The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-05-05
At a Great Saving To
the State.
FINE SAMPLE OF THE SYSTEM
BY Which ThorOughfares Are
Constructed In a ScieD.
fic Way.
CoNvICTs ARE ALSO HELPED

Colorado Springs, Col, April 30.
The Colorado Springs & Canyon
City highway and the Pixies Peak
ocean-to-ocean road in Ute Pass are
two of the most perfect mountain
roads in the United States and two
of the best examples of the results
of convict labor.
The first named is a fine example
of scientific road building. For
twenty miles south of Colorado
Springs the road winds around the
foothills and mountains. practically
the entire roadbed having been cut
out of the hillside and in many
places blasted out of solid rock. For
the remaining twenty-five miles the
way is over foothills and through
undulating country. Besides being
a marvel in engineering, the road
is one of the most scenic and pictur-
esque in the West, passing, as it
does, through Red Rock canyon,
Dead Mans canyon and many other
mountain beauty spots.
The road averages eighteen feet
in width, and is perfectly crowned
and drained. Although it offers
succession of climbs, so skillfully
was the engineering work done that
heavy grades have been eliminated
and the motorist is confronted with
only one grade as high as 6 per
cent.
Ute Pass is one of the historical
gateways of the mountain country.
Down it's sides centuries before Co.
lumbus discovered America the Ute
Indians had worn with soft mecca
sined tread a plainly distinguishable
trail. In building the first road
across the range to freight supplies
to Leadville, Aspen and the other
mining camps the white man follow
lowed the trail of the Indian. A few
years ago the main portion of this
road between Manitou and Cascade
was entirely rebuilt by convict la
Dor.
Under the Colorado system the
convict is allowed ten days off his
sentence for each month of labor
on the roads. This is in addition to
the usual reduction for good beha-
vior. The cost of building many of |
the mountain roads would be al |
most prohibitive if the State were
compelled to construct them under
ordinary conditions.
The entire country has reaped the
benefits of Colorado's pioneering be-
cause it has been able to open to
travellers from all sections of the
country some of its most splendid
mountain scenery.
Thomas ]. lyman, warden of the
State penitentiary, under whose SUI
pervision the work of the last three
years has been done, says:
"Basing our figures on actual ex-
perience We are confident that we
can construct in the next ten years
more than 5000 miles of the very
finest roadways for less than $780,
900, and this without adding any
thing whatever to the burden of the
taxpayers.
During one month We worked
thirty-fve men at one camp on the
road. The number of days employ
ed was twenty-four and three quar-
tiers. Each of these thirty-five men
rendered to the State labor equiva-
lent in value to so and SO day
The labor for each man cost the
State exactly % cents per day.
"The man who is allowed to leave
the prison for the road camp has
seen the last of prison
life, If he conducts himself proper
ly. His food and clothing are bet
ter; his self-respsct is preserved.
During the last three years We have
had more than 1000 unguarded in
iividual prisoners in the convict
lamps. Less than I per cent. have
Violated their pledges and made sue
sessful escape"