO eat
to keep them in perfect condition, and
their sleek, fat forms are in striking
contrast to the lean coolies from India.
who are TO be seen everywhere upon
the streets The convicts eat three
meals a day. Between and a. M,
before going to work, they have rice
and vegeta bles, and a similar meal is
given them between 9 and 10. They
have their last meal about 4 o'clock.
when they quit for the day. Their
meals are served simply They squat
out or doors in long rows, each having
tin wash basin before him. Into this
the guards ladle the food, and the men
use their fingers to convey the stuff to
their mouths. According to the govern
ment reports the average. cost of feed
ing each man is about cents per day,
or two-thirds Of 1 cent per meal The
cost here in RangOon is IS per year
for each convict. The total charges for
clothing are likewise small, the aver
age per head being about 81 of our
money. The prisoners I saw were clad
in little more than breech cloths. al
though a few wore calico jackets as
well.
TattoOed COnvicts.
In this description. however, have
omitted suit which nearly every