The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-23
WASHINGT0N'S NEW JAIL.
A STRUCTURE THST SHOUJD M OC-
CgPIED NY ITS BUILDERS.
sir Hpadrcd Thousand Deiiars Swallowed
Upt t.nd the Washington Rins Ciamcrins
for More-shepherd's Latest Bonsnxa.

ftr Hpndred Thousand Doitnrs SWnuoNco
Up nd the Washington nius Ciamorins
for More-shepherd's Latest bonanza.
wAsnINoToN. Oct. 2-In the fall OF 1872,
ground was broken for the new District OF
Colum bia jail, and for three years this structure
has been slowly rising under the late Supervis-
Ing Architect Mulletts system OF percentage
contracts. The history Of this piece Of ioboory
l. very interesting.
On the e5th Of July. 1875. an act authorizing the
building Of a new III for the District OF Column
bia, under the direction Of the Secretary OF the
Interior, on one of the Government reserva-
uons, was passed by Congress. II WA to have
suficient capacity to accommodate 200 prison
ers, and was not to cost moro th IN $4,000 The
Secretary OF tho Interior was TO advertise for
proposals, and ~ lot the work to the lowest re-
sponsible bidder. who was to give ample secuH-
ty for the faithful performance Of his contract.
The Interior Department was then, as now,
inabIe description, and of course the contract
h d to be let to some one who was willing 70
ate OF the Jii. This ground Is south of the
Capitol, and In eyery way unsuitable tpr !Ll.,
dence was submitted 20 the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds to convince II that there
was Iobbery in the letting under tho ACT OF the
olution, March ., 1857, forbidding the payment
| OF any more money under the contract until the
plans were completed. and requiring euspen.
sion Of ~ operations "unless the letting Of such
contract shall have been open TO fair and equal
competition after public adverteement. but
| this requirement was evsded, aud the Secretary
| OF the interior, Mr.. Browning. authorized con-
| tracts TO he made with various parties aud dur
| ing that year considerable sum OF money was
expended. The foundations OF the new struc-
| ture we're laid and brought up several feet above
| ground but the quality of the IN teriai was so
| b, d. and she v'rzmanship 40 Indifferent that
| Congress, on Jan. II, 1894, again ordered sus-
| pension Of the contracts. Subsequent leeisla
ton declaring "the contracts attempted TO be
| House ~ HCuregentattVea Fen. ~, lfQN, and was
reported f.vorany In the senate by MI. fessen-
den. hut failed to pnss that body. those inter.
esl ed Ia the drowning contracts having sumcient
| influence to defeat IL.
BOSS SHEPHERD APPEARS.
1t was not till the spring OF 1879 that tho job
| was resuscitated under the auspices OF Boss
sbepheru. On the 18TH Of February, 1879, tue
House Of Representatives passed new act ere.
Secretary DelAno, Gov Henry ID. Cooke. and
| Chief Justice ID. X. Cartier. and empowered
They were to select new site, snd TO push for
! ward tue construction without any delay, and
which was 10 be immediately available; but
| tl2jOcO OF the same was TO bc reimbursed oy the
district OF Columbia This act passed the senate
june /. ls7c. wlth an amendment, Introduced by
Boss snepnerds friend Senator W ntterson
OF New Hampshire, by which a; n il Mnlles. was
one Of the objections wnicn had been urged
aRsinst the site selected by Browning on Ro.er-
| Couit House, but the first act OF tue new com
mission was 10 increase TITS remoteness mile
|
nrst location was the prevalence OF malaria
along the lower riosr creek valley but tue new
site was selected on the very hrtnk OF the wide
spread mosquito breeding and miasma exnaI-
ing marshes of the eastern branch, where lioss
( LDe, owned about $4,000 square feet OF city
lots and farm mostly located In the marshes.
sessed at from three ruils to one and two cents
per foot. but the erection OF tue jail In this
neigh porhood aud the extensive Improvements
made bs the District Commissioners nave Largely
increased it, value.
TIN SENECA SANDSTONE RISG.
