New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-03

| tired'
Can you blame the manufacturers Of our town II they
their products with the OF some other Town tha
Sing Sing when every knight Labor in the country VIII
begin the minute he is asked 10 WORK WIN too
that he suspects made by convict labor
The opposition this movement Is organized ana ios
t.red nv what YOU might call the bank ring" The First
National Sing Sing Is the only bank In the town.
barring the Savings Bank whose interests are ioentea
with the other the State account with the bank made
by the prison. small thing, and they don't
want TO lose It, They exert good deal OF pressure
too ON the merchants Of the town, good many OF who
while really favoring removal and heartily sick OF the
vet like speak out for fear Of offending the
.pank ring don't fig for the banks enmity,
however the old prison CO. with all the
stigma it conferred the town and the positive
| injury arising therefrom.
j. Homer Allen, the principal and proprietor OF the
well-lnown Mount Pleasant Military Academy, is also
strongly in favor of the removal Of the prison.
ON THE FENCE.
The reporter found a large number Of other people
in the town who expressed themselves strongly in
favor Of the removal. and then, again, he
found number OF people, mostly shopkeepers who
are decidedly the fence" They arc fully aware OF
the sentimental prejudice which the presence OF the
prison raises up against the town. but their motto IS
"a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,' and
they would like TO have guarantee that something
equally good would come to take its place before
the old prison goes and takes with it the 100000
year estimated paid out in the town to employees OF
the prison and those of its kindred industries, and
supposed to find its way into the pockets Of the mer
chants eventually The opinion of these men Is en-
titled to respect they supply sort OF brake TO the
impetuosty of those who want the prison to go, and
a spur TO the conservatism Of those who want to let
things go they have been.
w. W. Washburne, Of Washburne Brothers, drug
gists and stationers, is of these. lie said
find it difficult to up my mind about It, 1t is
question for the village and should be approached
with care get good deal Of trade from those employed
at prison. and friends OF the prisoners buy good deal
and have sent down TO the convcts. am thus
directly benefited by the prison. vet would not let that
consideration stand in the Of It's removal If could
be convinced that there reasonable prospect OF manu-
factures coming in its who repealed
by Of the prison and the suspicion OF convict
labor which attaches to anything and everything manuac
ured Sing Sing 1t to that II manufacturers
really unusual advantages in Sing Sing which
places did not possess they would no. be entirely
discouraged BY that consideration. On the other hand
Sing Sing is growing in just that kind OF population that
seriously objects to the prison, wealthy or compare
lively wealthy people who do business in the city and want
to homes Of their own III the country sing sing
will stay and prosper never fear even prison does
CO. And then again, 1t is private opinion that any,
thing might do In the matter would be OF mighty little
anyway, for the politicians have decided that the
prison shall be removed Esopus, II will be removed
though all Sing Sing tear its hair and sit In sackcloh ana
ashes.
S. B. Crosier, proprietor Of the Crosier House,
thinks also that bird in the hands is worth two In
| the bush. If he could be that something bet
| ter or even as good the prison were coming,
he would gladly say "goodby prison." but the sub
stanal reasons for its retention outweigh the sent-
| mental reasons for its removal with him.
| c. H. Cumming watches and tewelry, is OF the
same mind.
Titlar & Fowler. butchers, are about evenly dl-
vided in opinion one member of the firm being Tor
removal the other conservative.
f. H. Horton. of Rowland & Horton. real estate
and insurance brokers. is inclined to move slowly
in the matter. He thinks the attractions which Sing
Sing offers to suburban residents would be much
| more powerful If they were backed up by better
roads and more improvements Of that sort. and that
the business derived from the prison is badly needed
and could i'll be dispensed with.
Winfield S. Smith, another real estate agent said
The removal OF the prison would certainly give Sing
Sing black eye for time With the prison go large
people employed 1t and employed by industries
that depend largely 1t. should that fully one
hundred would be thrown the market at once
and perhaps more deny that that would
have effect property In town so small a. this
about 900 people, and the prospect Of removal
makes apparent in values better class OF houses
has going up here lately than formerly and the prison
does exercise dampenng effect on the towns
growth vet it cannot be denied that there is
prejudice against and its removal might in time prove
decided benefit
DETERMINED TO KEEP THE PRISON
But the hesitancy of the undecided is in strong
contrast to the outspoken attitude OF tlosc WHO
will not have the prison go any grounds "Do
7 want the prison to go?" said exState Senator
Nelson leading lawyer the town and the president
of the First National Bank of Sing Sing. DO you
think Pm crazy" He added:
think ANYBODY be nearly who wants to deprive
the town distributing centre that has done far moro
than ANYTHING else to make 1t what 1t Is Certain indvd
nails who have property which they would like 10 sell OF In
villa plots to people who make their money In The city no
doubt think they would derive immediate benent In the
increased OF their lots and thus hnd purchasers al
once who deferred from coming TO Town "hich
bes,s the sentimental which the prison is supposed
to confer As me- never have had any cause 10 De
ashamed that hailed from Sing Sing, and II there Is any
thing certain people that would leau sonecS III
Ter that they had just escaped from the penenary why
I'm, sorry for them Let them register from somewhere
else. A.,
4, T. Young. a leading hardware merchant Of tho
town, is strongly opposed to the removal lie an
swers Mrs. Truesdell's arguments as follows:
Mr. Truesde merchants find their trade coming
from three sources He the farming interests the
diversified mechanical employment the hotel interest e
hack1pen and carmen the large unskied labor ele
ment which do not desire the removal OF the prison.
But there is broader view Of the subject ignoring
local differences Why should he State remove the prison
at an9 And new prison is required why ho' puiu
on the present site7 Every reason MI IruesueH GIVE
to recommend the prison site to manufacturers soo
ro.son for building a new prison the present site
The Hudson River has long shore line It's banks arc
not vet crowded with great factories anu "aU i "c
present prison site About thirty acres OF as poor souu
as the crow flies over-onehaf all rocks primarily sDc
quarry and aerward place for burning line; the other
half party reclaimed from the river and none OF very
valuable have never heard 1t valued before at above
81 600 per acre has been appraised at S2ooooo
which could be good round price for all the properly
west OF the Sparta from Sing Sing to scarborough
The fact u.s. this worth more for It's present pir-
poses than for anything else while Mr. Truesde "ouu
make us believe it good for everything else ca
cept prison. $500,
The nrson contractors and officers friends and
citizens they neghbors and our customers
Many NJ them own real estate lived in Sing Sing
for long time If prison goes it means the removal
Of between two and three hundred families
C. C. Clarke OF the HUDSON RIVER