Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-25

went to Jail Auburn Jail it was and
one of the most picturesqueiy located
places of imprisonment in Maine.
Sheriff II. NJ. Lowe Hospitality pulled
out q box of cigars and they We're
good ones, on glancing at the Travel
ler's card. We had pleasant chat in
the Office and then the sheriff piloted
me into tie Jail proper. Two strong
doors. separated the cell rooms part
If the institution from the main offices
and the sheriff carefully locked these
dLon entering. IL was with something
ike qualm that the Traveller saw
him turn the key although the sheriff
700, was locked in. How much great
er must be the feeling of that qualm
To the prisoner who is locked in to
serve a term,
Auburn iail under Sheriff Lowe is
kept with Dutch neatness. scrupulous-
y clean. Not a bug is allowed to re-
main there "A hours. The other day a
water btg was discovered and the dis
covery caused almost as great COM
motion as though batch of prison
7rs had sawed Oft bars and made good
their escape. Under sherifis and'trus-
ties, all the prisoners on that fiat were
L once = lrtcd on great hunt for
Nr, Waterbug lie was finally located
md despatched. This was more than
/ maath ego and no bugs have had
he temeritY to appear in Auburn jail
since. The floors Of he jail are care
uily scrui bed and swept aud the
ellis gre neatly kept In some of the
els men were lying upon their cots.
With LOOKS OF shams-faee defiance as
he Traveller glanced in. Some of the
ellis, those on the long term TRUSTEES
ire frightened with prints and litho
graEhs from newspapers and maya
zines, They were actually made thus
homeliEe and cosy
At the time of this call only s. pris-
oners were in the jail, four of them
being women. The men are set to
work making heels for shoes and
pancakes whatever part of shoe
they may he and the women do wo-
mans work ahou I the institution
Down in the airy basement are the
ti.chen and dining hall. the 1ermer
with Liz caldrons and stoves for cook
ing and the tables in the latter room
were neatly set for supper. The pris-
iiAGi dit bfDt wen itAi iettlN u lttt
irst Hat cell room are set tubs and
Slower baths for the use OF the pris-
oners and personal cleanliness thus
made easy is obligatory. With the
deafness within. good ventilation,
steam heat and good food is combined
pure air from the lofty location of
the Jail upon a hillside and around the
institution which is an annex to the
Court House building. are we'll kept
lawns on which roses and other kow-
ers bloom and the shrubs and vines
give out refreshing influences to the
inmates of the Jail.
Sheriff Lowe is an earnest advocate
of a State farm for the DRINKS and
petty criminals who now are sent to
Jail. He is enthusiastic over this farm
proposition. On the farm the prison
ers could be made to work at building
good roads could raise enough vege-
tables and farm product to be self
supporting and would be out of the
depressing influences of life behind Jail
bars. For the DRINKS, that is the old
chronic offenders. he would have long
terms and send these to the State
farm to work theh out. This would
save the costs of frequent trials in
the courts of these incorrigibles and
give them more of chance to re-
form.
ACHAS. d. CLARKE.