The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-01-08
regret, for one moment tho money expend.


tenance and support refer you to the re-
ports OF the heads f these various instItu-
tons with much satisfaction.
PrNIrENTIAHT.
The legislature, at its last session, nPPro
priatcd 81. 900 towards the cStahiiShineht
of new penifentlary-the raPid increase
Of criminals during the last lew years nav
;np unite outstrpped the capacit, OF the one
| already in existence for their comfortable
accommodation The commissioners chosen
by the legislature to super.ntend the loca-
ton and construction Of the necessary build
ings, immediately set about the work, and
| to Inc 10 have prosecuted it with economy
and energy. After careful consideration Of
the relative advantages Of the various places
| suggested rs sites for the proposed institu-
/ iion, the commissioners fixed upon DO let, as,
| under all the circumstances, the most Suita-
! bile location. Adjoining that city they pur-
| chased seventy two acres oil land, at the
| price o! S7,2iJ; and | take pleasure IN eS-
| pressing my eutIre satisfaction with the Sc
! lection Of the SITE as well as with tine pur-
chase OF what may seem nj first AS rather 4
large piece Of ground for the effect contem-
plated. II will soon be apparent, indeed al
ready is so, that the quantity is mono too
large, Should it turn out othorwi,a, and be
at any time desirable 10 part with portion
oi 1t, We shall lind no difficulty in selling it
at a great advance on the original cost. Bat
| appreb nd that we shall never be wi'lin <
TO dispose Of any part Of it-so obvious will
its convenience and necessity Income.
! The plan "f TIE prison was adopted vi der
| the advice OF competent architects, after a
careful personal Inspection, 10y the commits
sionerS, Of several of the most excellent in
situations of the kind in the United States.
Its design is most misunderstanding moth
! ing to be desired which human hands and
human ingenuity can accomplish. hazard
! nothing III saying that these buildings, when
carried out to completion, will surpaSS in eX-
ccicnce anything of the kind in the United
| States. Permanently AMI Snliditv have been
! especially regardcd--the commiS>i ners very
properly dccming that it would be neither
economical nor credItahe to the State to
! construct buildings, which can ntver bc dis
! penSed with. III any other than the most dur
| able and substantial manner, The prison
| is calculated, when finished to accommodate
! suitably eleven hundred convicts-aS large
a number, it is To he hoped, as our State viii
be called upon 10 provide for Tor many gen
cratiOu-.
About 500, 900 have been expended thus
far upon the buildings, walls, &r- ami they
u
one hundred and ninety-,wo prisoners, all
/ taken from the over crowded peniten'iary AT
Alton. Ii is estimated that abou, four years
aud further expenditure of abou, $45U, coo,
will be required to finish the work. This
SUN, togetlcr with what has already been
expended that appropriated by The general
assembly, and portion of it received from
! the sale OF the old penitcntiary at Alton
will amount to rbnut $4,000 This is
t probably about as fair all estimate OF the az
| .rc.ate cost of the work can now be made.
| And, large as is the sum, it is yet but tri-
He, impaired with the advantages Il having
a penitent!ary so noble and SO lasting, aud
and in every respec. SO well calculated to
answer the purposes OF such an instiiu-
| ton,
OF prisoners there are at the present time
| four hundred and forty nine in the pcniten-
tiary at Alton; and, as already stated, one
hundred and nInctytwo in that at Joliet
Others will be taken from Alton 10 Joliet as
fast as the progress ofthe work at the latter
place viii admit of other convicts being re
crivcd. Bat it is probable that the entire
NUN her can not thus be transferred before
July 1860
Tins far am entirely satisfied with what
the commissioners have done in the matter
the State peculiarly fortunate in havidg com
mittcd this important work 20 hands SO COM
potent and so faithful.
\ very disastrous fire occurred in the
ward Of the prlSoa at Alton 'aat summer,
which consumed several buildings used "a
work shops, hospital. klche", sleeping
rooms. &c, and threatened AT tie tune, TO
seriously crnharra>s the warden 81 the pen
itcntiary. ard render The condition OF the
conviciS most uncomfortable, If not absout
~ distressing. BY the Emery OF the war
den, however. and his rrrmp;nesS IL repair
/ ing the i;,jurrd huiiiing>. and erecting
| some new ones the sad effects OF the trc
were soon obirtcrated, and the comfort OF
! the inmates of the prison not materially ill.,
! terfered with The warden of the peniten-
| tia,y Is entitled to much credit for his ener-
! Sy and perseverance in repairing the evils OF
this serious contiagration.
NORMAL. UNIVERSITY.
/ Thus far the success of the Normal Uni
v,rsfty, established by the Legislature at lis
! last session, has been such aS to fully just.
! f. its friends ana quite disarm its enemies
! if indeed. it may now be supposed to have
any. In selecting a site FOR the location Of
this institution. the board of education was
governed mainly by the premiums off red
by different towns as Inducements 10 its 10
cation at their respective PAGES. Blooming
! ton. having not only III ide the most liberal
propositions to the board, hut being IN it
/ SELF perhaps, not surpassed by any other
/ place IN advantages as a location for the uni
ver>iIy. was selected for that purpose. !
regard its choice as n every respect most
! fortunate, Easy OF access, healhful and
beautiful, it leaves nothing to be desired as
-. ,.-s,,
| this kind
The citizens Of Bloomington offered as in
duce mcnia to its location a, that point what
was regarded as equivalent, to l41.125. a
large part Of lhis consists of land, one hun
! to the city, has been reserved as the site for
! the builtiIngS-Whice the balance is being
sold off at fair prices, as purchasers present
bred and sixty acres Of which, lying adjacent
themselves.
The building was commenced in August,
1857; and when completed at IT'S estimated
cost of $50 ,0U0 will he the mo>t elegant, as
II as the largest and mos. convenient nor
rnal school b:I,ilug in the United States
/ 1t will probably not be comp eted before the
end of this year. The building, when com
4 pleted. il is cacu a.cd. Will accommodate
five hunlrep pupils. Everything, thus far,
gives promise of most successful career
on the part OF this institution.
When il is considered that the Object OF
this institution is to supply competen. and
qualified teachers for the common schools
oi our State. aud that It will have the ca
Iacity to turn out so large num''er annu-
/ ally, we can haI's'v estimate its ultimate ad-
vantaceS. Hitherto we have suffered srnsi-
( by, Tor want Of suitable and competent tea.
cheers. and for such as we have had we have
depended: mainly OIL other States Bat M.
have now eutered upon a system, which. if
carried cut energe;icaiiy as i, should he
without over anxiety about the comparative
Is trifing cost, will soon place US, in rsspcct
| To cGucatinn. III 4 prOuu nosiiinn annn. liz