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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 29, 1904)
& . ,' V . jW Ik' ,SSK.fS !& Tho convicts of the state of New York confined hi the four state pris ons, ono reformatory ami two asylums for the criminal Insnne, number nil told about 3,700 men and woman, and as their literacy Is something like na per cent, it Is not strange that they have a newspaper. It is called the Star of Hope, is published biweekly In Sing Sing prison, Is of twenty-four pages and Is written, edited, printed and published by the convicts them selves. It has Just passed Its fifth birthday, und It may bo said to have left tho experimental stage and en tered as a permanent factor Into the education, Instruction und advance ment of its convict clientele. At present Its editor Is a prisoner who waH a broker of Wnll street, a man of scholastic training and a wide experience In the world, from which he has, however, been withdrawn rot ten years a writer of vigor and force and with a literary equipment that fits him for editorial duties of a much higher class than those- to bo per formed In the chair of the Star of Hope. Nevertheless, his abilities are by no means misplaced. For some years I shared his responsibilities and cares and became familiar with all tho af fairs of the paper, and, although my experience Includes some Important employments, no duties that I eer discharged In these relations ever gave pie, a few cnrs ago a bill was intro duced into tho state legislature pro viding for the organization of a board of parole which should release, under certain lestilctlons, convicts who con formed to its provisions at the explrn tlon of one-third of their term of sen tence. This wns nuts to the Star of Hope, which, of course, warmly sup potted the cause of parole. The bill went with laggard movement through Its several readings In both houses and lingered long on the governor's table before he alllxed his olllclal sig nature to make it operative, but its progress was always under the spur of the convicts' paper, which urged Its advantages so strongly and so exhaust ively that its Hies were submitted to the assembly by tho supporters of tho bill as containing tho most convincing arguments In favor of the act. As a matter of fact tho Star of Hope gained the ciedlt of securing this ameliorative legislation, although, of course, such nn Influence as It extend ed was singular and largely subjective and grow out of the fact that by the discussion of the bill the prisoners were nblo to show that Intellectually at least they wore competent to ap preciate Its advantages. It Is need less to say they pleaded their moral Htne3S with vigor. In editing the Star of Hope wo sought to rule our selection of matter MMMNWMMlMMM0WMMWMMMMWMl gSSS . well nnnolnted office. They nro not Interfeied with In any way by tho keepers, except that they must con foim to the general routine of thy prison nml be locked In a cell at night In their editorial work they are not at all hampeied. The page proofs of the paper are, however, sent to tho chap lain for censorship. Ho is expected to excise any objectlonablo matter He does not, however, presume to cv en suggest what shnll be printed, nor Is he consulted In any other way. If ho pi each a sermon that Is particular ly good and interesting, the Star ol Hope occasionally will report It, but no other nttentlon Is paid, as a rule, to chanel affairs, nor do religious ex erclscs, such as Ulblo class meetings, receive any notice whatever. The efforts of tho Stnr of Hope mnkos to point out that, whntcver set back they mny have had In life, some of its prizes are still open to them meets with tho most cordlnl accept ance. The soclnl conditions In this country are such that ex-convlcts who have made successes In business nre not infrequent. Hundreds and hun dreds of men who havo "served time" have redeemed themselves In a very large measure. Ono of tho first bac teriologists in tho world Is an ex-con- vlct from Sing Sing and a man who Is a ruler in the domain of high finance served a sentence for felony. Sucr 1804Ewis and Clark Cekbrathn"1904 By Jt. G. Shtldott, Sptctel Corrtspcndtnt. a WMMMMMWMIIIMKMMMWMMMMHI)IMMWM ' No. 2 VoLVl SING SING PRISON, OSSINING, N. Y.. APRIL -0, l?04. immii in m ii in nn r TTwri mniwimimi in ir m i ii in rn i ihimhjuhhiiimiiiipw L- wv ii 7- The Synthgs of Crime s i Z& i -ja?