Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-28
v|RC|N|A's GREAT FARM
BRANCH PEN|TENTARY
Property Bought by State for Prison
Hospital Purposes Becomes
Valuable Asset.
TWENTIETH CENTURY FARMING
aVirginia's Way of Taking Caro- OF
Sick Prisoners and Making Them
Help Take Care OF Virginia.
Liability Converted Into Asset.

Help Take Care OF Virginia
Liability Converted Into Asset.
invested in 1900 acres of land in
Goochland County. about, twenty-fives
naming it the state Farm. it was not
expected that 1t would ever become 4
money making enterprise. In fact, the
idea was to make II a hospital for the
/. State penitentiary,. where the convic,s
and descrepit might have ample fresh
work for their better health, etc.
But good management. the introduce
tion OF strictly business methods, the
splendid treatment OF the sick and
ter workmen thar was anticipated in
the beginning. have combined 10 work
an ra Sa Of Eos,hns
1900 acres. located just across James
River in Pcwhacan County. was leased
and for two years operated and then
in 1918 purchased outright. Now the
state owns s:iS2 acres in one tract.
River, being connected by a ferry. and
a bridge.
Thorough Business Management.
The general superintendent. H. T.
business man. but he is q farmer in
the, truest sense, OF The terIn-an up
.LSS
has been connected with the manage
: lnent Of the penitenuary and the State
Ts a IN Tnt Nay aa9 anHtheE LOT ihs
E.dmu Rutfin as general supern-
Dr. Thomas NJ Taylor is the physi-
clan in charge OF the hospitals and
SANITARY affairs. OF the entire farm.
and the de' %s4k his undivided a,'entioa
these oficials-such as cannery mana
gers dairy managers, guards. etc
caily is business laid off and carried
out that everything moves along at
the farm from year TO year with clock
work regularity. and smooihness. Even
at the State Farm are handled on the
10 make his escape and the blood
hounds are called 10 the recsue, there
is no excitement or confusion.
Sick Men Become Good Workers.
Only the sick. feeble or very aged
liary in Richmond to the farm. They
: are there doc,ored and patched up
when they are given just enough for
,heir own good. and 80 on until they
shey ape Become ,o q" "a fII days n wGrk when
today Will give an idea OF the general
at inc farm; no females. or these,
n Wh;nS fh;,. are listed as sick men, Of
io as" hospta I ars in the tqbs5eu
general hands. of which latter num-
Der twenty-six are now able bodied
, arrival here or greatly improved. The The
m IDOLS or Ties less sic Sick men. of course. do
physcis MoFk and put his 80 mGre than The
wise. This is the toree a. ,Ih rs SSe ,s
rSLm with which Superintendent par
rlsh Is working wonders and maxim r.
LOT inc state valuable asset of what
was expected in the beginning TO ever
ne something of liailbity
Big Things Iinve Been Earned.
me State makes an apnronri,,;,,
Tor the salaries OF the emploved J." NO MO n
=, az ms also made an appropriation or
and d' 100 f tne the building of Kitchen
Al the other buildings ana % ,n Gnanei.
n mems Is on the farm have ben paid for
of the 'h jsnd receipts sho from the products
ah9 the hocks and herds. 'A"''efE
prison hhnmnp sn consist OF the
der 70 call it. the dorm.torv pre-
inS tIS9'""ooee' the dairy and barn Cox,
.2sio65:' ' ,bE nh M three silos. costing
the officers homes co 9osi,1ng ~ geo.
dha me stables. hay barns, the rrans
dos kennels and, last me hS T,annery, The
the pigeon houses not 4east'
some OF the Splendid Bu,Ia,,
~ or these have been bun, as
1he n LOT rom the receipts OF the far,
brick and cement. rre!,-," sp.cnd!d
Two stories. 200 by IS feet eo' ndI'i iilI
hn use IKE gigantic county co OUT
building. l !. aHsd IKE a nen-,sni!ary
Grounds throu@.h which the nrrs @o1ous
ser.a,. vii having. facilities for aynois
s ai snS shere being room for base
ouiIo!ns has room for 800 neon,s no u,
, vas completed in 1919 and hu;I, :
LAZY by prison labor 'a'
,,,tIs aF In, Inc prison is the chapel. a nea.
"nich services OF some kind ;rA b.ii
eyery Sunday. The tuberculo s h heia
buiId,n sohs; S,.,, OF two large frame
those at Saranac. n. r. hav rnh as as
abundance Of open air compartms, q"
1no otherwise thoroughly eouinned
80. se9erai hospital is quite a dis
tariu,n 'u4osis SAM
me dining hall and the cook rooms
are up to-date buildings and are made
plant is complete. ,urnlsbjnr arnnI 4
night for The entire farm and ali the
oui!olnss and power Tor the canncry
ana other industries. The cannery Is
the necessary machinery for canninr
tomatoes and other Vegetables, frui, .
- Sna sweet potatoes for the markets,
.s~-~ Finest Dairy Barn in Virginia.
-~S--s me dairy barn is a concrete and
80 steel building. perhaps the best hrIt
X certainly the cleanest and mosi Sani'
80 taFy building OF its kind in the Statn
- me same may be said OF the three
~. - a!!os: The barn has capacity FOR
-. - now being MIXED there daily IN .
- GARY is complete in all OF it's ar
- rangenents. This dairy furnishes milk
49, for the and ,io. " ''''' 7,
Is the balance is sold 10 mix dcain-.
III NIEH!DCn II is paving inSti,,,-
y. tion. ''''"
- The dog house is quite an ins,itn.
Iron a. IL is the nome OF the famous
g. blood hounds that are so often called
-A- Upon from all parts OF the Stat ~
y run down bad men. Including inc
81 puppies In training there are twenty.
81 one o!ood hounds IN the dog ward
~ headed Try "Beecher" the noted Ole
~ dog which has never yet failed Il