The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-01-20

/ ire
into the facts attending the nnresn
of the site for the Penitent;arv- 'e
To tho Senate Of North Carolina
/ The committee appointed under Sen..,
resolution, bearing date December 1sss
to inquire into the facts attending tie NO
chase OF site fora Penitertiary, w6nld
submit the following report: u
FOR the purpose of obtaining satisfactor
results, the committee deemed it exned;on!.
to make personal inspection of the site ana
iands purchased for the Penitentiarv Th;s
determination involved what. in rho on n.S
proved 10 be somewhat of an exnlor;n,r 49,
petition that required time and consideTsh1 e
effort to find and reach this nartiaiiv my
known region.
The site I" in the vicinity of I,ockv;,lo
was first visited This contains 81 acres '' nn
Deep River above LockvilIe between the
Loch'li'e and the Rlves' dam. 1t is a square
plat OF ground, fronting on the river at an
average distance of 100 feet from the water
The ground rises rapidly from the river until
It reaches an elevation Of nearly-f0O feet
above the water level of the dam. and ia
lntersected by several deep ravines, as viii
be evident as described on map presented
with this report. On the southwest corner
OF this plat, near the river, over two ravines
1t is contemplated to erect the penitentiary.
The water power at this point on the river.
and conveyed to the State, is very fine, and
equal to demand for machinery. The water
will have to be conveyed from Rives' dam
about 1000 yards, through an aqueduct or
fume, as the nature of the intervening
ground will not admit of canal. except
between the site and the river where the
| ground will have to be excavated tothe depth
| Of feet. To make this aqueduct of solid
masonry for this distance will be enormously
expensive; to build it of wood will give it
temporary character and always requiring
repairs. The probable cost of wooden
| fume would be S
On the river above this site, are excellent
building NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. at distance
| of 16 miles; at distance of 10 miles album
dant coal can be had on the bank of the
river. Below this site, at distance of 10
miles, iron ore is found, and still lower at a.
distance of IA miles fine grain granite exist.
In order to convey this material to the site
of the proposed penitentiary, the dams and
locks on the river will have to be repaired
by the State or await their repair by the
Deep River Manufacturing Company.
To level the ground tor the foundation of
the penitentiary would cost probably $4,000.
And the committee believe, that owing to
the very uneven nature of the ground, that
the expense of erecting the surrounding wall
would be very great.
After examining the site, visiting the coal
and sandstone region, they visited the
5000 acres of land purchased by the Peni-
Tertiary committee for the use of that insti-
tuition. The nearest point on this land is
perhaps ten miles DOM the river from the
Site" For this land the State paid $12. so
per acre. The committee passed over this
| land several times and saw as much of it as
their time and the weather permitted.
OF the 5000 acres. 6.650 acres are what
may be styled pine barren Although the
committee passed over what may he. this
land several miles, yet it Is now a matter of
doubt with them. This land has no market
able Ualue, aside from the timber. The
growth upon it is almost entirely pine At
the nearest point this tract lies about three
miles from the river, and at the farthest per-
haps ten miles. The timber on this land is
almost all worn out turpentine timber. The
ton timber has all been cut off from it
probably. 1t is so remote from market that
it will not pay to convert it into lumber. 1t
would probably not sell for ten cents per
acre, and so worthless was it in the Judgment
of its former ownerthat he was about to parcel
it out in small tracts and convey it as Gift
TO freedmen so as to get rid of paying the
very small tax there was on it, when it was
sold to j. NJ. Heck, Esq, by being attached
to other tracts for 60 cents per acre. No
one of the Committee who made the pur-
chase for the State were ever on this tract Of
| $3.50 acres of land for which they paid
| $685.
Another thousand of this 5000 acres is
separated several miles from the tract just
mentioned and is known as the Mccoy mill
tract, including small tract called the
"Spivyn tract A small part OF this tract
| that the Committee saw has some value as
| farming land. On it is mill seat on a
small stream that could afford water to
drive grist mill part of the gear. 1t Is
supposed that there is mineral on this tract,
but of its value, &C., the Committee have
no means of testifying. 1t also boasts of o
mineral spring, where the convicts it is sup
posed might pleasantly enjoy the heated
term provided the State should put up COM
Portable buildings, but it is not asserted
| that they we're purchased with this view.
It is possible that the Chairman of the
Committee saw some part of this tract. For
this 1000 acres the McCoys had paid to
them $1,000 The committee paid $12,500.
The remaining $50 acres is the Douglas
tract, and is the part of all the 5000 acres
that reaches to the Cape Fear river, and this
only to an extent of about $50 yards On
this is the mine of iron ore so much talked of.
1t is not opened to any extent. The ore as
| said to be of the best quality; of its extent
| no one knows-the land adjoining and
containing part of the bank was recently
bought for $500. Whether this property
has great value or not depends on time.
For it Col. Heck paid 5000. The Com
mittee who purchased It for the State paid
$4,000 only. Col. Harris examined the
mine and was pleased with the specimens
of ore and so reported to this Committee.
On none of this 5000 acres could the Com
mittee learn of any granite, and there is no
evidence that the State is owner OF quarry
\ on it. There is however a quarry near the
Northinyton dam, about two miles further
down the river
II is now proposed somewhat further to
consider the degree of knowledge the com
mittee possessed themselves of in regard to
the purchase they made. No doubt the com.
mittee are Of the opinion that they present
ed only well established facts as it respects
the lands now conveyed to the State, and so
far as their own personal observations ex.
tends there is no disposition to gainsay theil
Statements however much this committed
NAV differ from their judgments as to yalue