Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-24
THE INSANE AsYLUS.
Arrival VI Governor Brown and The
Experts, Doctors Calendar, Cheat
ham and W. P. J0nes.
Excursion 10 the site-Iis Location and
DIme1sions-0H Of the Best IN the
Western Part OF the state.
Dinner at the Peabsdy HOiel-No Con-
elnsion Yet Reached by the Cover
nor or his ExpeFts-Priee Of
the Site, Etc, Etc.

the Site, Etc, Etc.
Governor John c. Brown, accom-
panied by DR.. w. A. Cheatham, Dr. w.
| F. Jones, Hon. John NJ. Fleming and
DIR. John II. Calender, superintendent
Of the State insane asylum, arrived here
! Sunday to visit and examine the Webb
! place. which the commissioners Of the
! West Tennessee lunatic asylum have Sc
! leeted as q site for the institution. Upon
| invitation OF President White and
| Superintendent Burke, Of the Missis-
sippi and Tennessee railroad, Governor
! Brown and the above gentlemen, whose
opinion upon the fitness of the locality
! lie had requested in the matter, accom-
/ panied by number Of leading citizens
| proceeded on q special train conducted
/ by Captain john Kane, to the Webb
/ place. TIE following gentlemen accom-
panied Governor Brown and his party:
! J. NJ. Pettigrew, president chamber Of
| commerce; Colonel f. NJ. White, presi- |
! dent, and Colonel Burke, superintendent
Of the Mississippi and Tennessee rail-
road; Hon. LandOn G. Haynes, EnOch
| Ensley, Captain All. @. luther, BrOn-
son Bayliss, John T. Hillsman, i.
| Hanauer, John q. Lonsdale, T. a. Nell
son, A. E. Frankland, G.. w. L. Crook,
Frank RoysteT, J. R. Godwyn, Judge
Latham, DR.. Ayant, James Elder, o.
| H. P. Piper, Butler p. Anderson, +. d. !
| Stockton, Charles Fisher, Major O'Bsn-
non, L. NJ. Dean, Attorney General J.
B. Heiskell, Robert Lee, Jacob Weller,
r. M. Bradford, DR.. J. n. Rogers, aud
! f.aVaraI W. ffAr.rncr- 4 q ha
missioners.
THE PROPOSED SITE
embracing three hundred acres of land,
! is located on the Mississippi and Ten
| uessse railroad, five miles from the city, |
and is owned by Mr.. w. J. Webb. Gov.
ernOr Brown and the experts were
shown over the ground, and made a
| thorough examination. The land runs
parallel with the railroad a distance of
one mile and quarter, to its crossing |
on the NOnconnah creek, the high bluff
of which bearing due east, constitutes
/ the northern boundary Of the tract At |
( point equidistant from the extreme |
north and south boundaries, a range of
/ hills rise gracefully up, and give an |
area Of one hundred and twenty-five /
acres of land. Upon these it is proposed |
to locate the buildings, the site 10 be |
| equidistant from the railroad on the |
west and the boundary on the east. The |
site is on an elevation Of fifty feet above |
| the highest point in Memphis. At the |
base Of the hill, and within fifty yards |
OF the railroad track, gushes forth |
fine spring, which, by actual test, as
made yesterday under the inspection Of |
| Governor Brown and the gentlemen |
present, has a capacity for supply |
| ing ninety thousand gallons Of |
water per day. This will be suf- |
| ficient water for all necessary |
purposes. The springs form a pond four
feet deep and two hundred in diameter. |
By a small outlay Of work this pool can |
be converted into a fine lakelet or fish |
pond. The water from this perennial |
spring is suitable for drinking and other
purposes, its quality being pure and ex-
cellent. In this connection we would |
state that the hill formation, after de- |
scribing the twentieth degree Of a circle |
northeast, runs due east, and, with the |
undulatiOns characteristic of the coun- |
try from here to Grenada, connects itself /
with other ridges that extend to the up /
lands, The drainage is all that could |
be desired and no stagnant water, |
marshes or malarisl pools are to be |
found within the vicinity, 1t being above |
overflow. From the southern boundary |
the land rolls three miles to the first /
water coBfiuation, where the streams
run into Horn Lake. From the western |
boundary the nearest approach to the |
Mississippi river is at the Jackson /
mound, in Fort Pickering. The land
north Of the NOnconnah is the lowest
descent Of the table formation extend
ing out from Memphis. The creek bot
north is broken and rolling. The place
is free from all approaches of epidemics,
ami in case any should prevail along
this section Of the country it would en-
ioy advantages of elevation that no
other vicinity can boast of. The coun-
try south is hilly and broken for
twenty miles; it is high and broken /
five miles to the Mississippi west; |
east it is the same for countless miles. |
The land is well timbered and has an /
SIMPLE supply, furnishing variety of
forest growth, comprising white and red /
oaks, eims, hickory, dogwOOd, red and |
black gums, hOney-locust, and white /
and black walnut. The growth is usu-
ally large, quick and sound. In the vi |
cinity timber abOunds in great quanti- |
ties, and fuel is quite cheap. The pres |
ent improvements on the grounds, con- |
sisting of two dwellings with six and |
five rooms respectively, all necessary !
Outhouses, stables, cribs, ETC., are valued |!
at seventy-five hundred dollars cash, |
and will be OF practical advantage to the |
proposed institution. The soil is unex- |
ceptionslly fertile, and is not inferior to |
lands on the uplands within radius of |
hundred miles. Grass, orchard fruits, |
strawberries and grapes, with all man |
ner of agricultural and horticultural |
products, can be grown with profit. The |
land being open and ready for cultiva- |
ton, would ia this respect be immedi- |
ately remunerative to the State, as
all garden and field products /
could be raised in very large |
quantities, aud sold at handsome profit |
in the city market. Good and reliable
communication is had with the city. |
The general topography of the land is
pleasant TO the eye, and naturally |
adapted for the institution. From the
base of the hills, looking east, meadow
spreads out to NOncOnnah creek, while
to the left and right arise the hills. The |
site on the hills OVerlOOks a large ex-
Dause of territory, and with the aid of
art and science the landscapes could be
converted into charming vistas. In
point of health, fertility of soil, elevs-
ton of locality, abundance of water and |
timber, convenience of accessibility, and |
character of adaptability, the Webb |
place presents a fitness that cannot be
doubted by the impartial and justly ac-
curate of opinion. 1t possesses advan-
tages that are not commonplace, and
has a clear, unelouded title, the
property never having changed
hands but once since the original grant
was made. Before reaching the city,
the gentlemen were invited to dine with
Messrs. O'BannOn and Morris, at the
Peabody hotel. The invitation was ac-
cepted, and the gentlemen were sump-
tuOuslY entertained in the graceful man.
ner characteristic of the Peabody hotel.
Champagne was added by way OF better
cheer, and with the spirit Of due appre-
citation the party toasted the health Of
L.....-.-- ).