Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-12
LIBBY PRISON SALE.
so FAR As Can BE SEEN VOW IT WILL
BE coHsUMxATgD
Expressions Of opinien as to the Removal
from Richmond and Chicago
People Varying Views.

conducted the correspondence with
Messrs. Rawlings & Rose, the Richmond
real estate firm who negotiated the sale.
On the 9Th instant these gentlemen
wrote Mr.. GRAY letter in which they
informed him that the thirty days OPP
ton on the building cost $50 and that the
abstracts Of deeds, &c. cost $50 more,
all of which they had paid. In this let
ter was also given the terms OF sale,
which are as follows: One third cash /;
the balance in six and twelve months,
with per cent added to deferred pay
ments; or Sl3, 800 cash, the purchasers
to assume the obligation to pay the lien
of $40, 900 now on the property (as was
seen by abstracts sent; or they could
pay the entire purchase-mOney cash.
Mr.. GRAY's LETTER.
In response to this Messrs Rawlings
& Rose on Friday received n letter from
Mr.. Gray in which, after acknowledging
the receipt of the favor of the 9TH in
slant and noting the feet that he en-
closed check for the 500 as per agree
ment. he says "What is the sentiment
there Richmond), as / suppose you are
in a position to hear it -? Would they
like to retain it in Richmond There
is no doubt in my mind but what | will
close the matter up unless some arrange
ment is made there to the contrary. The
matter hes been received exceedingly
favorably in our city"
In reply to the above the following
was written and mailed yesterday 4:
Your letter of the Sth to hand with
enclosed check for 300 in compliance
with terms for advance money, abstracts,
&c. There is OF course much surprise
here at the sale OF Libby Prison and the
immense undertaking and novel idea OF
moving it. But there is not the slightest
objection from fair-minded men. =
The present owners have no objection,
and we think, as do most Of the people
with whom we have talked on the
subject, that there is money in
the scheme, and that you and
your associates will be successful IN your
enterprise. There is certainly no chance
Of getting up IA company to buy and re-
tain it in Richmond. Our Mr.. Raw
lings has conversed with our best me
chanics, and they all agree that the
buildings can be successfully moved.
We can sell the lot for you at a good
price when the buildings have been
moved. Railroad-men have been to see MS
in regard TO removing, and there are two
lines who will compete for the haul
ing. You will be able when you come
here to buy many valuable war relics
from the many battle-felds around our
city. We will gladly do all in our power
to aid YOU when you come on to settle
up finally. We mail you several OF our
papers. Yours very respectfully,
RAWLINGS d ROSE.
II THE AGENTS HANDS.
About the sale of Libby Prison Colonel
Palmer. president of the Southern Fer
tilizer Company, said yesterday that per
sonally he did no. know whether the
transaction would be consummated or
not the property was in the hands OF
his agents, and the Chicago people had
been given an option of thirty days,
which had not yet expired. No money
had yet changed hands and no papers
had been signed except the option. If
bought the property was deliverable by
July LIST. He had no reason 10 suppose
that the sale would not be made unless
the parties are deferred by what some OF
the newspapers say.
POLITICAL CAPITAL.
Mr.. John Latouche, of this city, who
was adiutant at Libby Prison during the
last seventeen months of the war, yester-
day expressed the opinion that tie pro
ject Of moving it was to make political
capital TO keep up the enmity of the
North against the South, and that It had
its encouragement among the extreme
Republicans OF the North.
But MIR. Latouche did not believe that
the prison would ever be taken to Chi
cago. To his mind the scheme WAS not
practicable. One basement Of the build
ing is granite, and there are three stories
on one street and four on another, and
il would be no easy job to tear down,
pack up, and transplant such structure.
He says there were over one thousand
officers at one time confined in the prison
after the cartel had been stopped by the
North, and some of these stayed there
over year.
Mr.. Latouche was lieutenant and de-
tached from Company b, of the Twenty
fifth battalion.
Now hIchmOnders May See How the
Chicago People Look at IL.
tChicago Times-Editorial.l
The OIL Ciy Dc,rick is astonished
and shocked at the idea of removing old
Libby Prison to Chicago. 1t says:
"What is thoro about that old tobacco-ware-
house that any one in his normal mind would
care 10 gaze upon7 Does the pursuit Of hap
piness include the contemplation OF that which
has no associations except crime, cruelty,
misery, suffering, oppression, persecution, ana
death! A taste dolighting In such scenes denotes
an unspeakable deprayity sensationalism run
mad. Anything that can recall the terrors and
abOmlnatiOns of rebel prison should never be
permitted 10 be removed from tho soil that II
cursed Instead Of preserving such mementos
of the wrongs and outrsges committed upon
loyal and patriotic unfortunates, II would lie
better that they be RACED 10 the ground, their
sites 'ploughed up and soved with salt as a token
OF utter desOlatiOn-' Their sites may be remem-
bered as American denominations. but the ediflces
never as objects Of prurlent ana misdirected
curiosity. Tho wretchad old pile Of bricks Is
harmless where il stands; the kindly hand OF
nature is gradually removing il from human
view. There Is no cultivation OF tho good. the
Beautiful. or the true Ia an e1Ort 70 preserve II
for any purpose whatever"
The Derrick should not be envious of
the lifting powers of Chicago. 1t is an
Archimedean lever that has lifted miles
of massive brick and stone buildings.
II has lifted the whole Northwest terri
tory 30 far out of the mud that its good
old mother, Virginia, would not know it.
1t has lifted many man out of his boots,
and many other men into fortunes. The
removal of dLibby will be but baga-
telle-not half as expensive rs an ODE
lisk from Egypt to New York, and
much more instructive and protita-
BILE. We have no special inter
est in Rameses the Second and
his hieroglyphics, but We have IN
those other barbarians who commanded
Libby when it was crowded by dying
and starving soldiers. There are yet
living up this way many who have a spe-
cial interest in Libby-General Stiles,
for instance, who will never go to see 1t.
We propose to bring Libby to them.
Perhaps under the influence of the lake
breezes it may take on new airs. Pos
sibly it may expand and spread itself