The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-06-05
A SECOND PENITENTIARY.

Al the last session of the Minnesota
tate Legislature, Il commission was ap.
pointed whose duty it is to look UP a
suitable location for the establishment
ola second penitentiary in this State.
The selection of Il plot of ground ac-
Ccsslble by rail from the various portions
of the State, and possessing advantages
for the profitable employment of convict
labor Is of the greatest Importance. The
experience of the State in buving ex-
pensiVe machinery and constructing
costly workshops is quite complete i'm
the prlncely sums that have been eX-
pended AT saltwater, and the contract
Labor system that has been INDUCED for
years IN this State, as well a. many
others, Is becoming quite unpopular
with the great mass OfpeOple. Ii is well
known what harsh things have been
said about the saltwater car works, and
particularly about Hon. ID. NJ. Sabin, in
relation To this convict labor, and still
the Car Company, nor Mr.. Sabin, are in
the least 10 blame, neither are they
guilty of any wrong doing. With them
il over has been purely business matters,
and If there II blame attachablc to any
one, il Is Ia the individuals composing
the legislature which authorized these
contracts and appropriations for ma
Chlncry, buildings, etc. Now if there is
To be another penitentiary constructed,
II should be located where the conVicts
can be constantly employed at some
thing not demanding such extraT2pant
OUTLAWS for the mOdus 2Oeraadi with
which 10 occupy their time. Mankato
offers such location, with advantages
iyr the employment Of outlaws second
1" none-aye we can truthfully say
superior TO all other points in the State.
4. il. L..
acres upon acres of the finest stone
quarries ever unearthed, and who will
presume 10 say that this sort of labor
can not be made profitable TO the State ?
')u Tuesday we took n ride out to what
are known us the Bradley stone quarries,
about four miles north ofthis city. They
ar" at present operated by Messrs. Fow-
Ter * Ring, and owned by Mr.. II. p.
Christensen, Messrs. Fowler 4 Messer
and MI. kunZ, respectively. At present
there are one hundred men employed
IN the quarries, getting out curbing stone
for the city of Minneapolis. By nature,
these grounds are most delightfully."- sit
uated for penitentiary. There are
about l2j acres of ground lying in
solid block, with stone lodges following
the bluffs for fully One-half mile in an
unbrOken chain. The stone produced
here is unsurpassed by any quarry in
the state, IS easy of access and magni- |
iicicnt in dimensions. The thickness Of
the lodges run from four to six and one
half feet, and often IA much a. sixty feet
in length without check, and this, too,
in incXhaustiblc quantities. Then there
is another very essential feature connect |
ed with these grounds, which is as i'm
pOrtant as il is rare. There are no less
than six spr ngs Of as pure and cold |
water as ever oOZed from the bowels of
the earth. The drainage is natural, and |
sewage could he put in at almost no cost |
at all. Above the quarries is level plot |
of ground whcreOn the necessary build |
ing could be constructed, leaving ample |
ground for an excellent garden wheI con |
all kinds Of vegetable could be grown.
The main line Of the Omaha road is only |
Il few rods distant, and there is now Il |
sidc-track from this road running 10 the |
quarries.
For the purpose of securing the loca-
ton of the new prison here, the present |
owners of this valuable property will |
sell it at figures far below its actual |
worth, and the commission should by |
all means he invited To come and see |
what advantages are offered for the pro-
posed State institution.