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J'ttje prison mirror. Edited and Published by the Inmates Bntered at the Post Office at Stillwater, Minn., sa Second Class Mail Matter. Subscription Rates. THE PRISON MIRROR is issued every Thurs day morning at the following rates: One Tear SI.OO Six Months 60 Three Months 25 Single Copies 5 Subscriptions must be paid invariably in ad vance. Advertising rates given upon application. Address, EDITOR PRISON MIRROR, Stillwater, Minn. TO THE PUBLIC. THE PRISON MIRROR is a weekly paper pub lished in the Minnesota state prison. All matter published in its columns is contributed by the inmates, except that properly credited. Its sup port must come from the outside as every inmate Is given a paper without cost. It is published in the interest of the prison library and after paying for the printing outfit, contributed $l5O to the library fund the first year. Its objects are to en courage individual intellectual effort, provide a healthy journal for the inmates of this and other prisons, and, above all. to acquaint the outside world with the needs of the prison by reflecting its inner life and thus aid the cause of moral ad vancement and prison reform. Women choose death to dishonor, but man chews tobacco. When a man declares himself out of poli tics we suppose he means that his political stock is played out. Men rush into prison through a “breach” of the law, but are always glad of a chance to crawl out through a “loophole.” The editor of one of the comic papers is said to have such an acute sense of humor that he can telephone a story miles away. We take pleasure in placing upon our ex change list another daily paper—the Little Falls Daily Transcript. It is an ideal daily for a small city and one that is likely to stay. A man ceases to bejpither useful or orna mental in any capacity whenever he be comes convinced that the wheels of prog ress would stop were he to let go of the crank. “A St. Louis woman recently sold her landlady’s bed clothing,” says the Arkan saw Traveler, ‘’and purchased whisky with the proceeds. She probably tired of the river water.” Not at all, friend Traveler, she wanted something to wash it down. There are lots of the lovers of the Na tional game sojourning with us, and we do not intend to let them pine for knowledge of the standings of the clubs of the several leagues. After this week The Mirror will devote a little corner to the relative standing of the baseball clubs. It is becoming the fashion for million aires when they get sick to propitiate the god of health by giving to some worthy institution a few thousands of dollars. W.e don’t wish the nabobs any bad luck, but we do wish that some one of them would get sick enough to give us about three hundred dollars with which to buy a printing press and some new type. Don’t all get sick at once! The Northwest Magazine for April is as beautiful as it is interesting, and there is no other publication so truly in throb with the great, vigorous, pulsating West. Editor E. Y. Smally makes but brief mention of his recent narrow escape from death by drowning in the Yakima river, Wash. Men are often saved by taking Time by the forelock, but he was saved by grasping a horse by the forelock. A newspaper gives a partial account of the life of a noted criminal who is soon to be released from prison. He is described as one ot the most expert crooks in the country; yet it is stated that of the forty years he has been in the business he has not enjoyed two years of continuous liberty. We cannot see wherein his expertness lies, unless it be in his lightning changes from one prison to another. The grain bag industry in California state prison and the binding twine industry in the Minnesota state prison are conducted with the same end in view, that of accom modating grain growers; and they seem to be beset by like difficulties, one ot which is the prices to be fixed upon the goods. If the state asks the market price, then the farmers refuse to buy of the state; if the state proposes to sell at cost of production, there is a dispute as to what the actual cost is, and those taxpayers who do not have use in their business for the prison products kick on paying for the grain growers’ bags and binding twine. Governor Merriam of Minnesota, though president of the leading bank m St. Paul, is not too much interested in finances to give his attention to the needs of the prison system in his state. By a remarkable series of incidents, he was led to believe that the parole system was the proper thing for the prisons of Minnesota; and, having the power to put his theory into practical oper ation, he ordered the change. Thus, the cause of prison reform is advanced another step on the ladder to universal adoption. It now remains for the prisoner, by right liv ing on parole, to piove the soundness of the Governor’s action. —The Summary, Elmira Reformatory. Horace Mann once said at the dedication of a reform school that if one boy was saved the large outlay of money for the buildings would be justified. When some one asked him if he really meant that it paid to spend so much money for one boy ho replied: “Yes, if he were my boy.” Many men are answering that question in that way and by bringing it home to themselves are broader in their charity and more just in their deal ings with the homeless youth of the great cities who are drifting, capable of being piloted into a safe harbor or go to wreck and ruin on the dangerous coasts of vice. But many more people who are more selfish are compelled to note the dangers to all youth and help to erect lighthouses, danger signals and harbors of refuge.