The morning call., 1894-10-22
PLAIN FOR MANEUVERING.
Two Hundred Acres Along the
Water Front.
MAY BE WORKED WITH CONvICTs
General Graham Says the Present
Drill Grounds Are Too Small
for Effective Use.

Like Oliver Twist, the United States
War Department. as represented by the
Presidio Army Post, always wants more.
1t has constant and Unsuitable hankering
after more land and more water. Its latest
acquisition was supply of very fine
water from the spring courses of the res
ervation at the head of Point Lob0s Creek,
at the probable expense and to the detri-
ment of the Marine Hos pital, which de-
vel p1d mine Of the purest water long
ago. Much OF this water-perhaps too
much for the comfort of the hospital-will
soon flow to the Presidio, all that is now
needed being a few hundred yards OF
trench and connecting pipe.
AS the hankering after more and batter
water has in measure been satisfied, the
aforesaid War Department has began to
banker after more land.
The thousands of acres within the reser-
vation are not sufficient for the military
needs of the post General Graham. the
commander, said so ye sterday. He wants
more ground for drills and parades. The
general is not prepared to state Just how he
is to get it. but he has a very good idea.
which he thinks is in accord with the
higher powers that be- The prosecution
and further development of this idea
would entail considerable expense and
require much labor, but the results would
be great gain and an unmixed good for
the fighting men in the Far West They
would have more and better space for
drills and maneuverings and for preparing
themselves to meet and vanuuish invading
foes generally.
I'VE are badly crowded for battle-ground"
the general SAID, while conversiug on the
subject, land therefore cannot have the
drills and manuevers necessary for
thorough efficiency In the workings OF the
troops stationed here. There is, of course,
plenty of ground so far as surface is con-
cerned within the reservation, but it is
mostly hilly and uusuited for the finer
tactics necessary for fine manuevering. 1t
is very awkward to be cramped for room,
and this fact is well known to the depart
ment. Steps will probably be taken to
remedy this, but do not know how SOON"
The plan for securing more land and
nice level land, to which General Graham
alluded, is TO fill in the marsh-land lying
on the bay north OF the reservation in the
same manner as IS contemplated by Sena-
tor Fair. This marsh extends from the
eastern boundary of the reservation along
the bay-shore TO the bluffs on the west,
distance of more than 1000 Ieet and rang
ing In width from 500 to 1000 yards. If
this we're all filled in it would give an ad-
dltiODal area of about 225 acres, which
would be made perfectly level by the work
OF filling. and would make magnificent
drill-groun6 and manuevering plain.
1T will not be so very difficult to do"
said General Graham. "1he material
could easily he obtained from the adjacent
sandhiils sufficient to fill the desired area
to level with the adjoining dry land.
Tramways worked By the gravItation sys-
tenn could be constructed on which to run
the cars at small expense. We have 100
mules here. too. of which only bout fifty
are employed to any extent. They could
be probably utilized in this work. When
work Is begun on this improvement il is
possible that army convicts will be brought
here from Fort LeavenwOrtb. Kans., which
is now the center of the army convict col
Onies. But of that l know nothing def
nitely.
sit might be more economical to do the
work by contract rather than by convict
labor. AT present there are not more than
thirty convicts on Alcatraz, and whether
or not more Will be brought there / cannot
say. 1t is a long way from Fort Leaven-
worth to San Francisco. and il might prove
a losing proposition TO bring so many pris-
oners over such a long distance for any
work Of the kind mentioned. Besides the
convicls at Leayenworlh are all employed
in the trades. They make shoes for the
army and many kinds OF furniture and
other useful things. The work of filling in
deep ravine Is now going on just back of
the post grounds, but that is done by con-
tract"
GeueTal uTaudm 6VIuenLly Is lot irle nd
or advocate of convict labor or the penal
system now employed by the War Depart
ment While speaking about the army
convicts generally he said:
Il think the Navy Department has a
much better system for dealing with men
who will not behave themselves. In the
navy the offenders are simply discharged
summarily from the service. The civil
authorities and the public at large are left
to deal with these kinds of malefactors un-
disturbed. The army, on the other hand.
attempS TO reform the criminals by means
of penal servitude and teachings in NOR
ality and mechanical arts. In nv opinion
this is all a mis- take. l think the cuIprits
are made worse instead of better; that
they come out of their Imprisonment worse
than they went in.'
The general has a grudge against the
city and county of San Francisco for per-
mittIng the defilement Of the waters of
Point Lobos Creek along the western
banks and slopes OF that stream, from
which def!ement the Presidio has long
ouffa