The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-02


first term. The students arc drawn from eV.
cry section of The State, and from az! classes OF
our people. The leading religious denonlna-
tiOnS are all fully represented ana Tue HaLe-
! rial is excellent.
The increase in the number of post-gradu-
ate students in the College is still more signif.
can't and encouraging. sixteen granuatcs aqua. o o.
this and other colleges ere pursuing pos tgrad-
uate courses leading up to the hi.her degrees
In these courses university methods are adopt
cd, and the work done is thorough and ad'
vancod.
Thus, even with greatly diminished re-
sources, Is already realized In a hopeful de'
gree the aspiration of the great InornWell,
of which "to the College and to the State and
to the whole country could not DC oVcr-es'l-
mated" ..,.
in the State. Everywhere schools are spring
| ing up, and the demand for teachers IS Steaul'
ly increasing More than so per cent; CT us
recent graduates are now engaged In the WORK
of teaching such facts AS teSe Prove H e ~,
Carolina College, aid Justify this language OF
the board Of visitors: at seems TO us that tne
State has never had greater reason to be proud
of it's College and that to dlSarm all hOneSt
opposi tion, and to change foes into friends, al
that is requisite Is to acqnaint the people OF
the State with what the institntion really is,
and with the magnificent work 1t Is doing
In commencing to your support and foster
/ Ing care the institutions which form the Uni
veIsity of South Carolina, permit me 10 re.
mind you that the educate movement OF
the day is as widespread as it Is Irresistible:
| The leading States of the Northwest ana our
sister Common wealths Of the South are rapid
ly building up tlioir institutions OF hlgher
| learning. North Carolina has recently
strengthened her university by largely IN
creased appropriations and by the addition or
several new chairs, and Virginia bas "ith!n
t:c last three Yeas gwen osgi SioJ'GsO W. ~.
chief seat of learning. Mississippi has grant
cd her Agrlcu!tural College more than 500. 900;
and Alabama and Georgia have appropratcd
large sums for the establishment and supper!
of technical schools in connection with thelr
State colleges These appropriations arc sums
safely invested, promising large and speedy
returns TO their people. Such wise and liberal
| lcsisIation-thc policy of the most progressive
States of the day,was the RUE IN our own owl,
to 1861. Never has it been more needeu IMAM
now, when success in every pursuit or calling
can only bc achieved by intelligent and we'll
directed, or, in other words, by educated ei-
fort.
Penitentiary.
Full information on the subjects to which
they respectively relate will be found IN the
report of the board Of directors of the REM,
tentiary, in which arc Included the REPORTS oi OF
officers of the prison, and OF the manager OF OF
the Canal. The whole number OF conyicts ,,,l IN 4
confinement during the year was ,l13. me
number on the 3lst day of October was 945, a
decrease of Ii us compared with the cores
ponding period of last year. OF this number
s. were colored males SO cOlOred females, ID
| white males and white females. The caSh
receipts for the fiscal year were SCI, 5,5}213. 70
this amount, as showing the earnings OF The
prison, must be added $l0,dl7.A due ny con-
tractors, making S7G,4i9.SO as the total income
for the year. The disbursements to October 81
were SCI t3l 55. TO this sum should be added
s., ,OGJ due in bank, which will be paid from
the amounts t. be collected from the contrac-
to:s, making the diSburscnsnis ior the year
| the receipts and the disbursements, S3,o!S2o is
| now due for Indebtedness incurred In the pur-
| chase OF blankets and clothing for the prison.
crs and of material necessary for the compile
zion of the north wing of the prison. In the
disbursement Is are included the amounts eX.
pended on the Canal and In the enlargement
OF the main building uf the Penitcntiary, as
we'll as in O her permanent Improvements
within the prison yard.
There are now but two contracts for labor
without the walls of the Pcnitent1ary. one
employed, will expire December 81, 1885, and
the other. upon which 100 convicts are en-
ployed, will expire June 81. 1S5G Ihere are
Two contracts for labor within The Waiis-nne
employing 10 and the other so cOnvicts. I'm
less other contracts can he made, the who!e
number Of convcts from whose labor revenue
will be derived after January |. 1856, VIII pe
$50. With no other contracts in force, 1t wi i'll.
in the opinion of the SUPERINTENDENT, require
500, ,0C0 to maintain the prison for the present
fiscal year. The work on the nor wing OF
the main building has been pressed vigorous
ly, and it will be completed in about three
months. There will then be $40 cells for the
accommodation of prisoners. This will 81 eat
ly increase the facilities for the confinement
of prisoners, but the supply will be unequal
to the demands Of the present, and probably
murh below those of the future. The surgeon
of the Penitentiary has repeatedly urged up
on the attention OF the board of directors the
a cell. While it is often necessary to assign
two and sometimes three, prisoners to one
cell, the board OF directors recognize the fact
that this crowdlng OF convicts In violation OF
wcll-established sanitary laws Is most nrcju-
dcial TO tho health Of the prison. The death
rate during the last year has been greater
than during any previous year OF the lncunl-
bency Of the present supcrintcndent-a result
which is due In large measure to the crowded
condition of the Penitentiary, and to the want
of sufficient hospital accommodations. Inc
report of the State Board of Health sets forth
forcibly and clearly tile evils produced by
ti0ns for the improvement of the sanitary
condition of the institution. AS soon as pos
sibe the construction of another wing OF the
arison should be begun. During the last year
the quarry has been extended, and Is now
available for furnishing stone to be used in
erecting additional buildings. From thirty to
and hands have been furnished as required
for work on the State House.
/ The financa! embarrasSments OF the prison
have been unusually great during the last fiS-
sustained by the explosion ola boi!er in March
last. The cost of repairs rendered necessary
by this explosion was about $3, ,oo0, and The loss
| incurred in wages Of the hands hired to con-
tractors within the walls, while awaiting the
repairs, was about the same amount. making
the total loss from this source about S6,Ut.
The diminished income Of the Penitentiary
has been due chiefly to the fact that the board
of directors have not been aOle to make con.
tracts AS heretofore for the hire of convicts.
The amendment to the law governing the hir
ing of convicts passed at the last session OF
the General Assembly, which was intended
to correct. as far as possible, the abuses OF the
lease system, has had the effect designed, but
it has greatly reduced the income of the pris,
on. In some instances the board Of directors
have been compelled to refuse to lease con.
victs because OF the report of the surgeon thai
the work was not safe and healthy and IN
Others persons desiring to employ hands have
declined to comply with the provisions of the
Act. The experience OF the last year gives no
reason 10 hope that under existing laws 1t will
T be possible 10 hire out such number of con.
victs as will make the institution s2lf-susiain.
ing. believe that the revenues Of the prison
would De considerably increased If the laws
!, governing the hiring of convicts were further
amended so rs to permit the board of directors
f to take contracts for the performance OF spe,
cific work, the work TO be done entirely under
= the control and direction of The officers Of the
Pcnitcntiary. If this auth hority, were granted
many contracts, large and small, could be sc.
cured on terms which would prove remuncra
tive, and with results more satisfactory as to
5 the care and supervision OF the convicts than
cnu be attained when they are hired to con.
tractors. If this recommendation should
meet the approval Of the General Assembly
t would further recommend that the sum o.
f $25 900 be appropriated to be used as may bt
necessary for the support of the institution
the amount so used to be returned to the STATE
treasury from the net earnings Of the Peni.
tentiary. Such appropriation would provide
| for any contingency by which the cash re
ceipts may at any time fall below the demands
, of the prison. During the lest year. in conse