Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-01-15
The Pchiieltiar. Site.



superintendent for the custody aud
maintenance of Territorial convicts
at Scatco, referring to the reports of
the commissioners appointed by the
Governor Of the Territory, under the
act of Nov. IS, 1858, to select suit
able place to locate said Terri, i,orial
rcuifcntIaIy. would most rcspectful-
~ cail attention to the fact that, in
hIs Judgment, the ricscn' aile OF
said PenItcntlaly at Seatco comes
nearer filing the conditions con
tomplAted i'll said bill for tho per
mauent site of said penitcntiary,
than either Walla Walla, recon-
mended by the majority, or Van
cou,er, recommended by the mill
ori'y.
Section Is of the act in question,
prescribing the duties of the Com
missioners i'll making SAID selection,
provides that they shall take into
consideration central location, ac-
cessibiIity thereto by railroads aud
water, that said location shall con-
tain lG0 acres of land, with rock
thereon, or adjacent thereto .sui;a-
bic to b1ild said penitentiary there
On, the intention OF which section
obviously WIS TO make i: TIE duty of
tho Commissioners, TO make the Sc
lection OF Il site for permanent pen
itCntiary building, with reference to
the best interests Of the Territory,
i'll erecting and maintaining the
same.
The majority of said committee
Henry Landes and B. L. Sharp
stein, recomened that Walla Wulla
be selected for the future site of
the peni.entiury, from which the
minority Mr.. S. W. Brown, dissents,
md recommends Vancouver.
Mr.. Brown in lis minority report,
sets forth that Vancouver is more
central and more accessible than
Walia WalIa, that the hca!thfulness
Of the place has never been ques-
toned, that the ,,csilcl amount Of
land oi a good quality can be OBJ
tanned at that place for Il moderate
price. That stone fer the purpose
Of building the new penitentiary,
can be cheaply and conveniently OBJ
tanned, that the vicinity abounds in
manufacturing material such as clay
suitable for bricks and pottery, and
III timber OF every description; that
the buildings and Improvements
necessary for penitentiary, could be
produced in Vancouver for more than
enough lens 10 offset Walla Walla's
liberal donation; that TIE climate at
Vancouver is milder than at Walla
Walla or any point East of the
mountains, ,and that smaller amount
Of supplies in the way of fuel,
clothing, &c., would suffice for the
use of convicts.
This statement of facts as between
the two places proposed, Walla
Walla and Vancouver, is sufficient
to show that, SO far as the questions
OF convenience and economy are con-
cerned, the latter point has decided
ly the advantage over the former.
And if these two questions are to be
considered il, selecting the site
those of convenience and economy,
and we believe there are no other
questions that effect the people Of
the Territory at large in the matter
the undersigned takes the liberty
Of suggesting that Seatco, the pre-
sent location Of the Territorial PEN
itentiary, in addition to every ad-
vantage claimed for Vancouver over
Walla Walla, in the particulars of
climate, healthfuluess, accessibility,
the convenience of material for
building, and manufacturing mater
ial of evtry description, water
power and agricultural lands in such
quantity as may be desired, pos
sesses independent advantages which
cannot be claimed for any other To-
cation. Seatco, as is we'll known,
was selected by the present proprie-
tors solely with regard to economy
in the construction of the pen;ten-
tiary building, in the conveyance of
coI,icts thereto from all parts of the
Territory and in their maintenance
and profitable employment. Hav-
ing contracted to eject all necessary
buildings and to guard and caro- for
all Territorial convic,s at thoir own
expense for stipulated sum per
head and whatever profits they
could make from the prison labor,
they had no INTEREST," in the selection
except to choose the one which
would best answer these purposes,
and experience thus far has justified
their choice in every particular.
They have demonstrated that al
this point the labor of the prison
can be profitably employed and that
if not fully self-sustainiDg, the insti.
tuition under proper management
can be made to contribute very
largely to that end, and that too il
a direction that necessarily gives EN-.
ployment to a very large number Of
free laborers, in the preparation oi
timber material used for manufac
turing purposes by the prison labor
THEN chief products'being sash, doors
and barrels.
The present contractors have in.
vested upon the present site abou
49, 600 in prison buildings, &c.
which are ample for the accummoda'
ton Of Territorial convicts for some
years 10 como, aud as their present
contract with the Territory will ex
pire in July next, they beg leave tc
say that they stand ready to sci
their buildings and improvements tc
the Territory at a moderate plice
and mos, respectfully suggest that
as there is plenty of stone within
four miles, upon the line of the
Northern Pacific Railroad, if sucl
purchase was made, the Territory