Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-18
MECCAFOR THE HOBO
Official View of Districts
Penal Camp.
Z
CONDITIONS At 0CC0QUAIt.
Fair Grade of Liberty for the
Dwellers in Stockade.
MEN EMPLOYED WEAR STRIPES
Strict Discipline Maintained and
Prisoners Carefully Guarded.
All Apparently contented.

All Apparently Contented.
1T Is regarded as hard matter
TO decide whether or not Occoquan il
prison camp or a health resort, from
a superficial observation. Judging from
the striped clothing. il is penal in
stitution. but looking at II with the
eye OF one who pines for the outdoors.
1t is rough shod sanatorium
Marion Hargrove. District property
clerk. escorted company OF District
omcials to Occoquan yesterday. accept
ing the offer OF l.. \. Clarke who put
the good ship Virginia at the disposal
Of the visitors After looking over the
stockade and the seventy odd guests"
the officials decided that by the time
the camp and its delights had been
noised abroad the hobo element would
ne doing anything for the sake Of Q
three month sentence.
Pleased With His Job.
One OF the striped trouser attendants
who waited on the visitors at dinner
yesterday told Star man that Occo-
guam is the finest place he was ever in.
How long are you going TO be here"
Oh, my term spires In Angus, but [
specks ter git job jes' workin hyah."
ne eApIdiucu tndt ne wanted 10 stay
right there, waiting on the guards and
omcers of the camp and receiving the
regular government wages, the amount
of which concerned him but little, just
SO they were regular
So there's evidently one prisoner who
simply can't be induced to leave Deco
guam.
The stockade in which the men live 10
about 30 yards long and about * yards
wide. The only thing penal about 1t is a
twelve-foOt fence OF barbed wire. the
strands running six inches apart These
wires are arranged at the top so that a
man would have q terrible time trying
TO get over 1t. The posts are very close
together, and there is but one entrance
to the camp. That is a wide gate guard
ed day and night by a handsome senti-
mel I'm khaki clothes. who carries Win
chester OF the vintage Of -
They Live in Tents.
The prisoners live under long tents rhA
flooring is built substantially, and is high
of the ground. so that there is no chance
that the water which a hard rain brings
will get into the beds The mattresses
are spread upon the floor. Only the
guards have the privilege of real cots
Inc tent In which the guards and camp
omcers live is next to the convict tent.
Both tents are simple, and living is pared
down to the simplicities Of outdoor life.
A tour Of the camp disclosed single
shaving mug and a mirror just big
enough for the camps Beau Brummel 10
get good view OF whichever eye was
peering into the bit of silvered glass. Yet
everywhere neatness and cleanliness were
conspicuous. Those things which count
In making health had been attended to-
with details for policing the place to see
that no scraps of waste and dirt, etc,
are left lying where flies and vermtn
could breed. ~
Plumbing arrangements were partially
attended 10 by a crackerjack plumber
who had the misfortune to be arrested
and sentenced for short time. The
plumber whom the District hired, il Was
said by the captain Of the guards, never
could have completed the job without
the aid OF the guests at the Vile d'Occo-
guam. Two or three first-class carpenters
who had the frequent experience of NIX
ing it up with policemen and getting the
worst OF II, have contributed much to the
comfort OF the men.
Food Plentiful and Wholesome.
In the dining tent there is not much
except long tables and benches. which
are arranged with an evident eye to see-f
ing that the men do not linger over their
meals. The dining benches are about six
inches wide. and sitting on them too long
has the same effect as riding rail-so a
prisoner told a Star man. But the food
is plentiful and wholesome. Yesterdays
dinner was composed principally OF good
soup. string beans la wholesale and
pork.
The men lined up in pairs and took
their places at the clap OF two hands.
Etiquette is adhered to. evidently, one
prisoner was spoken to sharply because
he went TO dinner wearing a hot. The
men are spared the indignity and oiscom-
fort of eating in the midst OF flies Two
thousand feet OF fly screen were sent
down early in the season. In addition,
several prisoners are detailed to chase
flies out of the dining room and to wave
fly discouragers over the guests while at
ulnner.
The men are working on the hillside
of the big tract of land which the Dis
trict has acquired AS. yet no work
Of the reformatory. The first thing 10
be done is the conservation OF the
water supply a fine spring trickies
out Of the hillside within, few
OF laborers has been at work arranging
Tor d reservoir and the pipe line which
will distribute the water.
Good Supply of Timber.
Enormous tracts Of timber are there
to be cut for the Districts own use.
That is the great country for railroad
ties. Thousands upon thousands Of
feet of oak ties. at an average price Of
$1.65, are taken from the creek by barge
and schooner to the railroad centers OF
the middle east. The District owns a
fine quarry and a crusher that is ready
to work at moments notice. The
engineers said yesterday the stone i'm
that quarry is Of the finest sort for
use in making macadam roads. There
is also a splendid chance. according to
the camp Officers. OF making the camp
seIf-supporting in farming way. Some
of the men started in today to clear
a tract Of land for farming purposes.
Motorists Killed by Train.
nhto Jul