Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-06
CoNCERNING THE RENO PRISON.

Yesterdays Enterprise deals Win
the State Prison question as presented
from the Brad.erian standpoint in the
following very suggestive and terseiy
comprehensive manner: "How much
would the Reno prison cost! no"
long would it take TO construct the
prison. How would prisoners be en-
ployed in prison if it were located AZ
Renoe How much would it cost to al
Ter the present prison buildings into
an asylum appropriate for lunatics?
In answer to the first question, we
have Governor Bradley's expressed
belief that the prison could be con-
structed for 100000. Is this belief
founded on careful estimates, or Is 1t
only the wild guess of a sanguine man
who wishes to carry out pet scheme'
Has Governor Bradley plans and spec
i6caticns? Does he know how mocn
iron. stone and luna Der viii! be needed,
and has he tne estimates OF Skilled me-
chapics as to the cost Of the labor out
side or convict labor? We fear that he
has not. We judge that this is SO from
the way in which the work already
performed there has been done. Two
wears ago last Autumn Governor Brad
lev ana General Buckner, without any
authority of the Board Of COMMISSION
ers. commenced that work. Ii has
beer openly charged, and SO Tar as we
knnyy never denied that the wCi"
was commenced more to give employ
ment to men to insure Democratic
majority in Washoe county, by tne
use Of State money, than to carry for
ward needed and pressing want OF
the Stsie. But, assuming that the
money was honestly appropriated, we
find that il took something over Soo,'
600 to lay the foundation for the outer
walls. Since then to erect three sioes
Of the wal, it has cost $40. 900. When
the walls are fully completed another
expense of $4,000 will have been
made. We see, then, that according
to Governor Brsdley's idea, it is nee
essary to erect a hundred thousond-
dollar wall to inclose ninety thous-
and dollar prison. Had Governor
Bradley been told in advance that the
walls which were 10 surround the
prison would cost sl0O, 900, does any
one believe that he would have COM
menced them? And il his idea Of the
cost OF the wall was at first vague and
Enthusiastically, arc not Els present
ideas Of the further expens~ = COM
pleting the prison equally vague ana
Enthusiastically Is not three or four
or five hundred thousand dollars
more reasonable estimate than the one
hundred thousand of the Governors?
We fear so. The answer to the second
question must come from experts, but
we should think that two or three
years would certainly be required to
complete the new prison If the stone
cutting is reserved for convict labor.
The third question, as to what prison.
oners would do in Reno, is very Sc
rious one. Governor Bradley is, we
Judge, in favor of abolishiug the prisoT.
shoe shop. This ieavea nothing for
prisoners TO do but TO quarry stone,
and there il no quarry in Reno. The
cost of transforming tho present prison
into an asylum is matter for experts |
10 determine, but it will certainly |
cost several thousand dollars. Look |
ing at this matter from an unpreju-
diced standpoint, and Judging simply |
from points which instantly suggest
we fear that the idea of
prison at Reno was mis-
take at first that it will be blunder,
and a serious one, to continue its con-
struction. 1t looks as though the bet
ter way would be to enlarge the pres
ent prison, complete the walls at Reno
and build within them modest and
asylum for the insane"
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MODERATION.