Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-08


lands and festive decorations, and actual
dishes of some sort on the grooming boards.
and serried rows OF plump felons ready TO
fall in.
The fame of all this went forth into the
world, and Atlanta Penitentiary it's Warden,
its guards, and it's cooks shine in penal annals
as the acme and ideal Of modern humanitarian
ideas upon the reclamation of convicts
through gentleness and love, and full
stomach.
/ found opportunity to study some of these
historic Scrolls and was so much impressed
by them that caused suggestion to be con-
veyed to the Warden: Instead OF sending all
the menus to Washington, and to admring
friends In the Atlanta neighborhood, let one
or two Of them be placed at each meal upon
the tables of the diners, to the end that they
might be stimulated, by the perusal of these
literary masterpieces, to choke down their
outlets the actual garbage which was furnished
in the name thereof. But the Warden's views
seem not to have been in harmony with mine
on this occasion. | am glad to learn how
ever, from certain graduates of the Institution
since my own departure from It, that the food
has greatly improved in quantity and some
what even In quality.
l need not attempt to fathom the reason II
it were Incompatible before why how bet
ter it? 1t could hardly have been done at the
instance of the old and warm personal friend
of the Warden and the Attorney General who
was sent to Atlanta recently In the guise of
Spartan inspector of the alleged abuses, be-
cause, for one thing, the improvement had set
in long before he made his investigation, and
the investigator in his report, appears to have
discovered room for improvement any
where. 1t must have just happened-one of
those miracles in the way of gliding refined
gold and painting the lily which are so COM
mon nowhere else as in our model penal
institutions
I had ample opportunity to study the sub
ject personally while guest at the prison
table, and to compare my impressions with
those Of my fellow prisoners, as well as to
enlarge them by conferences with persons
employed in the kitchen and commssary de-
partment. Men who had served in other pris-
ons-and their combined experiences covered
a great many-were unanimous and emphatic
in declaring that the table at Atlanta was the
worst they had ever known, not only as to
scantiness of supply, but as to the unwhole-
someness or positively poisonous quality of
the food furnished. But let me tell little of
what | saw and know myself.
When the change was made from long tables
and benches to tables seating eight and chairs,
it was announced that table cloths would also
be supplied, and napkins. That was two or
three years ago, but tablecloths have not yet
appeared, and the eaters still wipe their
mouths on the backs of their hands In the
good old way. Pepper and salt were on the
table and bottle of something that looked
like beer and was supposed to be vinegar, but
was sampled only by the more reckless in
experienced convicts. Sugar was not provided
except on rare occasions, and to diet pris-
onerS-men who were restricted to bread and
milk and oatmeal. Some beverage that dis
honored the name of tea was served about
once a fortnight; brown, semi-transparent
rinsing of dirty kettles sugaress, thin and
bitter called coffee, came every day; but If
your stomach rejected either of these, you
could fill up on plain water
The latter, however, like the diet milk
and oatmeal and the drinkables generally, had
to be taken out of metal mugs covered with
white enamel, minute particles of which
Clipped off and mingled with what you drank
These particles were hard and sharp, like pure
glass; and they cut and lodged in the intes
tines, causing with other things an excessive
predispostion to appendicitis-a frequent
disease in the penitentiary This was also
promoted by the bread, which made of
the poorest grade of white -four, without nour
fishing quality the value per loaf being about
2 cents; the flour was ground in steel mills
and microscopic particles of steel were rubbed
off into it-this fact l had from physician
who had examined it. The -four, when re-
ceived at the prison frequently full of
weevils, most of which, but not all, were sifted
out before it was used The bread was taste
less and light; it was baked in large quanti-
ties, and what was not consumed by the pris
oners sold outside.
1t was not provided in the prison regulations
that officials shall be fed at the expense Of the
prisoners. Nevertheless, a separate and
superior grade OF -four is purchased at govern
ment expense, and is used to make bread
which is given to the officials; the loaves are
placed In the outer corridor, and are taken
away by guards and others every day Sepa-
rate cooks are also assigned to prepare the
officials food on the prison ranges; the meats
and vegetables Of grade much better
than is supplied to prisoners; but some
favored prisoners participate In their con-
sumption. The higher officials have the best
food the market affords, and in such ample
abundance that certain prison pets usually
negroes, get their main subsistence from the
surplus.
The beef given to prisoners was Of the third
grade-the worst on the market-it is COW
bull beef, never heifer steer, and often
it is rotten, and must be treated chemically
before being offered even to prisoners 1t
used to come on the table In gristly and bony
gobbets, after having lain on the kitchen
ranges for hours, until 1t was reduced to a
hardness which resisted all but the most eff
cient and vigorous teeth (Which except with
negroes, rare in PRISON. | used to com
pare these steaks" and other pieces with old
backened boot heels; they were hardly less
eatable and nourishing. Often it smet so that
nature rebelled against It; but complaints were
liable to be met by commttal to the solitary
cells.
But groups of visitors used to appear In the
dining room occasionally; they we're lined up
along the wall adjoining the door, and were
not allowed to walk along between the tables,
so that the only food they could see was what