Show Federal Rule Ride Ended at Penitentiary Three Days After Utah Entered Union Governor Wells Reduces Cost of Operation Du During ing First Year YearBy By WENDELL ASHTON Editors Editor's Note This is the second sec ond and of a series of articles on the history and activity of Utah's state prison Others will follow folIo daily Three days after the e territory of Utah became a state slate January 4 1898 1896 the federal rule was removed from Irom the p penitentiary An act of congress stated The United States penitentiary near Salt Lake City and all lands and appurtenances appurtenances connected th therewith and set apart and reserved therefore are hereby granted to the state slate of Utah and the title to the prison anc and land valued valued-at at passed to the state Here is what was included in that federal grant The main building including in- in in including eluding 14 rooms a stone wall 19 feet high inclosing two acres two containing 2 4 steel cells a J. chapel with a seating capacity of 25 a women's department and workshop workshop work work- shop a a large barn farm buildings and the penitentiary reser reservation of acres Obviously when the pI prison son went to the state some sort of Utah govern- govern rv w v V fv f v rh 1 r l Heber M. M Wells In ing body was n needed ded for the Institution From the outset the board o of By Act of Congress Buildings and Grounds Gran Granted ed to State corrections directed the prison and it has done so ever since Prior to 1901 the board Included four members but since that time only three have comprised comprised com cern the body The governor is chairman and appoints the other two members The governor also names the prison warden who in turn Is Js subject to the approval val of the other two board members During the 38 years o of statehood seven governors have served as chairmen chairmen chairmen chair chair- men of the board of corrections They are Heber M. M Wells John C C. C Cutler Willi William m Spry Simon Bamberger Charles R R. R Mabey George Georgc H H. H Dern and Henry H. H Blood Operating expenses of the prison were reduced when the state took over the reins In his message to io the first Utah legislature in 1896 Governor Governor Gov Gov- Wells reported that the cost oJ ot of operating the prison under fed federal ral regime in 1895 was He recommended recommended rec rec- an appropriation of 30 for the thc ensuing year Under George Dow first state warden the prison w was s administered in 1896 at a acost acost cost ost of only Prisoners Graded Prisoners were graded in three classes lasses during the cradle days of the state prison The first class lass included prisoners who were not classed as hardened and who were industrious ous us The second group was composed of f inmates who were more hardened hardened hard ened ned but competent to work The third third division included the tent t. All prisoners were placed in inic the he ic second class upon entrance There was an average of Inmates Inmates In In- mates in the state slate prison during 1896 That was a abis big drop fr from m the number that had r resided at the penitentiary in n the early nineties when there was vas a daily aver average of nearly 35 principally because of or the enforcement enforcement enforce enforce- ment of the federal Tucker Edwards-Tucker act ct or law Many improvements were were made at athe atthe atthe the he prison shortly shortly after after statehood In 1896 more machines were added to tolie the lie factory and the following year jear er on n recommendation of Governor Wells Veils was appropriated to provide for a better water supply In Inthe inthe the he next two years a large barn and icehouse were wera constructed with prison rison labor |