The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-22
SAVE
MONEY FOR U. S.


Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Oct. s2.-.
Beginning five years aso with am ap-
preparation OF $Gi3,OoO, Lieutenant
Colonel Thomas II. Clavens. comman-
dant OF the United States military
! prison ~ Fort Leavenworth. set out
10 build the finest pcnitcntiary ina The
| United States TO cost close TO SO. OOO.-
/ rvo. The now prison is rapidly ap-
preaching completion, and when il Is
finished the cost viii be well within
! the original appropriation.
Meantime the PRISM will have
changed its character entirely. Tor in
( stead of making convlcts Of deserters
aud other petty Offenders, Uncle sam
Is going 10 try another scheme. There
rs entirely too much good soldier ma
terial wasted 10y The old system. Uncle
sam Is going 10 conserve this by Civ
ing the descrtcr chance 10 20 back
TO the ranks, through the Ieformatory.
and clear their records.
Gives Prisoners Schooling.
While he is working out the reform
ideas he is giving the prisoners a
schooling in good trades. Through |
their labor Uncle sam has been cn. |
abled to save the difference between |
SGi5,oOO and $S,0oOOOO Already the |
prison walls, power plant, auditorium /
and kitchen have been completed. and
within very short time two OF the
four cell wings viii be ready for oc- !
cupancy, The foundations have been
laid for the two remaining cell wings
and work has been started remodelinE
several Of the warehouses of the old
prison
The labor was the easiest problem
Colonel Slavons had to solve. Confin-
Cd in the prison are men from every
walk Of life, Carpenters. brickmasons. |
plumbers and, IN fact every trade
were given instructions or assigned |
10 the duties of the common labOrer. |
There are now 900 men in the prison, |
merely deserters from the army. II
Prisoners Do the Work. |.
Three hundred Of them are employ.
ID on the construction proper. while
he others are assigned the work of
preparing material for the different !
buildings, In addition. prisoners Op- 4,
rate the post terminal railway sys-
ON. aid In the construction of roads. ,
n" preservation of forests and lands. !
III the soil on the prison farm, be- !
ides work being done I'm the shops D
'herc clothing and shoes are manu-. j..
actured FOR the usc of prisoners ONLY.
Colonel S,aven's first duty was TO =
lot out a village 10 the north of the u
rison, where the guards reside There !,
"A immense stoclI3de was built. a mite q,
orth, where q brick plant. rock :,
rusher, line kiln, sawmill, wood saw .
nd concrete block maxim. ichinery
ere installed
The thick walls of the prison are of q,
pncrctc blocks. the foundation OF !,
hich rs iu some places thirty feet IN -
lc ground. The cell houses are Of
rick, burned ian the prison kiln, con
'ete blocks made by prisoners. and
eel. The walls are several feet
lick. The crushed stone was taken
ON the prison quarry and crushed T..
prison labor. Even the usual cX-
=usive feature Of building, the wood. -
ork, s. costing the government but a
fife. From the forest of trees, many
them walnut. the lumber for the
u1dwork Is secured. Skilled carvers
the mill are turning out the fines,
finished material
Biz, Firep-oof Stage. "
The cell houses are three stories
ch maintaining eight tiers of modern CT
lis Each cell i8 equipped with o.
ilet, cot, al electric light aud .
air. one man will be allotted 20
eli cell, The big auditorium has o
ating capacity Of Zoo. The stag
ireproot and sufficiently large tor
big production, The scenery is be- -
< painted By an artist who rs SERVING.
term Tor desertion The dining hall
as larg" as the auditorium ana Is
d" being used daily. The bath house
said 10 be one of the largest in the
uutry; The entire command can
the within a few hours. There are
" 9GS men confined and the old
.sJu quarters are crowded to capac-
q, When the new prison is com ua
ted 1000 can be comfortably .
artcrcd
The new prison is not to bc pris.
81 all, but a detention home for
,crtCrs and petty offenders All
rdencd crimiuuls and those found
ilty of grave offenses are to be con- Tn
ed at Alcatraa Island, California. g..
After the prison is completed what TIL
4 ali of the prisoners do" Colonel
.ycn8 WAS asked.
Why there will be plenty of work
al OF them mapped out" was The \
,ly. I'VE have o. model farm here
700 acres, and in September we in
He'd dairy with fifty cows to sup
the prison with milk aud butter
e yield on the farm this year was
.at %
But uUt all prisoners can be given he,
m work so within a short time the wo
Jcrnment Is going 10 try out the va
entlon system. This principle will "
II be tioduced in the prison here bee
] it will be watched by military +"
)erts throughout the world. Col
Prisoners viii be detailed i'm COM owe
lies aud drilled and instructed i'm la
use Of firearms, signaling, engin-
ing ana other branches They will