heat,"
thought I. But they could not, and hence were called to experience a
severe foretaste of what lay before them in still colder weather.

But at length the hall boiler was set to work, bringing warmth and
gladness to the men. And how cheerful and thankful they appeared! It was
really a comfort to witness their relief, as I went about my labors.
This, however, was only for a few days, for a great drain was being made
upon the wood-pile, incurring too large a draft upon the prison gains to
be endured. The boiler was stopped, to be run no more for the winter,
dependence for heat here, in the future, to be had upon the steam, waste
or otherwise, from the shop boilers, and even that but sparingly.

The custom adopted was to let the steam into the hall pipes just before
the men were to enter from work, could it be spared from the cook room,
sometimes perhaps ten or fifteen minutes, and then turned off early in
the evening. That, of course, could do but little good, and hence a
really keen atmosphere would at times be felt in the hall, causing much
suffering there. How great the contrast to that of the office, which was
so warm that the occupants would be at work with coats off; or the
reception room, where I would perspire in labor upon my books, and enter
the hall to find it much like going directly out of doors. Twice I thus
took severe colds, after which I usually wore an overcoat to this
apartment during the severe weather.

When those keen nights came on, some of the men would beg of me most
pitiably for more bed-clothing, asserting that they were suffering
alive, it sometimes seeming as though they must perish. I could only
direct them to the warden or deputy for this. One said, "I have asked
the warden, who replied, 'You have more clothes on your bed now than you
ever had at home,' and passed on." This man had one of those
strainer-like spreads and another somewhat thicker, doing well enough
for early fall, but not a suitable protection in such weather. Another
said, "Suffering so with cold that sleep is out of the question, I
arise, dress, wrap about me what bedding I have, and walk my cell for
the night, in that way keeping as much as possible from suffering."

The first evening after hearing these earnest pleadings, I met the
steward and asked if he could not furnish these men with more clothing,
with the answer, "The fact is, these fellows are down on the warden and
determined to keep asking for something."