Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-24
STAGE m THE OREGON STATE PRISON rHEArER.

they can't do are paid for with the
money they earned.
This frame building being built here
is going to be a model chicken house"
And the governor proceeded to show me
its fine points and tell me how he planned
to stock 1t with weIl-bred birds This
will furnish all the eggs We need and
make a profit besides"
Up on the roof were four men shingling
II and some others were working below.
They were all outside the prison walls
and no guard anywhere about. They wore
no stripes to distinguish them from the
ordinary carpenter. When l expressed
my establishment, the governor exclaimed,
wait TIL show you the bunch out in
the hopfield, None OF these men will
run away. They know they couldn't get
very far, IL they did try. and it would
go hard with them when they are caught.
We have $50 men outside and the warden
knows whom he can trust. The rest of
them inside are encouraged to do their
best as well. You know We did lose some.
but only three, and We got one Of them.
Four years ago, when we had them under
guard on road work, thirteen escaped"
What about that capture you nader
ventured. "oh, that was a lucky
chance" was the modest reply. 1T made
me mad, when a lot Of people. who
never have given this work moments
study. howled because OF the runaway
and went out after them myself. hap
pened 20 find the smoke of one mans
campfire and brought him in. The, posse
would have gotten him, and l rather
regret the dime novel notoriety II gave
me. 1t disguised me TO have a lot OF
boneheads whine that We were running
our prison wrong, just because three
got away. The year before we started the
new plan thirteen escaped, In all, and
no one said anything about It, Frequently
there are men breaking away from
prisons. In every state, and the public
never hears Of II. The question ISN'T so
MUCH ABOUT THE ONE OR TWO
MEN WHO GET AWAY. There are
LOTS OF WORSE MEN FREE. THE
GRAVE QUESTION DEALS WITH
THE HUNDREDS OF MEN WHO ARE
IN PRISON. Suppose we do lose few.
See what we do for these men and for
the state. They learn how 20 work: they
become self-reliant and they make II
possible to treat conviets like human
beings"
l have heard that some big department
stores and factories try to establish an
atmosphere OF cheerfulness in their estab-
lishments, but never had seen II before
in a penltentiary. The convicts frightened
up as they saw the governor coming; as
a matter Of fact, a lot OF them simply
beamed. He knew most OF them by name
and 1t was Hello Jim." Are you getting
on to making shirts. Joe?" and How do
you do, boys" all along the line There
was no present arms and ''hats-ofr'
performance on the part OF the prisoners.
Most OF them, but not all, touched their
hats or took them off. Those who did.
took them off as though they wanted to,
not as n they had TO.
The prisoners inside the walls are the
ones who need watching and the usual
patrol with a gun on the wall was ever
present. All the prison daily work IS done
by convicts. including the making Of
clothes caps and shoes.
Here is where We beat the dark cell
and bread-and-water plan" said the
governor. as he led me- into the COM
modious theater. I'VE have a show here
twice a week; moving pictures. stunts by
prisoners and some times by outside
talent. Then We always give them Sat
urday afternoon off for base ball game
There isn't anything that will make them
beg quicker than to take away their
privileges They arc all great fans
and when a man has TO sit in his cell
and hear the boys in the bleachers yell
when somebody makes a three-bagger. II
brings them to time In q hurry"
We drove out about a mile TO a fIelt
where sixty-one prisoners we're picking
hops. Again way out there. there were
no guards; no ball and chain; no striped
suits.
Il want you to see these boys work.
Most Of them have never picked hops
before. but they keep at it and do their
level best. The work Is paid for by the
farmer at the regular rates and the men
get one-third and two-thirds goes into
cur fund that is used for all the things
we do.
THE same is true OF the brick We sell.
Those fellows YOU saw working on the
new building, We pay the. SAME. price
as these men get who work in the fields
They can send the money home, save
Il until their time Is out. or spend some
Of it at the commissary. Our commissary
furnishes them things at cost and those
that do coed work get the best OF It
and can buy tobacco. sugar for their
coftee and such things. That's the plan
We go on. Those. that work may eat
That's what I believe in. anyway-the
rich man wis won't work oughtn't 10
eat either - o..
The tables are graded and they get
better fare at the head tables and pretty
poor at the last. One Of the worst pun
ishments is to put a man at the bottom
table. or hog table as they call It
do you see that fellow going into the
foundry? That's Lead Pipe Bill Never
heard Of him, His favorite pastisae vas
to meet a man in the dark and the lead
pipe did the rest He was put at TIE
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