-, r--2? ... . -v. .! me more assurance that I was doing such useful work as I did In an edi torial chair of this prison Journal. I say this at tho outset, for. Incon gruous as a free press may appear as part of a penal system, the fact re mains that In its operation and influ ence the Star of Hope has become more important as a reformatory Influence than tho schools and chapel exercises, and the management of the stnte pris ons In New York regard the paper as a fixture in their system of discipline and reform whose value cannot he overestimated. Although the paper to printed by men in penal servitude, It Is never thelcss distinctively a member of tho boasted free press, u w "'' under no restraint oweptthoBensoof right and decency which Its editors may entertain, and as these men are chosen for their capacity, good con duct and intellectual superiority tle have fulfilled the expectation of the superintendent of prisons nml brought forth a paper of reasonable consorva tlsm which teaches good morals, clean speech, truthfulness, tho common sense view of prison discipline and tho value of making a stiong effort o reform If possible-ami at any rate tho Importance of keeping out of prls on nfter dlschnrge. Naturally a good deal of hypocris c"recps into tho contributed columns without any editorial demur because tho paper alms to bo representative or convict thought and aspirations, and to bar the Pharlseo Is to suppress ono of tho roost assertlvo tendencies In 1 prison life. But no hypocrisy nor pre tense finds expression on its editorial page, and as tho prison author t les t never find criticism of their official iPts, which of courso would not bo permitted, they look as vnlnly for any H Jklmi of commendation or praise. Not that subjects of tho most seri ous Importance touching prison admin Istratlon aro not dealt with by tho writers In all departments. For exam- with a view to making tho paper rep resentative of the uvcrago mentality of the prison. Hut pride In Its better qualities worked out tho selection of tho fittest at the end, and wo put our best foot forward every time nt tho expense of our creed. As a result tho Star of Hope Is Indicative of tho best mentality of tho prison population. Contributors wero abundant. They , wrote on every subject under the sun. As tho convicts nre, In fact, a ml-T crocosm of tho wholo life of a highly civilized community numbering near lv S.000.000 souls, and includo men and women of evory profession and trade from nearly every country and clime, this was to bo expected. So wo received translations of Homer, with "lnssaiv notes, from university men; the odes of Horaco done Into English! in faultless inmbics, and printed spec ulations upon the realm opened n me discovery' of radium written by men who had lectured to the college classes on chemistry. No subject came amiss, and the educational value of the paper becamo apparent almost from tho first In tho steady Improvement In all classes of contributions. JLt first a largo body of contributors seemed to think that literary produc tion meant poetry, and It is no exag geration to say we received for every (cuno nt the naner as many as 1,000 lines of verse. Gradually wo were able to check this affluence and also to spread an Intelligent conception of tho poorest kind of poetry wo would nrltit. nnd In tlmo wo were able to offer to our readers In every Issue ono or more very credltnble compositions of verse. Theso differences are tho common lot of the editorial guild, however, and I shall try to tell something more characteristic of the convict publlca tlon Its composing room contains some forty or fifty cases for tho type setters, and a section of It Is occu pled by a Gordon power press with a capacity of 4,000 sheets an hour. Con siderable Job work Is done In tho same office and all Its business Is conducted by the convicts themselves. Tho fore man Is a young lifer. Eddlo Durnz, who never touched a typo nor saw a press except through a window till he camo to prison. He Is now an accom pllshed printer and has chargo of all tho work from tho tlmo tho copy leaves tho editorial desk until tho printed papers aro folded and ad dressed ready for distribution. A uni formed keeper la In the room and haa disciplinary chnrgo of tho men. The foreman's authority Is an uncertain factor and dopends largely upon hln own tact. Tho editors, two In number, occupy a room by themselves, with desks and swinging chairs, files of papers nnd a reference library, a carpeted floor und all the.convenlonces and comfjirts that anv cdltorlol corus could oxjjuct in a mSSEsX jCasurn R.y. Rcrormatorpf DMmuTPTion ornciALs umwo cimiaim '"' K Jwum.uuDimuiuuinunim ijom A Ar J KOCH MDITOK MB -Ttt om.,,,,. examples as theso arc contlnunllj urged upon tho nttentlon of tho con vlct readers of tho Stnr of Hope, anc tho encouragement thus given bean good fruit. Now York Press. Glad of Any Excuse. Judge Burke's long experience o the bench has presented to his notice many humorous Incidents well wort! relating. The characters who aro ha bltually before his honor for lntoxl cation often bellevo they can concll