OCR Text |
Show THE ARGUS. 4 by this community before snow flies. And in TOPICS OF THE TIMES. . SOCIETY IS to be formed among us shortly bearing rather a unique name. It is nothing else than the Appendicitis Club. There is both a ridiculous and a sober feature to this movement. The name itself is suggestive of sufficient humor, while, on the other hand, it is claimed in all earnestness that the time is ripe for such an institution. Speaking upon this subject, a prominent physician says : There is no more danger in operating for appendicitis than there is in amputating the little finger. The disease can easily be located by any physician of merit, and the operation is of the very simplest character. It is becoming an every day occurrence, and one of the objects of the society will be to limit the cost of the operation. $250 to $1000 is the customary charge, and the society has engaged me to do the work for its members at the nominal charge of $5 a head. Our society will consist of principally bankers and business men who are banding together in most every scheme to save expenses. I am also to get office rent free and have my name put in the blue book. To-da- y Right now, before the political pot begins to sizzle and the button-holinprocess becomes a fad, is a good time for some solid reflection. All signs point to the severest winter that Utah ever had. Here in Salt Lake there will be more charity work on hand than ever before. Even now the situation is alarming. Our streets are filled with idle men with wistful faces, ready and anxious for work, but with no encouraging sign on any hand. Six hundred men, most of whom have families, are thrown out of work at Park City, with Tintic liable to follow suit if silver remains as it is. The best part of the year has flown with little or no railroad building, and walking on the water is easy compared with getting money out of the banks. The business of the city is being done virtually on a cash basis, and the people out of employment stand in absolute dread of the first cold breeze that strikes down the canyon, signalling that the pantry and are empty. The people who can the call-biafford the luxury of a vacation in the canyons and resorts are to be congratulated upon-theigood luck, yet still they should not be unmindful of their fellows who are not so fortunate, and are sweating blood over the gloomy outlook for the winter. In reading of the jolly, gay crowd up at Brighton, of how they enjoy the nightly music, dancing and camp fire, the thought occurs what great good could be accomplished if that delegation of our townsmen would unite while there sojourning and put on foot a systematic scheme to relieve our distressed this winter. The people of Salt Lake are a generous people as a whole. The only drawback being that in the past charitable work has been done by a few, which is more due to lack of system than to lack of a willingness of the masses. It is by far moro important that clothing, meat, coal, flour, sugar, coffee, etc., be distributed in abundance this winter than who is to be councilman from some precinct or mayor of the city. So, instead of checking up by blocks who will vote this ticket or that, what is the matter with checking up what this family and that will need to keep the wolf away? Will Orlando Powers and J. L. Rawlins please not vacate Brighton until they are ready to divulge a carefully-plannecampaign against hunger and want, to be submitted and adopted g n r d this connection let those who busy themselves most in this good work receive proper recognition when the primaries are held in November, and, later on, when the plums are distributed. Speaking of charity, a little delicacy can be shown in this work, which should not be lost sight of. It may be truthfully said that most suffering and distress exists among the middle classes, that is, those who have seen better days in business and professional life, who are unaccustomed and unfitted for hard labor, yet have not sufficient funds or influence to follow their adopted pursuit and earn a living. Better times alone can pull them out of the mire, yet many of this class would rather suffer the pangs of want and hunger than accept charities extended in a public manner. To meet this situation will tax ones ingenuity to some extent, yet it can be met. Grocery, dry goods, coal tickets etc., can be purchased of our dealers and issued to this class upon their giving a promisory note for same, bearing a moderate rate of interest. This plan would meet two problems. First, the borrower would be placed in the light of securing a loan, rather than being an object of charity; next, the assurance would be had that the beneficiary would receive nothing else than the of life, and a safeguard would thus be thrown around the possibility of any impositions being perpetrated, To extend aid to our unfortunate poor and then advertise the fact would be anything but charity, while to render needful assistance in such a way as not to wound the pride or feelings of auy one would be charity in all its purity a thing of beauty, a joy forever. to-da- y sub-stantia- ls . There is one patent fact quite noticeable when the names of the municipal citizens' reform combination is scanned over, i. e., scarcely any one of them could be nominated by any of the different parties for any office, and the remainder would not accept if nominated. So I find on one hand a conglomerate mass that represent nobody, and on the other insignificant few who are absolutely inert, and, in a political sense, dead to the Onlooker. world. A PLEA FOR THE PRISONERS. The following communication has been handed The Argus by one who has a plan to improve the condition of prisoners of the state and to better enable them to reform upon their release. It is given a place in The Arqus for the benefit of humanity in