The Washington times., 1915-04-18
future vital Importance Is, being KEEP
alive.
Have Weekly Lectures.

iuture vital importance is> belng Kept
alive.
Have Weekly Lectures.
In the weekly history lecture, the
planting of the first colonies on Ro-
anoke Island was being described. Be-
tween pauses to enable points to sink
in, an old fellow called Preacher kept
interjecting:
You're. gettin' there now! Yo'
sure Rettin' there now!'' @"'
Preacher" was finally asked what
should be inferred from his remark
Il means" he declared, eager to ex-
plain himself, II was born down there
at Roanoke, and every word you's say
ing Is gospel fack-every word"
Nick had been. the center of in
terest to his classmates on the coca
sion OF the previous lecture, when 1t
was shown that Columbus had landed
first on one of the islands Of the West
indies, and he C'Nick'D. it was known,
was from Jamaica.
There must be good in both these
men, for their blood tingles at the
mention Of home.
"I.Ook mt their faces" the warden
remarked once as he walked about
the class room inspecting individua!
work. "How animated they are!
When ] took charge Of the senitcn-
tiary nearly every rnnn here was q
sul1en, rebclliOus fellow. Ignorance,
helplessness, needless restraint mnde
them so. The school has done won
dcrs for them nll.''
No Attempt To Improve.
For 100 years the prison had been
maintained solely as a place OF punish
ment. No attempt was made to i'm
prove men. They were returned to So
ciety .embittered. First-timers came
back in numbers They had seen no
virtue in dominating man. or system.
Punishment narrows. Expansion OF
view had been checked. The futility OF
warning against system comes only
with the appreciation that "the stars
themselves obey a law
One hundred and ninety mon ere
nightly in the big school room. with
never been a disturbance-no unneces-
sary commotion. Only the hum OF
earnest workers-each class unaffected
by the reCitatiOns of its neighbor. En-
couragement. kindness, maintain. where
once physical and spiritual suppression
were monitors. There Is verso in one
of the books which breathes tho spirit
Of the school:
Speak gently to the crrinG; know
They may have tOilcd in vain
Perhaps unkindnCss made them so
oh, win them back again.
Through the Rev. w. d. Bcall tho
chaplain. class room instruction is aug
mcnted by lectures, ard the prCSCnta
ton Of Messages" from those specia lly
interested in the uplft of men. The
power of music has not been ignored
either, and the prison band Is fast be-
| coming an organization OF merit. The
cornetist is said to be one of the best
in the state.
1t should not be inferred that disci
pline is lax in any department Of the
p"nitentiary. On tho contrary tho va
den is absolute master and his authority
ance of prison government he il first II
peace. but. likewise first in war, wher
war is wanted 1t need not be added
that he always dictates the terms o
surrender The personal equation enter,
largely into the matter of dominance
Physique, voice. and his knowledge o.
tht workings of prisoners minds con
+ tribute to the success of his administra
! find an untiring antagONist-hc who ap
! peals to his sympathy wins often
! A prisoners short time Is the ne
| time he must serve. after deductions TO
good behavior. man, not a membc
Of the school. had lost his good time
through persistent Violations. ON th'
day his short time" was up. "A weather
beaten stalwart man from Martins w
+ the warden told him he had come aftc
, his boy"
. well, he has broken many rules
been bad all through, and | am no
going TO let him out Of his ShOr
| time" was the statement that greeted
| him.
Gets Son Freed.
The old father. a railroad man. carry
ing beneath his skin the driven grim
of the locomotive, dropped his head an,
said pathetically:
Il have found a job for him on tn
road and have come all the way from
Martinsburg to help him to anothe
, chance. 1t would be hard to go bacl
empty
The fathers manner had the hear
appeal in it, and after "A moment
hesitation the warden's ) determination
Melted
You shall not go back cmpty-ha nd
ed" he said. You may have you
| boy"
When the son appeared, AS if t
appease the spirit of discipline WhicI
he had permitted sympathy to con
quer, he landed a wordy hroadsldc a
him, including:
ITS not for y"u I'm doing this
You should serve your full term. In
letting you go solely for your Ol,
fathers sake. stick to him-hc's tn,
best friend NOu1I ever haVc!"
An old black fellow. siXty-six year
of age, shook his head year ag
when it was suggested that he ento
school.
TOO far gone down de valley" h
aGded.
Later, when a letter was written 70
him on request, he Toasted his eyes o.
) the paga and CALCULATED:
"Wonderful! It's wuf lot of none
to be able to write like dat, Take thi
fer yo' pay" he continued. tcnderin
a scent bag of smoking tobacco, "Thi
writih's wuf it,"
Soon he was persuaded to cnta
school. He can EOw write a letter, an
he's Immensely proud OF the accom-
plishment.
"IO' remember" he said recent,
when yO' wouldn't take a bag of 10
! baccO fer writin' me u letter. Well
wouldn't take the whole .commissar,
for what I know about writin' now!'
When told to write what he kne,
about farm products, all knOwlcdg