The Detroit times., 1914-08-04
CDNVlCTS WHO
WORK ON ROAD
ENJOY VACATION
Way From Prison, They Live in
Splendid Camp in Catskill
+ Mountains
PLAN MARKS NEW ERA
FOR PRISONERS, ONE SAYS
4nly Two Keepers, and They
Without Guns, to Watch 20 !
Sing Sing Inmates

& PALENyILLE GLOVE, N. Y, Aug
4-7Half way up the wild gorge
Through which the road from Palen-
vile to Haines Falls teeters over the
I n0tsiest of mountain streams In the
\ Catskills 20 Sing Sing prisoners are
camped, preparing to build new
state road. II is the first trip many
Of them have had outside the walls OF
the state prison In years. One OF
them has been In Sing Sing nearly
20 years. There are only two guards
In the camp to watch them, and there
10 never gun handy to stop any one
that might try, to escape.
No one visiting the camp would
guess that II was a convict camp uIr-
less he knew or recognized the gray
prison trousers the convicts wear.
That II Is the greatest lark In the
history OF the dreary annals of prison
life In this state is the firm belief Of
the men who are there.
There IL hard work ahead of them,
and they are doing hard work now
hut there is a broad silver lining TO
the cloud. The prisoners are treated
~ what experts say is the finest con-
struction camp ever built in New
York. well fed. and In their hours OF
leisure they swim in the turbulent
little river. go fishing, berry-picking,
walking and thoroughly enjoy them
selves.
The camp is far from any house or
human habitation, close by the tink-
ling stream. hidden In the tangled
forest, with the mountain sides rising
sharply In front and behind. The
rocky. heartbreaking old country road
Hes between II and the water and
lnrge sign reads, Don't Stop Here;
Keep Moving
The country people who occasion
ally pass up and down the mountain
10 keep moving. They are not al
lowed to stop and stare. While they
look little askance at the building
Of this road by convict labor, they are
70 pleased to have 1t built that they
would doubtless show their good viii
BY being hospitable to the newcomers
a they had the chance
IA Years ago this narrow gorge be-
~ cen the great folds OF Kaaterskill
Ard Overlook held the original hamlet
.of Palenville. The roadway was lined
here and there with houses and the
land somewhat cleared, but the VII
1age gradually moved down the stream
70 it, present location, and the forest
crcpt In and covered everything. SO
that now there are only the occasion.
~ corners of an old masonry founda-
tiOn cropping out from the tangled
nurel and sweet fern under the big
trees.
The large tract OF country on the
plateau top OF Kaaterskill. 2,40O feet
above sea level. and including Tan
nersville. Haines Falls and numerous
hotels, has only this crooked old road |
70 connect 1t with the lowlands back |
~ Catskill, except that In summer !
time the Otis inclined railroad train |
goes up and down the steep side Of |
the mountain.
A good road was badly needed, and |
the state appropriated $4,000 to !;
build the four-mile stretch, with the /
Understanding that II should be done
~ convict labor. There are not
enough laborers In the Immediate
neighborhood to build II anyway. The
ola road Is 30 dangerous that every |
nay since the camp has been pitched
trere, the prisoners say, wrecked I
automobiles are towed past down the
I'M.
TO the prisoners from Sing Sing
tno Job OF building the road was hail
"a with Joy. The first batch OF 90
Who came up were selected as a re-
ward for good conduct and were given
me choice of going or remaining In
sing Sing. Strange to say several
Who had the chance declined. The
gtate highways department built the
camps, and the finishing touches are