time, concluding they did not know how to keep a prison, the legislature begged their guardian at Washington to take back his pretty present, as they found it somewhat expensive. They had not guests enough to make it profitable.

At first the cost to the United States of each prisoner, per diem, was $1 86, while the territory paid $2 03. Back under the management of Marshal Wheeler again, and the 1st of August, 1874, for the first year the cost was $1 66 a day for each prisoner, for the second year $1 45, and for the third year $1 36.

"The greatest misfortune to the prisoners," writes Marshal Wheeler to me the 23d of October, 1877, "is that they have no regular employment. The town being so small it does not find it profitable to hire prison labor, because the prisoners cannot go outside of the prison-yard, and there is no manufacturing done in the town. All work on the improvements done about the prison has been done by the prisoners, and only the material paid for by the government. The prisoners make all their own clothes, cook, saw wood, and do all that is done for the prison and themselves. They have a great deal of spare time, and would be glad to be employed. We have but few books, but get gratis many newspapers and magazines, which are eagerly read by the prisoners. All of them have improved in reading, writing, and the common branches."

For cleanliness, order, and health, the Montana prison, though small, was a model. Religious services were held on such Sundays as preaching could be secured. No severer punishment was administered than locking an offender in his cell, feeding him on bread and water, or if very refractory placing him in irons. During the first six years, out of eighty-three prisoners there were four escapes, and one recapture, leaving in fact three.

The United States marshal was ex-officio superin

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tendent, with a salary of $1,200 a year, and having for his assistants four guards of his own appointing and removing, one of whom was called deputy superintendent, and acted as chief in the absence of the marshal. The salaries of the assistants were $1,000 a year each; the physician was paid by fees. All expenses were paid monthly on vouchers mailed to the attorney-general with an explanatory letter.

Alaska has had few prison facilities to speak of. Under the Russian régime, malefactors were confined at the forts. For a time after American occupation the only civil rule was the local municipal government of Sitka, and that was maintained without authority of law.

Under an act of congress in 1853, A. W. Babbitt, then secretary of the territory, was authorized to expend $20,000 in building a penitentiary for Utah. The building was placed in what was then known as the Big Field Survey, made under the provisional laws of the state of Deseret. The building was completed in 1854; Daniel Caru was elected warden, and Wilford Woodruff, Albert P. Rockwood, and Samuel R. Richards inspectors.

There was in prison an average of nine prisoners for some time, many coming and going, and but few serving out their term. These new villains cost the new territory about five thousand dollars a year. They could have been hanged immediately after conviction for less money. As the years went by, and the general government failing in its appropriations, the buildings became somewhat dilapidated, and there were several escapes.

Prior to July, 1875, Arizona had no prison. The judge in sentencing criminals named some county jail as their place of confinement, and of such prisoners the sheriffs of the respective counties had charge. No state convict up to this time had ever served his full term, but always escaped. In 1875 the legislature passed a law locating the prison at Yuma, and

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appropriating $25,000 for building purposes. victs were kept in the Yuma jail up to July 1876, when they were removed to the prison then ready. There were then seven only, and during the next six months three more were added, making ten prisoners in the Arizona penitentiary on the 1st of January

1877.

CHAPTER XIX.

SOME INDIAN EPISODES.

Believe me, it is not necessary to a man's respectability that he should commit a murder. Many a man has passed through life most respectably, without attempting any species of homicide. A man came to me as the candidate for the place of my servant, just then vacant. He had the reputation of having dabbled a little in our art, some said, not without merit. What startled me, however, was, that he supposed this art to be part of the regular duties in my service. Now that was a thing I would not allow. So I said at once, if once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing'; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination. Once begin upon this downward path you never know where you are to stop. Many a man has dated his ruin from some murder or other that perhaps he thought little of at the time.

-De Quincey.

THE natives of California were quick to learn the purchasing power of gold, but they did not thereby become greedy of it like their white brethren. When they wanted a sack of flour, or a few pounds of tobacco, or a bottle of brandy, some of them went to the river and washed out the gold necessary for their purchases. They were badly cheated at first, having no knowledge of the value white men put upon the metal, and they would as readily give a handful of it as a smaller quantity, if they had it, for whatever struck their fancy, something to eat, or to drink, a gaudy handkerchief, or a garment.

Time and intercourse with the more cunning race sharpened their wits a little. Then they adopted a method of their own in making purchases, In parties of five or ten they would first stroll through the store, carefully observe several articles, and settle in their own mind what they would buy, but saying nothing to the shop-keeper. Then they would retire to a little

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distance, and seating themselves in a circle on the ground gravely discuss matters. One after another they then went to the store and made their purchases, returning afterward to their place in the circle. And their method of barter was frequently in this wise: Upon a leaf, or piece of paper, one would pour out perhaps a teaspoonful of gold-dust, and taking it to the shopkeeper, point to the article desired and ejaculate, ugh! which being interpreted meant, "I will give you this for that. If the shopkeeper took it, well; if he refused it the Indian would withdraw, increase the pile of dust, and return, repeating the operation until the amount was large enough to procure the article. Again, if it was biscuits they desired, of which a teaspoonful of dust in the days of '48, would buy but half a dozen, and they wanted several dozen, they would go and come, never at any one time bringing more than the first measure of dust, receiving six each time until they had secured all they required, or until their dust was gone.

The Mexican serape was quite becoming to the California root digger, and took his fancy wonderfully. In the absence of a serape, however, an American blanket would do, and for this, of a quality worth $4 or $5, they cheerfully paid Weber, the Coloma shopkeeper, $100. Before the end of 1848 thousands of savages, who up to that had lived on roots and acorns, and had paraded the forests as naked as Adam in the garden, were arrayed in gorgeous apparel costing $500, conspicuous in which was gaudy calico, red handkerchiefs, hat, shirt, pantaloons, and blanket or serape. For food, in place of acorns and mashed grasshoppers, they purchased almonds and raisins at $16 a pound; and for a bottle of whiskey they paid $16.

While the Reverend Mr Colton was playing miner on the Stanislaus, in the autumn of 1848, there came to his camp three wild men, attracted thither by a red belt which each of them wanted; so they first bought it and then gambled to see which should have