If half of the net income was applied every year to provide for working the convicts on State account, that could be accomplished in a few years, without any drain upon the State treasury, and would provide the State with a penitentiary system such as there should be, and as its founders intended place where an honest effort is made to assist the fallen to rise again and become useful, if humble, members of society.

a

In Alabama we have the lease system at its best, but it is a vicious one. By engaging in it the State admits its inability to deal with those who violate the laws. No idea of improvement or reform enters into it. The object of the contractor is to make money. He can have no other. The business is unpleasant and only profit can reconcile one to engage in it. Do not be too hard on the contractor. Were we in his place we would do like him. Can he be expected to undertake the reformation of convicts when the State shrinks from the task? There is no obligation on him to do it. "It is not so nominated in the bond." But can the children of a man who employs another to enforce discipline in his family be expected to make good men and women? Neither can the violators of the law be improved when the State gives up to a contractor the administration of her penal laws. It is useless to repeat here the innumerable objections that have been urged against it. Let us hope that its days are numbered.

COUNTY CONVICTS.

It would require to much space to attempt an account here of the county convict system. It is fully described in the reports of the inspectors, from 1884 to 1890. It is not so good

and also labor in building Wetumpka branch road. The gross expenses do not embrace many items paid from the general fund, but not charged to penitentiary.

The gross receipts embrace the estimated value of further labor in payment of the State farm, in building the branch railroad and in improvements at the walls; while the gross expense do not include many items paid from general fund, but not charged against penitentiary.

§ The gross receipts embrace the estimated value of further labor in payment of State farm and improvements at walls, etc., while the gross expenses do not include many items paid from general fund, though not charged against penitentiary.

The gross receipts embrace estimated improvements, while expenses do not include some items paid from general fund.

The gross receipts are actual earnings. The expenses include everything except court costs.

as the State system, and its only object is to make money to keep up the fine and forfeiture in the several counties.

Suffice it to say here that it possesses all the evils and but few of the advantages of the State system.

PART EIGHTH.

THE COUNTIES OF ALABAMA-DESCRIPTION AND STATISTICS OF.*

AUTAUGA COUNTY.

Established by act of Alabama Territorial Legislature, November 21, 1818. Territory taken from Montgomery county. Name, Indian; derived from large creek, Autauga, that flows through the centre of the county, and said to mean "land of plenty." Lies in the centre of the State, and borders on the Alabama river. Surface, undulating. Area, square miles, 660. Acres, improved, 69,717; unimproved, 300,167; total, 369,884. Population, white, 4,722; colored, 8,487; all others, 121; total, 13,330. County seat, Prattville; population, 724. Other principal towns, Autaugaville, Kingston and Mulberry. Assessed value of property 1891, real, $979,260.00; personal, $964,193.00. Rate of tax, for all purposes, on property, 7 mills. County debt, none. Railroads, completed, East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia (Alabama division), 7.24 miles main track; Louisville & Nashville (South & North Alabama division), 7.98 miles main track; uncompleted, Montgomery, Tuskaloosa & Memphis. Telegraph, 15.22 miles of poles. Newspaper, Progress, weekly, Prattville. Church and school facilities, good. Climate and health, excellent. Manufactories, Pratt gin works and Prattville mills, at Prattville; Autaugaville factory, Planters' factory and Lehman mills.

• There are sixty-six counties in the State, for an alphabetical table of which, see page 100, ante.

† All the population statistics in this book are from the census of 1890.

Lands, light, with clay subsoil; river and creek bottoms very fertile; price, $1.50 to $15.00 per acre; well watered and timbered; unappropriated government lands in county, 640 acres. Chief products, yellow pine timber, cotton, corn, oats and potatoes. Productions in 1889 *— cotton, acres in 34,858; bales, 10,431; value, $499,575; corn, acres in, 19,463; bushels, 216,082; oats, acres in, 1,989; bushels, 20,933. Water powers, numerous and valuable.

BALDWIN COUNTY.

Established by act of Mississippi Territorial Legislature, December 21, 1809. Original territory taken from Washington county, but since added to. Named in honor of Abraham Baldwin, the Georgia statesman. Lies in the southwestern part of the State, on Mobile Bay. Area, 1,620 square miles; woodland, all, except coast marshes; rolling pine lands, 900 square miles; pine flats, 720 square miles. Acres, improved, 40,763; unimproved, 772,882; total, 813,645. Population, white, 5,655; colored, 3,306; total, 8,941. County seat, Daphne; population, 549. Assessed value of property in 1891, real, $1,096,587.00; personal, $1,177,823.00; total, $2,274,410.00. Rate of tax in 1891, for all purposes, 5 mills. Debt in 1890, none. Railroads, Louisville & Nashville (Mobile & Montgomery division), 30 miles, main track. Telegraph, 60 miles of poles. Newspaper, Times, weekly, Daphne. Climate and health, excellent. Soils, sandy and unproductive in parts, in others, fertile. County well watered and timbered. Price of lands, $1.00 to $5.00 per acre. Unappropriated government land in county, 72,800 acres. Chief products, timber, cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, turpentine and wood. Products in 1889 --cotton, acres in, 1,487; bales, 663; value, $31,540.00; corn, acres in, 2,679; bushels, 49,147; oats, acres in, 114; bushels, 1,460.

From census of 1890

↑ From census of 1890.

BARBOUR COUNTY.

per cent.

Established by act approved December 18, 1832. Territory taken from Pike county and Creek cession. Named in honor of James Barbour, Governor of Virginia. Lies in southeast Alabama. Area, 888 square miles; oak and hickory uplands, with long leaf pine, 638 square miles; blue marl lands, 250 square miles; woodland, all. Acres, improved, 299,057; unimproved, 261,302; total, 560,359. Population, whites, 13,321; colored, 21,576; all others, 1; total, 34,898. County seat, Clayton, population, 997; Eufaula, population; 4,394. Assessed value of property in 1891, real, $2,582,980.00; personal, 82,454,885.00; total, $5,037,865.00. Rate of tax in 1891 for all purposes Debt in 1890, $87,000.00. Railroads, miles main track, Eufaula & East Alabama, 46.80; Montgomery & Eufaula, 20.39; Southwestern, .80. Telegraph, 71.20 miles of poles. Newspapers, 3.* Banks, 3; capital, $259,000.00.† Church and school facilities, health and climate excellent. Lands, $2.50 to $20.00 an acre. County well watered and timbered. Unappropriated government land in county, 480 acres. Surface undulating. Soil generally fertile. Chief products-cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, pork, molasses, and live stock. Products in 1889 - cotton, acres, 104,738; bales, 33,440; value, $1,565,281.00; corn, acres, 64,826; bushels, 593,348; oats, acres, 8,654; bushels, 59,976.

BIBB COUNTY.

Established by act February 28, 1818, by name of "Cahaba." Name changed to " Bibb," in honor of William W. Bibb, first Governor of Alabama, by act of December 4, 1820. Lies near the centre of the State. Area, 625 square miles; hilly lands, with long leaf pine, 325 square miles; Cahaba coal field, 125 square miles; Roup's valley, 100 square miles; valley lands

For the names of these newspapers and where published, see Appendix. + For the names of these banks and where located, see Appendix. From census of 1890.