There were some difficulties, however, In the
way Of the new crowd VINO were managing this
| jall jbb. Boss Shepherd, the guiding spirit Of
the new combination. was oelesguered ~ the
browning gang OF contractors wbo had paid
heavy BLACK mail, aud. therefore, .nullett
sdopted tue pcTcendase system 's s0nttsct,ns
Hing of course got tue contract for furnishing
tue stone ami. as this material loses largely 10
dressing, IL Wa bought by the ton delivered Ia
It's rough state just a. l. came fiom the quar-
ries. tens VI thousands OF tons Of worthless
stones we're received, and Dow there Is more de-
Diis in tue shape OF rotten and Together
worthless stone encumoerug the ground than
Ihe most expensive aud eiabora.e manner Of
dressing the stone was adopted. ana as this was
cost thereOtto the contractor, Of ouuso there
was room for hanosone uivvy; skiiled mas
ter stone cutter w-s nrst placed In charge OF this
branch OF work. but ia "a litle wuiie he was
pushed aside t. make place Tor Tue father OF
tarie-, VINO IL II carpenter DY tr do and was in :
pIried expressly for the place from Illinois.
| Ih.t the were vast sums OF money " steu un-
der such management Is apo rent. The mans
for the jail were very defec i've, aud when the
structure - completed, the maximum OF cost
Wiih tue minimum OF utility Will have been at
t.iued.
MuLLErr's LAVISH ExPENDIrURE.
) Before the walls OF one-half the building were
wa Was exnausl,d d, and Maiistt asked. J1neI. Is7t
for anUtherO SSh, h,1ia.@j, reprimahHing Congress
at the same ue f9r ,i5, I5gSgninS TO rl es li,
his supervision. 10 enVid a thin excuse for tho
doubling Of tue cost Of the ja'l, mulou Informed
tongi es. that the buiidiu- could also be used
as a penitentlary by the simple addition of work
shops," ana the representatives ot the people
apparently swallowed tnis as gOsrel truth, when
the truth is mat the bldding will not afford
| whon CON pinted, any more room tnan viii be
, required TO accommodate the petty criminals Of
Mulietl, Tor a wonder. did not get whs, he
asked for. Congress Ia 1874 only appropr ated
$5O,UD, out Ia the succeeding sprng tho re-
in-lnder of the sam asked for IN Jane, 1874, was
granted lhs failure VI Congress, however, e.
hiullett's plans. lie went on maAin ina contracts
as II nothing had been refused. and when the
present supervising arcnitect came IN. he found
that all the WORK und mat. RI had been con
, tracted for In dyancr, not only OF the appro
A heating apparatus. among other things, mad
been engaged Al cost VI tYet: before one
sn ns rsos S yeaG ~ advance Of any spp1opda %s rSi
a tiOn therefor. In the same way he had let
= $1,000 WORTH or PLUMBIsG TO BOSS SHEPHERD
aud bad thrown 10 contract for kitchen uten
| W Oobt bOsotls iuo OoSt VI bho hoatmt Az
, | pATAtus foresnadOws what the cost Of keeping
three hundred priaVners will be IN this new jail
That IL will always be full In winter time one
. wHO has lived Ia Washington will dOuot. Fully
D ono per cent. of the negro population nabtuslly
go to Jail on the approach OF winter, ana remAil
4 until the return oil warm weather enables then
| 10 live out of doofs.
under competent and honest management
| this building could have been built, eysn In iu
Z | present unJustIn Ule snape WITHIN the origina
|. aoPIopriatlYn; Now nearly teOo,OOO nas been e1
| pended, and the jail II not even un0eT roof. Mr.
! | Potter has advertised for proposals from build
I | srs To complete the jail lt with not be surpris
| Ing II fully tlOO,OD more Is required before the
building Ia ready To be occupied.
The RAILWAY Coal M MysterV.
MIR. A. ID. Bedel OF Ranway writes to TIL
sUS that the coal said to by him an,
his driveT from In the freight depot satur