The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-02-16
THE RUSK PENlTENTlARY.
VISIT OF THE LEGISLATORS,
The Compromise with the Contractors
The Question of Building New Pris-
ons Before Those Already
Built Are Filled


The penitentiary committee have come
and gone. What the result of their in
Vestigations will be deponent sayetb
not. A dispute between Hon. r. Il.
Hendry, representative from this
county, and Hon. Il j. Goree, superin.
tendent of the penitentiaries, growing
out of the appaisement OF property
turned over by Corner Il Fair, con
tractors, the said appraisement being
by each party, and the said
Hendry being called in by the
Two umplres to constitute a third marty
mas been discussed good deal by par
Ties on either side, but the people now
as well as tho state at large are more in
terested IN the development of the in
stitutlon than in pen sonal uuarrels, The
state has spent from first 10 last over
hall million of dollars here and it is time
mat IT was beginning to get some re-
turn Tor same. The prison has ca
paclly Tor |, 600 convicts, but 300 or 400 is
az many asis Kept here and at no time
mas the number exceeded 500 men. y
NOW, what sense is there in talking of
building new prisons, at great est To
Tho state, when the state treasury is not
hurdened with any cash balance, until
tnls prison and the one at Huntsville
are hlied to their utmost capacity. The
cells are mere, the shop room, the water,
the timber, the ore iron is inexhausti
bic, and every thing else necessary 10
make success OF the institution, but
good MANAGEMENT on the part of the
state; and by this mean
the legislature of the state
for | believe that the Penitentiarv otii-
GERS are anxious to see the industries
for which the institution was built de.
veloped, but they can do nothing with
ont appropriations and these should he
made literally ~ no profit can be- made
10 the stale without sufficient outlay
10 run the thing on business principles,
IL inc legislature is unwilling to take
the responsibility OF doing this they
should lease the concern to some one
| with sufficient money to do so even
| II the state got nothing for
the hire of Convicts or use of its ma
chlnery, for these 1000 lclOns could be
confined in the walls here and at
| Huntsville that are now being worked
out all over the state and escaping and
stealing honest poOple's horses and
/ other properly, hesiaes the great mum.
| Der OF them being continually shot
| down and killed ~ irving to make
their escape, has long been considered
! Ny the people shame aud blot on our
civiliz ttion. But it is seriously
/ doubted whether the visiting
statesmen who have Just been among MS
/ will return to tho capital any better
qualified to solve the problem of the
| development aud carrying out of in.
| dnstrles connected with Tho peniten-
| tiaries than when they left there, as
IT appears that they give little attention
! to these things during their brief STAY
here, at least If they made any inquirv
! or investigation In regard to what branch
OF industry could or would be SUCCESS
ful have not heard 1t. They heard
complaints OF cOnyiCls and ex-
hnlned their condition to a
limited extent, and no doubt
found the prison well managed, clearly,
ana GOOD order prevailing, and, rs |
SAID before Intervene |, several citizens
| In regard to the settlement Of the Conner
a Fairris contract. II is hoped.
however, that the committee have, from
| a general way, gathered sufficient in-
| formation TO enable them to report some
| feasible plan for filling the walls of the
| penitentiaries with long term cOnvjcts
and working them probably; az least.
10 support themselves, and the peo.
| pie in that case would be con-
tent. And, in this connection,
utSlTe 10 Cali lne attention to the tault
finders In regard to he location of the
penitentiaries, with respect to railroad
| facilities. Some very critical people
should learn that the Huntsville peni-
Tertiary was located before the railroads
in Texas were, and that the Rusk peni-
TENT ,ry was located In accordance with
an act of the legislature of the state of
Texas, for the purpose of utilizing con
victs in the manufacturing OF iron in
eastern Texas; that Rusk was selected
by the commissioners appointed
to locate said ponitentiaries.
as aflording better facilities
for tho manufacture OF iron than anv
other local. Y. We have one good rail
road, and If the industries contemplated
are fully developed, there will be no
trouble about railroads, as in that case,
If not Independent of it, at least one
more railroad will be built here, AS
there are two projected through this i'm,
mediate section. The question now pre-.
scented to tho Legislature is this: one
dollar having been spent already, shall
10 or 10 cents be added in order to get
double results, or shall that much be
sunk? FEsTus.