late tho Justice with n ready word oi a plausible excuse. On a recent occa slon n victim was presented at the bar and tho judge, looking at tho rotunc face of tho defendant, said: "Do you know what brought yoi hero?" "YIs, yer honor. Two policemen." "Did not drink havo something t do with It?" frowning severely. "YIs, yer honor. They wero botl drunk." "What started you on this spree?" continued the judge sharply. "Sure, yer honor, rne Jlttlo pet doi died." "Nonsense! A man should look upoi such things as trifles." "Sure, yer honor" coaxlngly "I yo wanted a spree yerself, ye woul bo glad of any handle to turn thi crank. Boston Post. Ono hundred years ago. the morn ing of August ", I SO 1 . a party of foity throo white men might han been seen Dpi ending tho malnsnll of a clumsy MlRfiouii liter bateau as nn awning on a little plain nboe the high water level of the Missouri river, at tho end of a woody rldgo about seventy feet high, In Nebraska, sixteen mllos nliove where now stands the city of Omaha. A little later a proccplon of fourteen Indians, members or the Otoo and Mlwourl tribes, wound Its way to the shelter of tho awning. They were ac companied by that omnipresent being In the region a hundred years ago a Frenchman living with a squaw who ncted as Interpreter. When nil were seated, began tho flrFt council of the United States government with the Indian Inhabitants of tho l.oulslann purchase. first art In tho drama of a century of struggle between whlto Americans nnd red Americans for pos session of an empire. The representa tives of tho United States government told the Indians that they were no longer Spanish or French, but Amer icansa piece of news which we are told gave them great Joy. They wero promised tho protection of the govern ment nt WoBhlneton. and Its advice In tho future. In iply, the six chiefs of tho Indian dolexntlon declared nicy were pleased with the change of gov ernment, that they wanted to trado with the now great fnther, and espe cially they wanted arms to defend theraBelvefl from their enemleH. (What llttlo causo for pleasuro If they had known that the change meant to be dispossessed of tholr homes and hunt ing groundH.) At the end of the council came the proBents, a modal hung by a cord ninpprt round tho neck of each of the six chlofs. paint, garters and cloth, a canister of gunpowder, nnd the most significant of all, a bottle of whiskey! Thus bejian the official relations of the United States government with the Otoo and Missouri Indians. How prophetic. It was of the futuro let him who cares to know read from the last ofTtclal report of the Indian agent at the Otoo and Missouri Indian agency in Oklahoma. Diminished In numbers from 2.000 to 370. the agent sns. "many of these people are addicted to drink and are, both men and women, inveterate gamblers, tho Otoe being especially bad about the gambling. No minUhmnnt seems at all to mitigate these evils. Their days arc spent In nlmost utter Idleness, nnd worse, for vice and debnuchery are rampant." The names of three of these chiefs have hren preserved for us In tho rec ord. The principal chlofs present wero Shongotongo. or Big Horse, nn Otoe; Wethea. or Hospitality, a Missouri, and Shosguscan, or Whlto Horse, an Otoe. Tho spot was named by Lewis nnd Clark Council Bluff, from tho circum stances which thcro took place, and their report of the council concludes with a recommendation of the location for a "fort nnd trading factory." Flfteon years after the historic coun cil hero described, tho first stenmboat (the Western Engineer) to navigate Missouri waters arrived live miles be low the Council Bluff. It carried Ma jor Long with a party of engineers and scientists who were to mnko tho first scientific survey of tho region. This expedition found already at Council Bluff a force of United States soldlera engaged in building a fort, afterward called Fort Atkinson. This fort for tho next eight years was tho most ad vanced frontier post of tho United States army, always having several companies of troops and somotlmes more than a regiment. In 1827 the post wan abandoned and tho troops moved to Fort I-cavenworth. Some of the buildings were dismantled by tho troops. Some wero burned by Indlnns or hunters. Thero still remained on tho plateau of Council Bluff In 18S4, when tho territory was organized and whlto sottlers camo In to take up claims, a vast amount of debris brick nnd limestone wnlls. beams and timbers. Tho early settlers hauled this away by tho wagon-load to build chimneys, make foundations and to curb wells, yet so great was tho quan tity that thirty years later farmers wero still hauling bricks away. Both these historic sites, that of the council of 1804 and that of Fort At kinson, aro within a few hundred yards