The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-06

harness shops burned. the printing plant
was lost. the big Irvine plant and two
were a complete loss and the prison was
since its establishment. But ali Of the
buildings and departments have been re-
before. There was no special session of
the legislature and much OF the money
private sources with the anticipation that
It will be repaid in 1915 by the state legis-
But the rebuilding of the shops and
buildings has not been the only job which
rested on Warden Botkin's shoulders.
work Of re-estabiishins the prison plant
had been only fairly started under
All the time Botkin was turning his at
tention to other things. And that list of
''other things included many items.
Reclaimed Lost Soil.
A trip over the prison farm showed
acres Of the very best land the state
island in the Missouri river and viii ii pro- s
or enough beans, cabbage. tomatoes and
potatoes to run the prison during an en-
the penal board. It l Was found that some
eas he the IN tee 81
underbrush. So the prison bought 100
goats and fattened them on the grass
turns.
On the farm there was enough blue
stem to pasture 800 head Of cattle, but
only a struggling herd of prison cows ate
this grass: So the prison board went to
Kansas City and bought 20 head Of the
steers on the market When the pasture
fat grass steers. These cattle are now in
most Of the winter meat supply. Next
year 200 steers will be pastured on the
Cut High Cost of Living.
Then Warden Botkin began to look into
the high cost of living. His maintenance
fund is but Sos, 900 year and from this
the tis prison and serve the SO men and
women three meals day. Beef had been
one of the regular meat orders. but the
pound. 1t requires GOO pounds Of meat for
one meal at the prison. or an expense OF
- for this item ne warren hsrna, e sa1 af
q little more than four cents. He bought
a few barrels. then tried other fishes and
and reducing the meat cost nearly half.
This change in diet was not only econom-
ical, but made hit with the prisoners.
tobacco shop told the warden he could
make as good plug tobacco as the prison
5nyng rne eoo 20 Try
bacco bill is now $50 month less than
it used to be.
improvements in the mines made under
Warden Botkin's direction. have In.
creased facilities for handling coal and
lessened danger to life and limb. Some
new machinery has aided In increasing
the coal output and the quality of the
supply is perhaps better than ever before.
But the matter OF new prison is al
Men who come here are entitled to go
out as strong and healthy as when they
come" said BOtkin For these men are
just folks-much the same folks as you
meet on the streets of any town in the
state. Many of them are unfortunates
ance the state can give them. They can't
get 1t under these conditions and the state
ought to know it. 1 will never be sat
isfied until we have a new prison, one
to breathe pure fresh air and where dis
ease germs are not bred In spite Of every
human effort to afford sanitary surround
ingS.'
The Per Capita Cost.
1t would cost five cents-the price of one
street car fare-fOr every man, woman
and child, to rebuild the cell houses and
prison, would cost about Is cents per
capita for the state.
Think of it, said Botkin, after he had
given these figures. Think OF rich, pros
they must stay in this hel1-hoIe because
it costs US quarter to give them some
thing better. Prisons have been criticised
because their cells were but seven by nine
feet. What would they think of our KAN
sas cells. four by seven feet; with mar
ridOrs where ray OF sunshine never
reaches? II this Is not the curse of Kan
sas, 4 don't know where to find it."