The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1913-03-04
Senators Visit
PriSiiOn and All
Return Safely
Finest Institution of the Kind in
World Now Being Used to House
Minnesota's Criminals
PATHos AND HUMoR BLENDED
Women Weep as Visitors File Past
Them-Colored Boy In For Life,
Sings Happily
by Grove E. Wilson)

(By Grove E. Wilson)
If you get down in the neighborhood
of Saltwater drop in on the peniten-
tiary.
Of course most of you may get
around there in time any way. but
don't wait for steel circled escort.
It's decidedly worth while to drop in
on the finest institution Of the kind in
the world and see what pleasant quar-
tiers are in store for you in case your
feet wander and the authorities find
you out.
Senators Escorted Down
Last Wednesday the members of
the senate piled into three chartered
cars, no different from any other cars
except they were Chartered" and went
out to the prison.
Amiable and thoughtful George H.
Sullivan, senator from Washington
county, lead the procession of crook
inspectors. McGrath of Winona, Irish
and witty, furnished entertainment en-
transit
Called At Old Prison
Old Prison, dismal and foreboding,
called the visitors first. About 500
men and women are temporarily de-
tanned there doing work for the state,
more useful thinks the cynic than that
done by some other state employees.
Not Bad Looking Lot
"You could pick out rather res
pectable looking set of legislators
from these fellows" whispered a sena
tor as the visitors filed through the
machinery department. Yes, indeed,
so far as looks go for these incarcer-
ated unfortunates are not bad looking
people, most of them, in spite of the
negro phrenologist who claims to be
able to pick out crook at glance by
the shape of the head. Poor colored
man must be kept busy spotting
crooks
Bright eyed, alert, skillful, industri-
GUS seemed for the most part these in
mates. Conservation rather limited
among them which on the whole must
be a decided relief to the thoughtful
mind.
Women Prisoners Weep
Up in the woman's department mat
tiers were different. About a dozen
women prisoners were working in one
room, part of them folding circular
letters and the rest sewing.
One or two were young, the rest
middle aged, Nearly all appeared Of
foreign birth. Three or four Of them
were crying silently as the senator's
filed through the room. Now why
should they be crying? Not bad
looking women, at all, rather sad faced
for the most part, though here and
there was one trying to brazen out the
embarrassing situation.
Isn't The Society Exclusive?
After all why should one be embar-
raised to be found in prison? 1t is
quite evident there are more crooks
out of prison than in and the inmate
of the penitentiary has more exclusive
society than the fellow that should be
in but isn't. However the prisoners
really seemed ashamed of their posi-
ton. Strange thing, this human nat
ure.
Finest In The World
The new prison is the finest in the
world. Not yet completed but nearly
so and already accommodating CD a.
bout 300 inmates. Spacious reception
hall, big offices, wide corridors, arts
tic auditorium, big and airy dining
room are the most notable features.
Cell blocks are 1000 feet long with
over 800 feet of windows. Cells strict
ly sanitary and every convenience for
keeping them so. Indeed the inmate
Of the prison who obeys the rules,
keeps his mouth shut, does his work
and gets a reputation for being trusty
has life Of ease mapped out for him
that many a member Of the senate
never dreamed Of.
Hear LITER Sing
The visitors ate luncheon at the new
prison. The young man that served
our table was as fine looking as any
fellow / ever saw. Clear eyed, high
browed, thoughtful, marked for better
things than the prison. I'm for grand