Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1859-12-05
The WOW PenitentiarY.

this city from the belief, at that time that Their
was room for il TO grow, abundant msterial
for its improvement, natural advantages and
surrounding country sufficient to support IL
and intelligence enough, if properly directed
to cause il TO become one Of the most beautiful
dourishing and enterprising cities Of the West
with facilities for manufacturing aud inland
trade possessed by but few places in the
country. In these views, am pleased TO say
/ have not been disappointed. In few years
the population has increased four fold, and is
still rapidly increasing, as evidenced by stats,
tical information. The very large increase Of
children, Of The ages taken into our public
schools, over former years, and the necessity Of
enlarging the school buildings, that have been
for years pointed to with pride, as ornaments
to our city, are evidences Of our prosperity
In looking around me sometimes feel "od
foRyish, probably because cannot keep up
with the new tangled and tangled isms" Of
the day. But as an old racer, when about the
track, prick up my ears when l hear of pro
gress and improvement, feeling that although
may be somewhat spawned and out of order,
would like to take my place If 10 condition.
Now, sir, do not consider the new Peniter-
tary Of vital Importance to us, because we can
live and improve without it. But do contend
that it would add from Ave to ten thousand
persons to our population, and urge its location
here, for the following among many other rea.
sons that might be named
lst. We have the most central location for
the Western aud South Western portion Of the
State.
I'd. Our city has more avenues Of travel to
and from it than any other city 10 the State.
Sd. We have railroad and canal facilities for
travel and transportation superior to any other
place that can be named.
4th. We have more of the varieties of raw
material, at home, and easy Of access, for
building and manufacturing than can be pros
cured else where.
5th We have the most fertile country aurS
rounding US to supply it with provisions and
other necessaries.
The above may be considered as advantages
to the state in selecting this as its location.
To the city the following and many other
advantages might qe named:
lst The buildings would require probably
five times as much labor to construct them as
our court house That labor would be distrib,
uted among our own citizens.
Cd. Wardens, Guards, Contractors, Superina
tendents, FOremen, and little army of men
are employed to keep the institution in order
and its machinery properly regulated. Those
persons, numbering from one to two hundred,
would be permanent residents.
Sd. Those one TO two hundred persons would
require residences for their families, with food,
clothing, and all other articles required by fam
iles-to be supplied by our stores, mechanics,
and other tradesmen.
a Contractors in the Penitentiary require
frequently manufacturing establishments out.
side, to prepare materials for manufacturing
inside, and finishing those that are manuiac.
tured, as is the case at Columbus.
s. The raw material required would keel,
large force constantly employed to supply it.
9th. The manufactured articles are generally
taken to large stores and sold at wholesale.
For this purpose large buildings have TO be pre-
pared in the city, and it is safe to estimate that
our Wholesale business would be quadrupled in
a few years from this and other causes that
have increased it so rapidly.
7th. Hundreds of persons would visit our
city, stop at our hotels, and generally patrons
ze, more or less, the merchants, mechanics, or
other business men of the city.
The above reasons satisfy me that we have
Iha hapt NJ ha # Al
would give employment to large
'orce Of mechanics and laborers-that a large
accession would be made to our population, rer
Iuiriug additional buildings--that our mer-
chants would find increased usiness-that our
professional men, mechanics and laborers would
meet with increased omplOyment-that our
,ountry friends would have an enlarged demand |
or the products of their farms and gardens, |
md that our present oVeihowing schools would |
rave a very large accession of scholars. Il |
ii keto see large number of children at school
proportionate number Of parents are always in |
he neighborhood. The necessity Of building
such large additions to our school houses at
present is a sure indication that our population |
s rapidly increasingly
have also endeavored to fDd reasonable |
objections, but they do not come to my mind
some persons imagine that as we increase in
population the morals of the rising generation
,ecome more corrupt. do not propose to arN
,ue this question, but can safely state that the
emples erected and erecting in this city, to the
Worship of Supreme Being evince desire to
provide for our spiritual welfare, aud that the
pastors are devoted to the cause.
Others imagine that convict labor would
ome in competition with mechanical labor
believe this to be delusion. The Peniten.
iary is in fact large manufactOry where
'ariety Of articles are prepared for sale. It's
influence is very much the same as other manu-.
acturing establishments the mann factured
,oods cased, bundled or bsled up, and sold at
wholesale by the manufacturers, who send them
where they may be required. Clothing, boots,
hoes, MISUNDERSTANDING, and a variety Of
Dther articles, manufactured in PenitentiRries,
ire kept and sold in this city l frequently
notice articles for sale here that were made in
he Penitentiary at Nashville, Tenn. Some Of
ur stores abound with articles manufactured
n the Peniten tiary at Columbus. Those arti
les come into competition with our mechanics
he same as il they were manufactured within
he limits Of the city.
In conclusion, Mr. Editor, although not
Young America" Am in favor Of progress;
although neither mechanic nor laborer, l can,