Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-08-05

Thus sang Walter johnson Is gang of
convicts few days ago if they sang
at all, when they first started out to
pull the flax from the various fields in
this county that is to keep the plant at
the state penitentiary running this win
ter. How different is their tune now
as they have become hardened in to the
work "Not heavy work at all, - said
one, "but very exacting on the back. "
Mr.. johnson has crew of 40 cOnvicts
which he takes with him for distance
of 10 or 12 miles from the penitentiary
and cleans up from five to eight acres
every day.
Doing Coco Work.
No long hours, as they quit promptly
at 3:45, but they keep everlastingly at
it while they do work. Not single
loafer is allowed in the crew and each
man does an honest days work even
though he bears number on his shirt.
Superintendent Cade says that the men
of this crew are doing as good work
and pulling as much flax as any crew of
men that could be picked up in this
country and hired for $3 per day. In
countries where flax culture has been
carried on for generations and the chill
dren are taught to pull flax before
they learn to pull hair; it is possible to
secure crews who have become expert
enced pulers and who have it down to
science. For green crew, however,
Mr.. Cade says that he could not ask
for better men than tnose that work
under the eagle eye Of Walter John
son.
This crew was picked by Mr.. johnson
and he has worked some of them for
years, he tells them what he wants and
they have found out that they have
no bad luck as long as they do it,
Each man knows what is expected Of
him and he does his bit for the over
seer while doing his bit for the state
at the same time.
Many Long Termers
Some of the men have been inform
ed that they were to be deprived Of
their liberty for as much as 20 years,
others are short termers but in the
field all are flax pullers and honest Ia.
borers even though the state has seen
the necessity Of taking the preeaution
to send Walter Thompson and "Chero'
kee" James along with pair Of auto.
mates.
A cosmopolitan bunch is Johnson 's
crew and it numbers among its ranks
Il Greek, an Italian, + Servian, an In-
dian, a Monenegrin, negro, a German,
Frenchman, an Irishman and almost
all kinds Of Americans. Most anyone
can work in Mr.. johnson g crew if they
come armed with the proper credentials
and disposition to pull flax.
Prisoners Enjoy the Outing.
The 45 men and their three guards
and overseer make the trip to the
flax fields in an auto truck They car
ry huge box Of grub, load Of two
men, and two Of their number known as
"safetysn are left in camp to act as
chefs. The safetys are not TRUSTEES but
they work all day in camp out Of sight
of the guards who are often at the back
of the field half mile from the camp.
At noon the convicts line up and march
to dinner which they find spread out
for them on long tables and they take
their meals standing up to iron few
wrinkles out Of their backs, so they say.
After dinner they tumble upon the
grass for u smoke before the time comes
to line up to march back TO the stand.
ing flax.
No grumbling goes, if man shows a
disposition to shirk or loaf he is called
aside and told that if he finds the work
too "heavy" they will endeavor TO find
work that suits him inside the walls
where Warden Mimic finds work in
abundance for idle hands. No punish.
Nment is inflicted upon the lazy flax
puller. He is just deprived Of the
chance to be identified with the prize
outside crew.
Are Splendid Laborers.
Three square meals a day and plenty
Of work and tobacco and there is moth.
ing about the crew TO distinguish il
from any other crew except the num-
ber on the shirt. A huge contrast is
apparent TO the mind Of the spectator
between the conviets one sees on a visit
to the state prison and upon watching
the flax pullers. Al the prison the spec
tator feels the routine as he is passed
from one room TO another down the
steel lined corridors, and sees the watch.
ful sentry pacing the wall with his rifle