Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-08-04

cation district, with its 30 900 acres
of choice land lying along the south
side of Snake river from the Nampa
ferry west for something like 20
miles, is this year reaping it's great
est harvest. And one of the chief
farmers in the district is the State
of Idaho prison 1t is there, about
43 miles due west of the peniten-
tiary, that Warden Shook is CON
ducting an experiment unique from
different view points. He is proving
bat this place that prisoners in penal
institutions, who are not confirmed
criminals, can be trusted to do the
right thing, il they are being made
to understand that trust is reposed
in them. He is also proving that
farming with convict labor can be
made to pay.
The Gem irrigation district is the
largest pumping plant system in this
or any of the neighboring states.
The district, which was formed some
six years ago, using electrict power,
takes water from Snake river and
through a system of three canals it
carries down the valley of the river
to lands that are rapidly being placed
under cultivation. Three years ago
the last spring the prison warden Sc
cured permission from the prison
commissioners to experiment with
farming operations there. OF the
10000 acres under the Gem system,
the state owns something over 1O,-
600 acres. OF this, 500 acres were
laid aside for prison use.
With a small band Of the more
trusty Of the prisoners Mr.. Shook
cleared off and leveled a tract Of
perhaps a hundred acres, which was
seeded to grain. bitches were dug,
stables and bunk houses erected, a
well 1896 feet was bored and a sup
ply of fine domestic water was Sc
cured, hogs and chickens were rails
ed, and from ten to fifteen OF the
more trustworthy prisoners were
kept at work clearing more land
caring for crops and stock, building
roads, and making other improve
ments. This was kept up until the
present, when harvest has been com
menced on a 400-acre grain crop,
which it is belived will have a value
of at least $4,000. While this was
being accomplished at spare times,
the prisoners at work have cleared
about 400 acres more of land, which
will be used for grain production
next year. Much of the land that
has been cropped three years, it is
expected will this year be seeded to
alfalfa.
The prison farm has always been
heavy producer of hogs, and this
year it is expected that something
like 800 will be turned off, butcher
ed, the meat cured and all of this
used in the penitentiary. Until the
end of June this year the cured meat
used in the penitentiary was largely
from this source. This year it is be-
lieved that the meat product from
this farm will to even a greater ex-
tent provide the meat ration of the
prison inmates. In addition to this,
of last years crop the state sold
several carloads of grain. Two car
loads, valued at over 1900, was
last week shipped from Homedale.
Warden Shook expresses the hope
that within the next three years the
entire 500 acres at present re-
served for the penitentiary by the
state will have been improved, and
that within a very short time the
alfalfa and grain production will go
far toward paying for the food sup
plies of the prison.
Moral Effect of Experiment
The greatest effect of the expert
ment in the minds of the prison au-
thorities, is the moral effect. AL
though the Homedale farm has been
in operation for over three years
and there has been on an average of
from IL to IA convicts employed
throughout the season, with frequent
changes as men would be discharged
or parold. or for some other reason
were taken from the farm and back
to the penitentiary. there have only
been three attempted escapes, and of
these only one has so far not been
rearrested. From the first there has
never been guard employed, the
only person not a convict about the
place being Arthur Mclean, the SUI
perintendent. The men do their
work only under general supervision.
as the superintendent has so much
responsibility that frequently parties
or the men on particular work are
not directly overseen for days at a
time. In the opinion of Mr.. Mclean,
as we'll as many of the neighboring
farmers, the amount of work done
by these men, as we'll as its charac-
ter, will compare fayorably with that
accomplished by other men work
ing in their own behalf oil for wages.
Asks for Good Fee
There has been quite a good deal
OF excitement eyinced over the claim
OF I. G. Coffin, former assistant at
torney general. for an attorneys fee
OF s12,500 on account of the prose
cution of the case against the Ma
uonal Surety company, as bondsmer