The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-12
THE WORK HOUSE PROJECT
Letter from ]. P. Fleming, Esq.,
Of the Allegheny Work House.
Read II and See if We are Pre-
pared to Go Into the BusI-
ness Here.
A11rnuENY. PA., June lO, 1878.

kuGlA WIZ "
pense Of operating them, based upon a
population Of 10000" and at the same
time calling my attention to several arti'
Giles in you paper in relation to q pro-
posed Work House in your city.
The letter was doubtless addressed TO
me from the high character OF the ALLIE
gheny Work House with which l have
long been connected as a director, during
ia construction and since its completion.
As the subject is one in which | feel a
deep interest, I would ask the use oil
our columns to answer these queries at
some length, although | may not be in
accord with your views.
Year after year confirms me in the be-
lief that in all localities, when the crimi.
nal population will justify, well reSulst-
ed penal and reiOrmatory institutions in
which religious instruction, education and
work for individual support are united,
i. an advance step in genealogical science,
which neither humanity o economy
will permit US 10 revoke.
A Workhouse is an institution Of a
Penal and Rsformatory character in
which detention, work, worship and edu-
cation are combined, Without either 1t
would not be complete, without the cell
IL would not be penal; without the shop
it could not be economical. Omit the
school and chapel and it would not be re-
formalOry. Incidental 10 these are the bake.
shop, store room, hospital, dispensarY,
Laundry, culinary, bathing and shaving
departments. With all these complete a
Workhouse is 4 "big thing" Yet if the
necessity exists it should be met in a
liberal spirit and executed with all these
appliances. =,
The necessity for a Workhouse can be
better predicated upon the criminal than
the general population. In this country
those ~sentenced to penal servitude in in
stitu,ions OF every character are in the
proportion Of one in every thousand in
habitants, one sixth Of whom are women
Cities have a larger proportion, and the
larger the city the greater the proportion
The press Of the country have lately been
giving Us credit with having u quota oil
that class illed, and we felt the necessity
Of a Workhouse fourteen years ago, when
u population numbered about 100000
Now, with the counties which have since
been made tributary to our institution
we have a population Of say 100000, anC
we deem our Workhouse entirely indis
peusable.
The number OF prisoners 10 be pro
yided for would better determine the
necessity for such an institution. w
would dean il uHHiSs 10 put so much Raehtn
sry in motion unless at teaG $50 eOnUiaS rer'
TO b cared for, and Il could not Be made q
~p<euniaIy success gih les than $50 abe
bodied inmates. The salaries (all told
for superintendence, instruction, culinary
and police arrangements, in the work
houses in this country, vary from $4,000
to $4,000 per annum, and it could not
be expected that the labor Of a less num-
Der could earn enough to pay eve these
minimum salaries In addition to their
food, clothing and incidental expenses.
The cost Of construction as we'll as
maintenance will depend very much upon
the character OF the parties having charge
Of the work. II your managers serve
under Judicial appointment, men OF
large business experience and integrity
would likely be selected, and your work
executed at fair rates, but II it should fall
into the hands Of the political machinery
OF the county or State and tue now prev.
alent policy Of diverting the contracts,
positions and patronage TO the rewarding
Of political layorites be inaugurated, It's
cost could not welt be reckoned.
With one hundred and fifty conyict TO
provide for, it would not be wise TO erect
an Institution that would accommodate
less than double that number. To do
this In a plain substantial manner, with
necessary apartments for Superinten-
daut shops, o~utbuildings &C., under the
most favorable management will require
an outlay OF 100000. This estimate in-
cludes heating, lighting, plumbing, fur
nishing, and also power, but not the ma
chinery, tools, teams, stock or any Of the
appliances requisite to carry on the
manufacturing operations Of the Institu.
tion. Several OF the most experienced
members oil our Board think this esti-
, mate a low one, but l am satisfied 1t eau
be done In a good and substantial man.
ner at the present market value Of labor
and material with that outlay.
II not trespassipg too much on your
columns, / should like to add some sug.
geslions in regard TO manufacturing
operations, which are conducted by the
Prison Administration, on county &C.
count, lest an undue impression be made
in favor OF our mode OF business. Our
specially Is the manufacture OF oil bar.
rels, for which our location ia particu-
larry favorable. We have the inest aud
most approved machinery; which in this
business has attained snCh perfection,
that it il in reality the brains Of tue bu.
siness, superseding skilled labor, and
rendering our uuskilled labor especially
available. To barrel making we have
added the manufacture Of Lead kegs, in
which We work up u refuse barrel ma
teriAl. We also do the Laundry work Of
the Pullman Palace Car Company between
New York and Chicago, which 10 Incl.
dent to our location, We have $4,000
cash capital in our manufacturing depart
mentI; which, with the county as a
hacker, give US precedence in the mar.
ket Ne purchasers OF stock, material
and supplies. We commenced our BUSH
ness in the food tide Of commercial
prosperity, when every business was pay.
ing, In addition 10 this, our Board which
serve by Judicial appointment, have thus
far been A3le 10 keeptheir operations out
Of the slough Of politics. Under this
favorable combination Of manufacture,
location and influence we have accomp.
lished what few institutions could even
hope 10 accomplish. With this success
either achieved" or thrust" upon US We
still do not consider our season Of pro.
baton passed. The history Of our public
works leaves no record Of any business
that has been conducted successfully Tor
any length Of time on State account and
We fear there Ia too much capital employ.