Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-21

You will make every allowance and accept
this plain statement Of my reasons for Cd
posing the other Trustees in their selection
of a site for the West Tennessee Insane
Asylum. WEltE
l. The location selected by Messrs. DAY
and Garner is less than one-fourth of .
mile from Humboldt, which is in violation
of instructions the law requires us to be
governed by, and had 1 no instructions
common sense would deter me from con
filming Inmates so near ar important railroad
crossing, where their sleep would be dis
turbed a dozen or moe times during the
night by the screams of locomotives.
=. Within tgo hundred yaids OF the pro-
posed location, and in full view, / found
United States barracks. IL appears to me
that r~eyeille, retreat, tattoo and drill would
be a great source of annoyance to the in
mates.
3. The supply of water is to be obtained
from a spring Qle-third of 4 mile from the
proposed site, which Mr.. Jones, our archi-
tect, informs me was overilown with back
water from the creek bottom to a depth Of
two (2} feet.
4. At the foot of the hill on which these
gentlemen propose to build commences
FORGED Deer bottom, and they would nee
essarily place the building within four hun
dred yards of miserable pools of Stagnant
water, which dot the low lands. The bot
tom subject TO humiliation extended to the
south ten (0) or fifteen .15) miles, to the
southwest several miles. to the west a con-
siderable distance. &qrthEest Of the pro
posed site; Q cf6eE, which runs during the
winter and oyerfiows the bottom, which is
from One-half to one mile in width, flows
in a southweSterly direction, within a half
mile of the proposed site. Governor, these
people Of Humboldt tell me that this is a
healthy ioc9u0n. AAell Ii 4,ay he, hut if
SO, / must throw away my books, thearies,
yes, everything, and commence life anew.
). L will detain you with one other bar
rier that l cannot consistently Oyerleap;
naI -, nc kogntiful supply of mosquitoes,
furnished By this intermlnalle swamp.
Imagine, if YOU can, two hundred Goo.
lunatics tortured by millions of Unsuitable
Insects from Nav until November. In
conclusion, sir, / hope It viii be Convenient
for YOU to visit the site offered, and bring
with you DIR. Cheatham, Calender, or
Jones. Respectfully,
W, h. R1GEEs.
l take pleasure In saying that none Of
the foregoing objections can be urged
against the Clayton place, near Memphis,
or the Sheppard place al Brownsville, both
9f which come IN TO the reguirments Of
the law, ~. L. RoGEks.
sFATEMEST OF &. C.. JoYEs ARCHITECT.
MEMPHIS, April Z, lS74.-Dr. W. f.
Rodgers, Director OF West TenueSsee In
sane AsylUm-Dear Sir: | have just re-
ceived your favor setting forth certain ques-
lions relative TO the principal sites offered
IS a LECTION for the proposed Insane Hos
pitai, viz: the Clayton tfat near Memphis,
the Shepherd tract near Brownsville, and
the Mitchell tract near Humboldt.
/. Is there a good site for the Hospital Oh
the above tracts?
aI.sseT. bach tract las equally a gOdd
site for the building, and the airing courts,
with ample facilities OF drainage and scope
for pleasure grounds to the south OF the
Hospital.
2. What is the distance of each tract
from the town or city?
answer fhe Clayton tract, near Mem
phis, is four miles from the city. The
Shepherd tract, near Brownsville, is two
miles from the town, and the Mitchell tract,
near Humboldt, is from a quarter to a half
Of 2 nile from town.
3. What is the distance Oh the said tracts
from the railroad?
l answer: The Clayton place, near
Memphis, is one and a half mile from the
louisville aud OHIO Railroad on the Orh,
and about n mile from tho Charleston
and Memphis Railroad TO the South. The
Shepherd place, near Brownsville, is two
and that at Humboldt is immediate
ly on the railroad.
4. What is the character of the springs
OF water ON each site, and at what distance
are they from the location FOR the hospital.
| answ That the Clayton place, near
Memphis, has a number of large springs, in
two locations, one set supplying a branch
Of water. and another providing a lake of
five TO seven acres in extent, to a depth of
to fifteen feet, Cat present the lake has
been dItohed SO as TO draw oh the watsr.i
The Shepherd place, near Brownsville, has
equal advantages as 10 springs, fish pond or
water supply. The Mitchell place, near
Humboldt, has large spring, as / am in
/ regret | was unable to examine
its capacity, owing TO the fact that the rain
On the night previous to my visit, had
,aused the back water of the creek tO cover
he spring from sight. / am assured by
Col. Day the spring furnishes an ample
supply Of water. The springs and lake on
he Clayton aud shepheri places ar6 about
IN eighth of a mile, and that on the Mitch
III place at Humboldt is a quarter of mile
the building site.
3. In view of the water supply from
being a third of a mile from the
lite of building on the Mitchell place, near
humboldt, will there not be great difficulty
n securing an ample supply of water for
he Use of the hospital? IansWer, / learned
rom Col. Gardner, as the result of careful
inquiry, that well water is the main de
of the citizens of Humboldt, and
{ is considered by them to be Of q pure and
iealthful character. Col. Day assures me
hat in building the Odd Fellows College
hat a siX-inch well furnished an ample
Upply of water.
o. What is the character of the country
urrOunding the three tracts above men
l answer, that the two sites at
Memphis and Brownsville are surrounded
" an equal proportion of cultivated and
woodlands on ali sides, both on an elevated
idge. The site at Humboldt is on a rolling
,iece of country alta considerable elevation
bove the town at the site ofthe hotel. The
ract Of land offered has a river or second
.OttOm-land to the south and west ami cui-
ivated fields and woodlands TO the north;
he town of Humboldt on the east. | am
Ssured by Col. Day that this bottom land
5 seldom, il fever, o~yerlown by back-water
ON the river. Very respectfully,
EDwD. C.. JONES,
Architect West Tenn. Insane Hospital.
We have heretofore published the pro-
of the Memphis Chamber of Com
lerce requesting the Governor to visit
lemphis and inspect the sites proposed in
hat vicinity, and appointing a committee
wait upon the Governor and present the
dvantages of a location near Memphis.
)ther localities have taken steps to secure
be Asylum.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
70 JACKSON.
At a meeting of the Board of Mayor and
Aldermen of the city of jackson, held
April IL, 1874, the following address and
to his Excellency Gov. Brown, was
and ordered to be sent to him
Orthwith:
To his Excellency Jno. G. Brown, Coy
rnOr of Tennessee! The Board of Mayor ]