, 1877-09-11
PR1! 50 FIVE CENTS.
:::T'sllHs$ e " PEN1TENTlARY
AZURE
Reasons Why the Rattiesnake
Farm at Chester Is Unfit
for a Prison.
Minority Report Of Commissioner Law
renee to the Governor Of
Illinois.

c}N@sN ST'pAt" ~ ne 7Ffbfht.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Sent. 1o.-Thc following Is
the minority report Of Commissioner Lawrence
against the location Of the soushcr1, penitcr-
tiar5 At Chester, as fled viii, thc Governor to-
dar. On account Of tho absence of tho Auditor
and Attorney. General, tic Reviewing poarrl
will take no further action in the matter until
Wednesday:
:, TO ne Honorable. II 1orsrnor. Andltor Of f'nb.
tS Afeo"n!s anu -AHornfs- Gea1Ht o} ne ssnfe of
Iatnols-tikH7kEHrx: The nnaerst.ned minority
locating Tho Southern Illinois Pcnitentinfy wnull
fettTetfnlly d!tsent from the majority report OF
srH Commissioners for the following feaaun.. to
,+ ts, ssseisHs {on, sseen7
~ tirastnt. Alton, East Chton,1olet and Chcstrt
We found at tra!ton good ...e On whtrh 10 lacat.
taA prison. anl stone in .banaanec Of a superior
1t the rsonc. herewith ri1e m extract fsom ths
Ieport of capi. J. b. Eaas. Chief Engineer Of Tic
Illinois and =. Louis i,r,Age cou'psny. in 1870.
,a.,!e @ IL .as gfass coa!ps"y:. te:''nc Iaa ma:
sss rsse.ea I'd psunas '' to Il ,c :s.s
!nesl. which IL e9naa 10 that Of granite" Dir.
rcat,s' analJstA Of tAe stone Il ~ fo'Iowa:
Iron and "lnnl'na..:. ........ ........... 1..W
Gaslonste 9! mas'lesia. "............4.N ~
The location i: on The Siis;iet,pn R1cr. ..r thu
mouth ot the ll!i..ois River fourteen miles aonve
ooth Uy III Ga nd aSs st4
To-, to the ,t.s hne't ,lmee'ed region, n the s:.;e.
I'll: o nS i'5Ss1 ,Sar i. ts
PIE Of Ietscy cnnnty a1rtl d bona III tte tnn1 ns
s1h9. 0O0 guaranteeing the cen-ttuciuu Of rail-
seYvttle and Altnn. and telegraph Tine within
rnnriny raid tona m. the certificate Of The .nty
Efty.nsc t!gner- Of said a'nd wtfc rort, At ica,s
81. oGo: COZ. buL =! thcro wae rome 'onat
y r.roaa ea
one Of tho pscstnnist,ef. this pnnt abandoned.
~ Alion We found the old rr!son in dnp"lsse4
100 con*tett, ana e0nll hare purchased and
laited within the appropriation already mndc. IN
u se .en ss s
70 hare accommodated ahnut 1,tco conv!r,r, IN
the opinion Of tho Commissioners. the land cas
o,Se1 Ss1 oe1sa s s"u's ssf q
Alton containing 100 acres Of land. wtit situated
fSr te s5GsO of Rf ncw H ha,in ~ tho
ruad in fu operation AID tnatera! Of good quality
conld reach 1t. Lou!t asket In one houre tln,c ny
either riTef or rt1road. the main line of the Chi
es:n a.tnn iallroti running fran the pri'on eats
ut Joliet H. anr location that could hare been ado
at Altun. thus dnhhln. the lntcr 1anEc of cuLyicis
from onr prison 10 auothcs. which the lan prrtdca
sltall Ic done iti convenience Anu Fafety, and, tn
he opinle of the understxaed, Il the best locatun
that could have bccu nladt.
~ East CaEonaUrt the want OF elevation drnIn-
nEe WIS lnsnstuouniAbic. Although. having n|1
iir facilities of tssis sp0ftAtfon hy river md rail.
snad ~ all roltts ~ the St4t, all material for thu
"r.' tFuehon would hare 10 cotne ffon some Other
point
;. >crsr thu land Is badly broken. the elevation
an,nt :tUu feet the tottu", land j. III narrow "trip
FROM 100 10 iG feet wide. aud that cni Up hy ti.r
7astncs. anil nna:d require 1aEIe an,uunt II
grading ~ xvt reOn for prtrnn pnrpo-er. Thrtn
IL wner abundance. the loentIun selected byiu:
nn the s1trelerlpri.. tear tho month "f thv
tion of lltnu,s. At one time this locality crn-
tancd very l&re tracts VI ch9tco tinibtf. tut. as
tlIe country srtte1 up, al thu chsice t,mbur has
been cnts.tIn.cd. Thefu H. Gut4 lln.4 and sand
quality. and cannut b. used to al.
re:u1Ar. From two 10 thrco m!es from the location
sandstone Is tn abundance. u Ialr yusly but.
order tu uEe 1t, Fa1lEnaa would iiusc 10 ht cu1..
aLTuctch, Ut lhte ftUHe good building cttllh bo
errctrt hut on account Ut shc irregular coloF of
the 2touc | to n0l cuneitfef thai 1t would anawrf
for nerchantable commodity. ttcncc there would
b. no work fHt ronYlct tahUT st0nr af.r. tlh,
building haH f,cen constructed. The only aecrss
u Chester IL hy thc r1ser "r the Chester i TanA
would experience grrat lnconvenicucc get.lnF to
nnh ffUnt IhEs location.
ThercfaEr. In ny Judgment. Alton Ia the tno~,
suliatc 1ocatfun for tho ptIpo, ncing nearcr the
rcn&rc Of tho uiREict u be accommodated, with At
least thrte. dflhh VI the population VI the tssrct
uoFth Of 1t, and with railroad eoutMuA!Ehtaun II
amort 5 cyer5 county In the dlttr;ct: Eetpsetsulat
srNIsaYisIp, Sept. 10. HIT.