of the presont railway station of Fort Cnlhoun. There yet remain piles of brickbats and debris, long rowB of ex cavations marking the barrack ccllarn, deep pits, once powder mngnzlnes, u noble locust grove planted In the early foit days, whose reeds have given life to a multitude of other locii3t groves In tho htnte. Every year the farmer's plow and the gnrdener's rake reaps n harvest of mllltnry buttons and early coins. Spanish coins of the seven teenth and eighteenth conturles mnko the hulk of tho crop, showing how close the connection with Spnln and how long nfter Amerlcnn purchaso nnd occupation her mintage maintained Itn supremacy Somewheie. within a few hundred yards of this Hold Hearing its annual harvest of relics. Is tho spot where Lewis and Clark sat vls-ii-vls to Nebraska Indians In tho first Loulslnna purchase council. No student of tho place Is yet hold enough to urivo n stake and cry "Eureka." At tho base of the plateau ran tho river In 1801 and In 1819, whoso waters aro now three miles away toward the Iowa bluffs, with mnrhh and lake and culti vated farms between. In the dajs of Fort Atkinson the hill abovo the platcnu was occupied by tho fort cemetery, wheio were burled sev eral hundred soldiers and others. After the military abandonment the headstones were broken, scattered i.nd lost, except parts of two with tho dato 18211. now In tho museum of the Ne braska State Historical society. The very mounds themselves were for the most pnrt obliterated, and on tho slopes where the rains wash the plow now nnd then thrown out a fragment of n human skeleton. In November, 1901, .T. A. narrett and A. E. Sheldon, of the Nebraska State Historical society office stuff, explored and photographed the features of both sites under the guidance of W. II. Woods, who has lived on the ground for thirty years and has a passion for historical work. On our return tho suggestion was mado thnt the centen nial of tho council ought to be cele brated. In Juno, 1902, Mr. E. B. Black- man of the historical society visited the site and in dlscua?lnn with Mr. Woods proposed, the erection of a monument. Theso wero the prelim inary steps by tho Nebraska State His torical society. On tho other hand, the Daughters of the American Revolution, Independent of any outsldo Alleges' ion, were mov ing in tho same diicction. In the sum mer of 1899 ladlea of tho Omaha chap ter visited the Bite of old Fort Atkln pon, weie charmed with Its beauty and associations, nnd dibcusKcd plnns for erecting a monument to mark Its site. In tho summer of 1901, Mrs. S. B. Pound, of Lincoln, stato regent of tho D. A. It., noted the report of the erec tion of the PI to monument In Kansas. This stimulated her zeal to do tho same by tho historic sites in Nebraska. She read up -he early records and, finding that tho Lewis and Clarke council was held on'tho Fort Atkinson plateau, proposed nt a meeting held In October, 1901, tho project of mark ing tho site. At a general meeting of the state chapter of tho I). A. R. In tho summer of 1902 It was resolved to ask the stato to tako the initiative. According, In tho legislative session of 1903, Representative George L. Ixwmls of Dodgo county Introduced a bill appropriating $3,000 to erect an apnroprlato monument. After a hard fight the bill was lest. On Ingram, Mm. C. S. Lobnlor, J. W. Batten, nnd A. B. IWeJdon. On r ipniremonta, X H. OanUli, Amoa ruid. Mm. A. C. Troup, Mr, i. Bj Pound, E. r. Blathman. Blncei thnt tlmo tho commltt har been busy completing plan" tor the colebratlon, August 3rd. It wao re solved nfter much dlscuiilon to plar the monument In tho yard of tho Cal houn public school, under tho ehade of giant locust trees whoso parenta ktv on the old Fort Atkinson fllto. Thin Is nt some llttlo dlstanco from both tho Fort Atkinson nnd tho probabU Lewis and Clnrke sites, hut Is In a con spicuous public plnco where It can hava the caro of future generations of school chlldion and teachers. After a long search for a suitable Nebraska ston to mnko the monument, a boulder waa found by Mrs. Pound on the farm of Mr. V, Lonsdale, about two miles north : Lincoln. It Is n beautiful bluish, pink Sioux Falls quartzlte, weighing; about eight tons, found resting on a hillside nmld a mass of companion boulders anil gravel, where It had been1 dropped by n molting glntior which carried It on Its long Journey from the) mother lode north of the Missouri river. This huge boulder hns heen rnlRed lettered nnd shipped to Fort Cnlhoun. where It awaits thn cele.brn tlon of tho hundred yenrs anniversary slnre whlto men nnd Indians flrnt struck hnnds on the Nebraska soil. Tho stone benrB on one face the Inscription: 1804-1904 LEWIS nnd CLARKE rEmblem of D. A. It.l On another face: Placed by Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the Amerlcun Revolution, nnd tho Stato Historical Society of Nebraska. ItrcUtrntlnn W tfl4.:i!4. The total registration for home stead homes on tho Rosebud reserva tion to bo opened by the government was 104,324, distributed as follows: Bonesteol. 