Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1914-07-16
MATTHEW'S MONTHLY
REPORT

In making my annual monthly
visits 10 the four Penitentiary
farms. I find nothing Of special
interest nor specially new.
On the Parchran farm | found
the crops good and perfectly
clean. Two good rains fell al
Parchman on Friday ard Satur-
day. which materially benefited
the growing crops The health
OF the prisoners generally is good
I found some sickness among
them but nothing Of a serious
nature.
On the Ist OF July. Superin-
tendent Gathings gave orders to.
his Sergeants that the prisoners
be given three hours for dinner
instead Of two and | heartily APP
prove OF this order, as the wealth
er is very hot
Work on the new gin is making
fair progress and | am certain
this gin will be completed in time
to gin the coming crop. We
have installed a compress at one
OF the gins and the other gin is
without a compress. This was
done to increase the competition
in the sale of the States cotton
and | believe this will insure
keen competition and will enable
US to get a higher price for the
cotton.
Some few men have made their
escapes this month and | would
suggest that the Sergeants, where
these escapes occur, tighten up
on their Trustees, as they are the
ones that are making their es-
capes. I am Of the opinion that,
an empIoye, through his neglig-
ence, allows n prisoner to escape
that he should be held RESPONSE.
bic and should bear the expense
of locating and returning the
prisoner to the farm. The stock
are ali in good condition.
On June 9th | visited the Road
Camp and found the conditions
are not what they should be. The
sleeping quarters Of the men are
not satisfactory and the sanitary
conditions are wholly inadequate
Sergeant Riddle seems TO be do
ing all he can for the comfort Of
the men but he cant do without
something to dc with. would
recommend that If the Board of
Supervisors want these men on
the road that they furnish better
quarters for their comfort.
found seSeral sick at the road
camp ba. The most complaint was
about the hot house they were
Kept in at night
The crops at Belmont are look.
ing well but rain i needed theirs
badly. The old corn will be q
failure II Il does not get a rain
real soon. | found soue Dol
weeviIs on tsis farm. but as yet
they have done no damage.
heard no complaints from tn.
eonyicts and found only four il
the hospital All Of the prison
ers seemed 70 De looking forward
10 their Attn of July dinner-th'
Board having bought all Of th'
Camps something extra for tina
Gay. As = general rule tbs
prisope-s have done a good work
and we thought it right to en-
courage them and give them tw.
days OF around the 4th on ths
recommendation OF the Superin'
tendent.
found nothing out of the us
ual order at Rankin. All of th'
prisoners seemed 70 DC getting
along we'll and found only ",
in the Hospital, ne from hea
and the other with ehi!ls anc
fever. u is very dry on This farm
and the crops Will be cut of ans
are now hurt very badly by th'
continued drought. The stool
looks well but they will no. hols
up much longer as the pastures
are getting very dry.
About the usual conditions ex'
ist at Oakley Hospital. ~
deaths reported since my last re-
port l would suggest that gu
farm physician, Or. Hagaman
see that cases confined TO tnei
cagys with consumption be civeI
eggs; also whisky, when in hi
Judgment, they need il. An b
can do il 10 make their last day
as comfortable as possible.
At the Oakley farm | foun'
the prisoners getting along al
right and they seemed to be feel
ing good Of their fth OF July din
iner. This farm his had a gco'
rain and the crops are looking
much better than on my preyi0u
visit
There was some sickness anon
the cattle-four of which died
but none are sick at this writing
Sergeants Dodds seems to hav'
the situation well in hand.
On June 18th We sold 10 stew
art Bros. & Co., New Orleans
La, 259 bales of cotton. the pric
running from IL 1-2 10 f4cts.
think this was a good sale a
most Of the cotton was of 10,
grade and last picking. The las
OF our 1913 crop was sold i
Memphis about the 10th inst a
IL 1-4cts, and | consider this
good price,
Respectfully submitted,