—Selected. There was a dog tight at Anoka Sunday; a sheriff’s posse swooped down on the crowd of sports; the sports started to run away; the posse discharged their blunder busses, muskets and pepper boxes; one man was shot; Tuesday his leg was taken off and he died. Now that it is found that the shooting was criminal, that they had no right to shoot, there cannot be one member of the posse found willing to claim the honor of having killed the old sport; in fact there is not one of the party who will ac knowledge to having fired a shot. Every community has its men who are always ready to distinguish themselves by killing their man—under protection of the law — and it is usually of this class that sheriffs’ posse are composed. Nine out of ten of them are arrant cowards, and when the moment of action comes they lose their wits and begin an indiscriminate firing, often, as in this instance, without cause. The sher iff could have gone alone and unarmed and captured the whole gang of sports. Wherever our old warriors meet there is good fellowship and a jolly time. We find in a New Mexico paper that the Grand Army had a camp fire at Las Yegas, and we also see that our old friend, Captain Jack Craw ford, was the life and the soul of the occa sion. He talked for them, laughed and wept with them and recited original poems for them. Here is the portion of one that never saw print before until the stenographer captured It: We never found a chicken that could roost out of our reach; We seldom had a chaplain that could find time to preach; We never saw a soldier pass a shirt hung out to bleach. While we were marching through Georgia. How we used to toil along, right through the swamps and bogs; And how the ladies blushed at our-dilapidated togs; And how we showed our bravery assassinating hogs, While we were marching through Georgia. While charging on Borne earthworks, some battery to take, I have seen some fearful charges that caused the earth to quake; But they were nothing to the charges sutlers used to make, While we were marching through Georgia. Anarchism makes rags of goocNirder, but rags make anarchists. The ragged children of poverty stricken homes are in nearly every instance little anarchists in spirit. Whenever they come in contact with the well fed, well-clothed children of well-to do people the spirit of envy stirs in their little bosoms. They cannot understand why others should have so much while they have so little. They realize that they are not responsible for the difference. The well fed and well-dressed children resent their friendly advances, and spurn them at all times and in all places. No one who has not been one of them knows the many heartaches the children of poverty are made to suffer because of their rags. Wherever they go, whether in church, school or on the street, they are ignored or pushed aside for the sake of finely clad children. If they are noticed at all it is in such a patronizing way that, degraded though they may be, they receive it with a sense of shame. Sometime ago the good people of one of the large cities made a banquet for poor children, then they brought their own well pampered children to see the little famished animals devour the food. Grand object lesson in philanthropy! It must have been taken for granted that those poor children were devoid of all pride and self-respect, otherwise the thing was devised by persons of shallow brains or cruel instincts. The poor children were perhaps at the time too well pleased with the opportunity to satisfy their starved appetites, to cavil at the con ditions, but the time of thinking will come some day, then the cheeks will flush, the heart swell and that inner voice curse. Can any student of human nature doubt what effect this kind of treatment has upon the children of poverty? We think they will say it is from these that the armies of anarchy and crime are recruited. Poverty is not a crime, but it is nearly one when clothed in rags. “The companies have more places for good men than there are men to fill them.” The quoted sentence is from a letter written to railway employes by James J. Hill, president of the Great Northern railroad. It is a verification of the oft quoted adage, “There is always room at the top.” The services of an efficient worker is rarely out of demand. Business men can always make room in their business for persons whose services are valuable. We heard the other day of a good position offering itself to any competent applicant. There are scores of persons in the community who claim to make the required work their profession yet out of something like a dozen applicants examined not one was able to qualify. They simply did not know their own busi ness —the profession out of which they ex pect to make a living. We heard of another late instance of a man who de manded that his salary be raised to corre spond with the value of his services. His employer refused. He quit. But his value was known and in a few days another firm had him employed at $35 a week, $lO more than he had been getting. His old employer tried to fill his place, but at the end of a few months he declared himself a dunce for not having paid his efficient servant SSO a week rather than let him go. There is a profit to be made out of talented workmen, and business men are always ready to invest in whatever returns a good profit. We quote a little more from Mr. Hill’s letter which applies in other callings besides rail roading. He says: “The ordinary