Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/427

 of a

free citizen,  living  on  a  rancho  or  in  the  pueblo ;  others were restricted  to  certain  districts,  or  confined  within boundaries ; while  yet  others  were  doomed  to  shackles and hard  labor  under  supervision  of  the  garrison. In those  days  it  was  small  pain  to  be  a  great  villain, though woeful  to  sin  lightly.

Among the  gold  hunters,  the  ships  that  brought them out  were  sometimes  turned  into  jails  and  peni- tentiaries under the  name  of  prison  brigs. San Fran- cisco boasted one  of  these,  as  likewifse  did  Sacramento. The EtcpJiemia,  as  the  prison  brig  of  San  Francisco was called,  was  purchased  about  the  first  of  August, 1849, with  the  first  money  appropriated  by  the  town council, elected  by  order  of  General  Riley. This was the  first  regularly  appointed  place  of  confinement where rogues  and  convicts  were  kept  in  custody.

When the  old  Euphemia  proved  inadequate  to  the rapidly increasing  demand  for  prison  facilities,  other hulks were  added  to  the  prison  service;  and  thus matters stood  when  in  April,  1851,  an  act  was  passed by the  legislature  appointing  a  board  of  inspectors and giving  James  M.  Estill,  with  whom  was  associated ]\1. G.  Vallejo,  a  contract  for  the  control  of  the  state prison, prisoners,  and  hulks  for  a  term  of  ten  j'ears.

The time  was  one  of  dear  labor  and  eccentric  en- terprise ; and  it  was  thought  to  be  a  grand  thing  if the  institution  could  be  made  self-supporting,  and the prisoners  be  obliged  to  work  for  their  bread. In this way  the  state  would  be  relieved  from  the  expense of guarding  and  maintaining  its  felons. But the government soon  saw  that  it  had  connnitted  a  most eorregrious error. The abuses  were  manifold  and  fla- grant. Public weal  was  soon  dropped  out  of  the management, and  immediate  pecuniary  profit  became the dominant  purpose. Such of  the  prisoners  as  it was  found  profitable  to  keep  at  work,  were  kept  at hard  labor  from  daylight  till  dark,  Sundays  and  other days, chopping  wood,  niaking  brick,  or  performing contracts in  which  such  kind  of  servitude  was  found