general : Help those who wish to help themselves ; in Within the other words, live and let live. 200 acres of land belonging to the Utah state prison there are many fine locations for a large brick-yarFor instance, immediately east of the prison can be found as good a location for a brickyard as one could wish. The inmates of the institution are anxious that some means be afforded that will enable them to have a little more money upon their release. They think that a brickyard would solve the problem, ss they claim to be able to put out enough brick to make it pay each one at least three cents a day. This would allow' each one $2.25 for the first year, and $10.95 a year from the end of the first year on. Men who are serving life sentences, and who have no money, would be able to buy many little things out of this sum, such as papers, writing materials, etc., and in case they were ever liberated, they would have a little money with which to Rtart out in life again. Or they could send their money home to, perhaps, a poor family. After a man has served three months in the Utah state prison, and is obedient to the rules, he is advanced to what is called the first grade ; after serving ninety days of good behavior his pay of three cents a day should begin. If a prisoner should misconduct himself so as to make it nec d. essary to reduce him from the first to the second or third grades, his pay of three cents a day should be stopped until he had made himself worthy to be advanced to the first grade again. This would cause each one to be more careful not to get reduced. Adjoining the east wall of the prison on the outside of the yard might be built a long stone shed. A number of men might be kept employed cutting stone in the shed all winter. This stone could be sold at a good price. In this way many inmates in the institution could be kept constantly employed at something that would pay both themselves and the state, as well. There are a great many more men in prison who desire to live better lives than the majority of people outside suppose. It is altogether wrong to think that just because a prisoner does not get down upon his knees and become converted, that he pays no attention to preaching and good advice. There are many of them who have sense enough to see and admit that their lives have been all wrong, and who really wish to live better. But the first thing he does when he gets out is to look down and see that he has only a $5 bill with which to board himself, pay for his bed and clothe himself, and pay for his washing, until he can find work which may take weeks, perhaps a couple of months. Can any one doubt that the His poor mans prospects are discouraging. meals for one week will cost him from $3.15 to $4.20 and a room to sleep in, $1 at the least. Where has his $5 gone? Reader, ask yourself what you would do under the circumstances, if you had no home or people to go to, not a friend to help you. What would you do? Men who are found within penitentiaries are not always men in the world, nor are the strongest-mindethey the last to yield to temptations ; and as soon as one gets free and find that every one is against him, and in spite of his determination to do right the people seem to be prejudiced against him and maintain erroneous ideas about his aim in life, he weakens, becomes disheartened and falls again. Nine men out of every ten in the Utah state penitentiary if liberated now and knew that they would, not be hounded around outside, but helped up instead of dragged down, would never show up behind prison bars again. Xo man will want to get into prison again after having been in once if he has sense at all. But if he stays out he has got to have help from people outside. Xo man in this world can raise without the assistance of some one. Show me one man set free who is allowed to hold his job as long as he behaves himself and works faithfully, and I will show you a dozen who are either or driven out of town, thrown into the lock-ufollowed around by a spotter and made to believe that he is the worst man living. I will admit that there are a few men in the Utah state prison who are looking for notoriety, who are constantly kicking about this and that, and talking about fighting. But there is not one of these men who could lick a postage stamp by himself, and, besides, they are all tramps from away back, who meal. t wouldnt saw a stick of wood for a down railroad would on tie a and sit rather They sing, Just tell them that vou saw me see the wood. But these men fell in the prison by mere accident (?) They dont belong there at all (?) for they are perfectly harmless (?) and thanks for a good warden, Warden Dow knows just what to do with such men fellows who would like to have some one put their food into their faces for them. After conversing with nearly every man in the institution without letting them know my aim, I find that at least 130 men out of over 150 actually wish to live differently when they are made free ; all they ask for is a chance to do so. Xow, what they want is something to do that will be really beneficial to them ; something that will give them a better start when they get out. Nearly every man in the prison has good health. Contagious diseases are nearly unknown. The prison is situated in the most healthy locality in that part of the country. There is nothing to prevent them from doing lots of work if a way be opened to them. If a man manifests a disposition to do right encour- age him. Do not underrate and condemn all of the men, but obliterate all prejudice and afford them opportunities to help themselves. I do not mean to say that this will abolish crime ; but I do say that at least a less number of natives of the state of Utah will be found in the Utah state and fewer of those who have been there Erison Samuel Bailey. d p fifty-cen- , -- |