routine man, who believes he has done his whole duty by sitting on a chair during office hours, cannot expect, and does not deserve, promotion. While on the other hand, I think, every company is glad to recognize every effort in advancing the company’s welfare on the part of every member of its staff.” Mr. Hill is a competent authority, for he is one of the greatest employers in the Northwest. The employe who is afraid to do any more for his employer than the safety of his position demands is never pro moted, never gets a raise of salary and is seldom kept any longer than it takes to find a more competent person to fill his place. If one wishes to get to the front he must “get a move on himself,” for these are the times of electricity and steam engines. A bar of iron worth $5, worked into horseshoes, is worth $10; made into needles is worth $350; made into penknife blades it is worth $3,285; made into balance springs of watches it is worth $250,000. —S. I). Mail. NEWS OF A WEEK. April 13. United States troops force the Wyoming cattle* men to surrender. President Harrison’s administration is endorsed by Vermont Republicans. The well known St. Paul merchant Henry Ha bighorst dies in California. An appropriation for the G. A. R. encampment is opposed by the Democrats. Senator C. R. Davis of St. Peter announces him self a candidate for congress. Inspector Thomas Byrnes is appointed superin tendent of police of New York. He was appointed a policeman in 1863. April 14 The Michigan Republican state convention de clares for Alger for president. A hitch occurs in the building of the Democratic convention wigwam in Chicago. Great Britain makes a proposition to the United States for an international silver conference. In an interview in New York Gov. Merriam de clares he is not a candidate for the federal sen ate. An English syndicate headed by Lord Brooke is buying up mines in Mexico, and it is said will in vest $60,000,000. The United States pays Italy $25,000 in settle ment of the New Orleans lynching, and diplo matic relations between the countries are re- stored. April 15. The postoffice appropriation bill carries about eighty million dollars. A wild rush ensues on the opening of the Sisse ton reservation, and some fights occur. The St. Paul Independents nominate a ticket headed by Col. F. P. Wright for mayor. The British army is reported to be In so bad a condition that not more than half of it is service able. An epidemic of black smallpox is raging in Po land, especially on the Galician frontier. The disease is very fatal. Bulgaria, it is said, is expected soon to declare her independence of Turkey. This, it is believed, will cause a European war. April 16. It is believed that Alger will soon announce his withdrawal as a presidential candidate. The Western league’s base ball season opens. Both the St. Paul abd Minneapolis clubs are de feated. The Massachusetts house has passed the bill fix ing ten hours as a day's work for railroad em ployes. Samuel Jackson, the most famous pyrotechnist of the country, and the inventor of the present form of railroad danger signals, dies of heart fail ure at his home in Philadelphia. He was seventy years old. Capt. Aird, the retired commodore of the Allan line of steamships, after having crossed the At lantic in safety more than five hundred times, was drowned while crossing a swelling stream near Cowansville, Que. April 17, Representative Lind assures bis friends that he will not be a candidate for governor. Baron Fava, the Italian minister, is ordered back to Washington by his government. The civil war in Venezuela may involve the United States in a controversy with Great Britain. Stockholm posseses above 8,000 telephones, or about one telephone to every thirty-two persons. Denmark contemplates discontinuing the works of fortifications, thereby gaining an additional area for building purposes, estimated at 50,000,000 crowns. The results of to-day’s base ball games were as follows: Omaha 5, St. Paul 6; Kansas City 4, Min neapolis 13; Columbus 2, Toledo 0; St. Louis 1, Cincinnati 1; Stillwater 8, Black Caps (Minneap olis) 9. April 18, The St. Paul Republican and Democratic city conventions are called for Thursday next. The house deals a blow at Northwestern settlers by defeating the bill to adjust swamp land grants. Ex-Senator William M. Evarts has not been able to read for a year, and his physicians say that in time he will be totally blind. Mr. Young, who the senate legislated out of office, writes to Vice-President Morton asking for a cbance to clear himself of the charges against him. The senate tables the letter. John F. Meagher of Minnesota, and Mark W. Sheafe of South Dakota, prominent Democrats, are in Washington conferring with Democratic leaders relative to the proposed fusion with the Alliance in the states named. April 19, A fire at Kenosha, Wis., destroys $400,000 worth of property. Both the Republican and Democratic primaries meet at St. Paul to-night. On an indirect test the senate votes in favor of silver—2B to 24. Hill votes for silver. Frederick Martin von Bodenstedt, the well known German poet, dies at Wiesbeden. The heaviest earthquake experienced in Cali fornia since 1868 occurred early this morning. The anti-lottery Democrats carry Louisiana, Foster being elected governor by 10,000 plurality. Tobacco on which full duty has not been paid is seized in Chicago, and seizures are expected in Minneapolis and other cities. Base ball score: Columbus 2, Milwaukee 3p Toledo 5, Indianapolis 1. Kansas City-St. Paul game postponed on account of rain.