Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-31
THE DAILY REC0RD-UNI0N.
THE FOLSOM PRISON.
THE REPORT OF THE BOARD OF STATE
PRISON, DIRECTORS.
Official History of the Branch Prison Con
struction and the Changes made
in the Specifications.

line reDOTJ OF ble DHSCtOIo VI SLO oSotS
Prison relative to the Branch Prison at Fol-
som was presented by Governor Perkins to
the Senate yesterday. Except the opening
paragraphs we present the report in full. 1t
recites that the Act of April, 1873, directed
the Board to commence the completion Of the
Branch at Folsom on or before the LIST OF
July, 1873, and to continue the work to the
extent of the appropriation. The Act appro-
priated $4,000, and reappropriated $685.
494 70, then in the Branch Prison Fund.-
making total of sos, 494 70. The Act pro-
vided that all provisions looking to the com
pletion of the Branch Prison should be null
and void and the appropriations should be
returned to the General Fund unless the
Board could make contracts before June 30,
1873, for the hire of not less than $50 convicts
for five years, at not less than fifty cents
day for the labor of each. Accordingly, after
notice for bids. June %, 1878, the Board con-
tracted with H. G. Livermore, who gave a
bond, to hire $50 prisoners for five years at
fifty cents per day EACH
THE WORK.
The Board was given power to select one
of two methods in which the work might be
done. One was to employ the convicts in the
construction of the prison the other, the
erection of the prison by contract, after plans
and specifications submitted to the leglsla-
tive committee by A. A. Bennett. The plan
of Bennett was substantially the same as that
originally adopted for the prison in 1874 and
according to which certain notifications or
changes in the mode of construction were
made No material variation from the plan
originally adopted could be made which
would not involve the less of the work already
done.
The Board, after mature consideration,
adopted the plan and specifications of Mr..
Bennett, and concluded it would be of State
interest to do the work by contract On con-
sultation with the Attorney-General the
Board concluded that in letting the contract
and supervising the erection it would be sub
ject to the provisions of an Act entitled IAN
Act to regulate contracts on behalf OF the
State in relation to erections and buildings"
approved March %, 1876 (see Statutes 1876,
page 427); in fact, to all the provisions of
said Act, except to those which prescribe the
mode in which the plans for public buildings
shall be adopted The Act which directed
work on the Branch Prison to be resumed
having authorized the Board to adopt the
plan and specifications submitted to the Legis-
lative Committees on State Prisons by Mr..
Bennett, and the Board, in pursuance of such
authority, having adopted such plan and spe-
ci6cations, it was unnecessary to advertise
for plans as provided for in the Act of March
%, 1876.
THE BIDS
In pursuance of Section of the Act of
March % 1876, the Board advertised for
sealed proposals for furnishing all material
and doing all work, mechanical or otherwise,
necessary to the completion of the Branch
Prison according to the plan and specihca-
lions which the Board had adopted. At the
time appointed July Is, 1873 the Board met
in the Executive office, State Capitol, to open
and consider the bids which had been re-
ceived. The bids were: Hughes & Dudgins,
$3.50, 600; H. G.. Livermore, S2l2, 600; Dem
mis- Jordan, Sl61, 900. As the Board was not
full the Lieutenant-GoVernOr not being
present-they adjourned to meet in San
Francisco on the 18th instant to further con-
slider the bids and award the contract. At
the adjourned meeting, on July II, 1873, the
Board awarded the contract to Dennis DOR
dan. his bid being the lowest and accompa-
MED by certified check of ten per cent. of
its amount, as required by the advertise
ments soliciting bids. On the 18th of July
ensuing Mr.. Jordan entered into contract
on the basis of his bid, for the completion of
the Branch State Prison according TO the
and now on file in the office of the Con-
troller
THE CONTRACT.
In such contract he stipulated to commence
work on the said Branch State Prison within
80 DAYS from the 18th day of July-the date
on which the contract was awarded him-and
to complete it within 10 months from such
date. The contract is on file in the office of
the Controller of State, and copy of it will
be found in the minutes of the Board.
A A Bennett was appointed architect, at
a salary of $3.50 per month, his services and
pay to commence on the 18th of July, 1878.
James w. Duncan was appointed Super
intendent, on the part of the State, at a
salary of 5000 per month, his services and
pay to commence on the 26th of July, 1878.
The contractor commenced work on his con-
tract at or about the time the terms of the
contract required that he should.
Owing, h owever, to the lack of the neces-
sary capital to push the work vigorously, or
to some other cause, the progress made in its
execution very slow. The want of the
necessary ca pital was, we think, the princi-
pal, if not the sole cause of the slow progress
made with the work The work was fire.
quently interrupted by the creditors of the
contractor, who placed attachments on the
tools, machinery, ETC., employed In prosecut-
ing the work.
SERIOUS TROUBLE.
Some time in the month of January, 1879
the workmen also refused to work more till
the Board made an arrangement with the
contractor by which he agreed to as
sign to a member Of the Board a sufi-
Gent sum out of the award which should
be made to him for the material furnished
and labor done in any month, to pay the
workmen their wages earned during such
month This ARRANGEMENT, cOpSIlmmated
about the LIST of February, and before the
contractor had been paid for his work and
material for the month of January. Mr.
Beck was the member of the Board selected
to receive the assignments from the con-
tractor agreed upon, and to pay therefrom to
the workmen, at the commencement of each
month, their wages earned during the preced-
ing month. The first assignment made to
Mr. Beck by the contractor was out of his
award for material furnished and work done
during the month of January. It was suf
fcient not only to pay the laborers their
wages for the month of January, but also to
pay them all balances on their wages
earned before January and remaining
vet unpaid Mr.. Beck drew from the
treasury the money thus assigned
to him, and proceeding to the site OF the
Branch Prison, paid the laborers the wages
due them for the month of January. He
also palu al properly duGuentlCdIcu Cldduis
presented to him for wages earned prior to
January, though the persons presenting such
claims had previously signed receipts which
released the Directors from all obligations to
withhold from the contractor any sums due
him, for the purpose of securing the payment
to them of their wages. Ii any person did
not receive at that time the wages due him,
whether such wages had been earned in JAN
uary or prior thereto, it was his own fault.
All were notified that they had but to pre-
sent their claims for wages, properly anthem
ticated, to secure their rayment.
A CONDITION.
1t may be proper, at this point, to remark
that the Board. in order to secure to the la
borers the payment of their wages from the
contractor, had taken the precaution to have
inserted in the contract stipulation that the
contractor should not be entitled TO receive
any payment on account of material fur
nished or work done on his contract till he
should furnish to the Directors satisfactory
receipts, vouchers or releases, showing that
he had paid to the mechanics and laborers