Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-20

output to supply the State institutions al
iuded to in the foregoing, and it were
deemed better to take broader advantage
Of the great water privileges there, the
labor of the criminals could he devoted to
the quarrying OF stone and the erection of
4 series of large b;aildiugs saitable for
manufacturing purposes, located sufE-
ciently far apart to prevent confiction ef
water rights, Such buildings suitable for
cotton, woolen ana other manufactures,
three or four stores high, built of stone
quarried, dressed and placed in position by
prison labor, / believe could readily be
leased by the State to advantage. Many
people in the manufacturing industries
have money sunll in their building that
they could Use TO greater advantage in the
handling CT the business itself.
This might lie better accomplished by
having the State purchase the water privi-
leges along the river, which world control
the situatisn, and ! think tend to bring
the people eli California to a realization Of
the immense value of the water privileges
running te waste in our focthills | be-
lieve also that this example would give an
impetus to the utilization of such re-
sources generally, and lessen-in fact grad
ually crowd out-the competition OF the
Eastern States which now supply this en-
tire coast. For, considering the past, pres
ent and prospective high price of coal
| (Which is now $l2 & ton, and it is pre-
| dieted viii "sRurt" up to S25 the coming
wiater) and the immense quantities of
weed and timber that gre being cut from
forests and consumed yearly for fuel and
| bGilding purposes, the cheapness and Su-
periority of water over steam, for driving
machinery, becomes apparent.
Aside from the manufacturing aspect of
| this question of prison development. there
is still another channel in which such
labor may be utilized. There is 2 great
scarcity Of stonecutters in California, and
as the number Of works made of stone has
been gradually increasing the demand for
| stOnecutters and masons has been gradu-
ally growing. This want has had to be
| met by the importation from the East. /
have 10 doubt, is cur community gets
older, that there will be an increased de-
| mand for this class of labor The State
Prison at Folsom is especially adapted to
the training of convicts in this line, and
would give the reformed criminal trade
10y which to earn an honest living.
in some Of the European countries-
| Germany, i tainh-i .uu Ioid that they
have considerably different idea, or
| rather 4 more elaborate idea of prison re-
form, and follow the principle that a per-
! son who has once fallen into crime should
be given an opportunity to reform, so that
when prisoners emerge from jail, having
served their sentence, the mere fact of
having been in prison does not debar them
| from employment. No secresv is observed.
| but crime, when expiated, is to a certain
extent ignored by the people The prison
system there is to reform convicts, by
making them selfsupporting through the
learning of trade, so that when released
they are generally first-class workmen in
some department, and manufacturers have
no hesitancy in employing them.
The early houses of adobe, built by the
Mission Fathers, are especially adapted to
our hot climate, but after all they were
more or less makeshift, being prey to
the elements, and, unless properly cared
| for, crumbled away. Buildings of stone
| are more costly in their first expense, but
are practically indestructible; and / think
that. as our farmers prosper and they have
time to consider the comfort of their sur
roundings, available stone and brick will
be utilized for buildings rather than wood.
which, in the climate of the interior val
| leys, does not make dwelling nearly as
comfortable and cool as the old adobe
ones.
No better place can be found for the
employment of malefactors than upon
works OF strictly public character, which
| would, on account of their costliness. per-
| haps be deferred for years or not under
taken at all. | have in mind the present
| condition of the water front in San Fran
| cisco, which is the property of the State,
whose citizens pay the expense of its
maintenance.
Every dollar saved in tolls on commerce
adds just SO much to the wealth of the
community, and instead of expending the
exorbitant amounts necessary to pay for
the construction and maintenance of the
flimsy and fast decaying wharves which
line our waterfront, | think that money
would be saved should it be spent in the
construction of permanent stone piers
which require little or no repairs thus re-
ducing the heavy expense which the State
now incurs. l think this utilization of
prison labor upon the States own property
along this sea-wall would furnish employ
ment for years to come, at the same time
adding immense value TO that properly
and furthering the prosperity of the largest
city upon the coast, in which the whole
State is interested. From the fact that the
State owns quarry within the prison
grounds at Folsom, upon which prison
labor could be engaged estimate that the
COST of constructing such stone piers could
possibly be brought down within limit
which would justify the States entering
upon the building of them. Permanency
of improvement is what we should struggle
for, and | think that this could be attained
by the mode suggested more cheaply than
any other way which at present occurs to
my mind.
| inclose you herewith copies of memo
randa showing the dimension and cost of
the only two stone piers erected in New
York:
MEMORANDUM IN RELATION TO PIER "a" NORTH
RIVER.
This pier is 45 feet wide by 2s5 feet long. II is
built upon uneven rock levelei off by concrete
IN bags for foundation of the sub-piers The
depth OF water is IRON Is to 3S feet at low water
The mean range of the tide is A. .63 feet Eight
sub-piers were built of concrete blocks weigh
ing from 20 to 30 tons each made in air and set
upon foundation of concrete in bags The con
crete blocks extend UP to within 2.07 feet above
mean high water. 1he sub-pieIs are butt of
granite, The sub-plers are 10 feet long BY 5L
feet vice where made of concrete and 5 feef
wide where made of granite; upon the top OF
them are iron plates and girdeIs 5 feet deep
ana upon these glroerS concrete arches were
turned or built, the top of which forms the srr
nr a -sNff ,af..r