34,004; Fairfax, 8,690; Yankton. r7,43l; Chamberlain, C.130. Thero aro about ,2,000 quarter flec tions to bo opened to homestend en try, the drawing for which will be, bold under government supervision at Chnmborlaln, S. D August 28. Commissioner W. A. Richards of the general land ofilco has left Washing ton for BoncGtool, S. D., whore ho will superintend tao drawing which opens to settlement nearly half a million acres of lands formerly belonging to tho Rosebud Indian reservation. Something Did Happen, As llttlo Jim was going to bed crawling under tho coverlets, hit mother Ubkcd him If ho had not for. gotten something. "Nope," he answered, "Pldn't you forget to say your pray crs?" "Nope. I didn't say 'em lnst night an' nothln' didn't happen to me. ) ain't a-goln' to say 'em to-night, nelth er; an' If notbin' don't happen to m to-night, I ain't never goln' to saj 'em." But ho did; something happened. New Yor,k Evening Post. Otoo County Iln 7,300 Children. County Superintendent R. C. King has made tho following report of chil dren In Otoo county of school age, which Includes all chlldion betwecu the ages of 5 and 21. Thero aro 3,609 girls and 3,578 boyB, a total of 7,209, or 21 inoro children of school ago In the county than wero reported last year. M i '. BHnBBMIIlalB": Both the Sta'o illEtoncal society and tho Daughters of tho Revolution Joined forces In the "inter of 1904 for a common monument ai.d celebration. A joint meellni; of icpresentatlves of tho State Hl'torual society, Daughters of the Revolution, nnd Snno of the Revolution was held at the Millard t.otel, Omaha, .Lute ;, 1901, at which committees wero oppolutcc; as follows: Kerloaaly llurnei! bjr Lamp, A 10-year-old daughter of Martin Sorcnson, who lives at the corner of Seventeenth and F streets, Fremont, was quite badly burned by accidentally overturning a lamp. The lamp sot flro to her clothing and the furniture In tho room. Her Injuries aro very pain ful, but not dangerous. Let the Fleht Oo On. A telegram from Cleveland, O., says: "A tremendous fight Is browing be tween the steel Interests and the big railroads of tho United Stntcs, The cause of the Impending war Is tho un derstanding, that the United States Steel corporation Is planning to build n railroad from Lorain to Pittsburg. The railroads say that If this Is done they will first refuse either to accept shipments from or give business to this rond. In nddltlon they threaten to build mills with which to mako all the steel that Is used by tho railroads that aie represented In what is known as the community of Interests." ; My Cat O. A. R. Rntel. Dissatisfied with tho conditional rate" proposition being put forth by the- Central Passongor association linen In' connection with tho G. A. R. encamp- ment at Boston, tho lines of the West ern Passenger association havo d-- elded to fix no special rates cast of Chicago. Tickets are on sale August 12, when rnto cutting is anticipated. Children' lr In nt. LoiiU. It Is announced that tho world's fair management has decided to admit chil dren under fifteen years old free on certain dates to bo specified from tlmo to time. It Is doclded that August 2 would bo tho first dato for frco ad missions under this rule. Thero must bo ono adult to each five children to get tho benefit of tho rule. Impatient Morchant "When aro you going to mako up your mind to pay mo for that bedstead you bought six weeks ago?" Impassive Customer "Well, I never mako up my mind In a hurry about anything. You'll havo to let me Bleep on It some more." Mistress "And so you aro going to got married, Bridget?" Irish Servant "Yes, mum; you Eec, I think every girl ought to get -married ut least once In her life." It's a woman's privileges to change not only her mind, but her name as well. Mrs. George, widow of tho late Henry George, the political economist of New York, diod at her homo In Montlcollo, N. Y aged CO. years. ' Mrs. Cutter What wore thoBe large, red, whlto nnd blue Ivory lozenges I saw in your pocket last night? Mr. Cutter Oh, those those are trading stamps, my dear. Mrs. Cutter Thero, that's Just what I thought they were, but mamma de clares they had somethlngto do with some kind of u game. It's easy to rojolco over the success of your brother, so long as his suc cess Isn't greater than yours. t The coda water business Is apt to be a fizzle. ' w !j a U-,.AJ3 tUM I rj ti m jrs ii ! II u ,.,-g3?w.-t:-4rr" --y -?r i ! mmhu rggteaigsgr-rss; tit vantw4 sw&ww iMMKMf JimimA ,V M--f lyivWMwJ,- W.'if-