The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-05-16
-LoRlOA's PRISON FARM AND
PRISON SYSTEM


For years and years her prison sys-
tenn has been the one foul blotch on
her fair escutcheon.
The big newspapers and maya,
zines of the country have from time
to time sent their most gifted cores
pondents to investigate the various
prison camps and their reports were
almost as horrible as George Ken
mans revelations concerning the pris-
on system of Russia, which shocked
the moral sensibilities of the civil
lied world.
For fifty years or more we have
been quick to rush to the defense of
our state and her institutions when
ever slandered or imperiied, but
when her prison system was assaiIed
it was only then that our right arm
lost its cunning and we were forced
to hang our heads in very shame for
we knew that most of the gruesome
stories we're all too true, but now
and we say it proudIy-we can hold
our heads aloft and defy the world
because there has been an awakening
and a wonderful Transformation.
We have just returned from
Raiford, where there is pris.
on farm Of $4,000 acres and ATS in
mates. and yet, not a gun, not a
guard. and, more than all, not a
whipping boss" an office, if it be
an office. the most degrading to ones
moral attributes. whose influence is
Infectious and polluting. Oh. what
stigma it has been.
We are proud to say that the s'whip.
ping boss" no longer exists at Raiford.
His occupation, like Othello's. is gone.
The insignia of his office has been
placed in the discard to be preserved
only as relic of barbarism.
The change has been as remarkable
as the transformation of midnight
into perfect day. 1t has been more
magical than magic.
The prisoners are happy if singing
songs of mirth is indicative of hap
plness, and from a material point OF
view, the new system is emptying dol
lars into the states treasury where
only dimes were emptied before.
The expenses Of the farm have been
decreased more than fifty per cent
while the income has been increased
more than one hundred per cent.
What story that unfOlds.
Superintcmdo-Ns- ogs4~r---4,..rse +1,at 20
the farm is not 1nterfered with by
th Legislature or incoming officials
that in the course OF few years it
will pay the expense of every insti-
tuition in the state-the asylum, the
boys and girls reformatories, the
school for the blind, deaf and dumb,
and other similar institutions.
1t is, indeed, a revelation and de.
serves to be let alone
The farm has now only four thous-
and acres under cultivation and three
manufacturing plants established,
and this year will be more than self
sustaining, including all betterments;
so what must it be when the entire
$4,000 acres become productive and
other profitable manufactures are
added to it?
By next season four thousand more
acres will be planted as that many
more acres are under fence.
Some of the fields are a mile or
more from headquarters and it is
marvellous sight to see one hundred
or more men at work in prison stripes
all alone that far away, near a dense
forest and no attempt to escape
Since the new system was put in
vogue there has not been an escape
nor an attempt to escape
That is a marvellous record and is
we dare say without a parallel in the
record of prison annals
Asgrbefere, stated the prison farm
consists of $4,000 acres, 5000 acres
under fence, 1900 under cultivation
1t has LOO head of hogs, ESQ head
of cattle, consisting of Angus, Jer-
seys and range, 125 mules and hor.
ses,. $500 head of chickens, $50 tur-
keys, 100 acres in pecans, it has II
miles of railroad. connecting with
the Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic
Coast Line railroads, it has a saw
mill operated by Its own electric
power plant, a grist mill, rice mill,
corn erusher, dairy, the net in
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