The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-01-18
Raids the Treasury.

1t will be seen by the report that after paying
for the lands and other necessary expenses there
remained out of the S6O0O0O procured from the
sale of the penitentiary bonds and unappropri-
ated about S35O,OOO After accepting plans
specifications, etc, the committee advertised for
bids, which were received and opened, and j. P.
Fulcher & Co.'s bids of S951 ,659.S9 for the whole
work was accepted, on condition that they do
the work to the extent of $500 and complete
the whole work at their bid, provided the Legis-
lature would make the appropriation for the
balance on their bid, viz: S6OI 659.S9. The COM
mittee visited many of the most modern and
best constructed prisons of the country. w. &.
Smith, the architect, corresponded with super
intendentS and men of many years experience
and otherwise Investigated, with the following
results:
To His Excellency, Gov. Turney, Nashville,
Tenn.-My Dear Sir; In comparison with the
cost of other modern State prisons, as obtained
direct from official sources, the cost of the new
penitentiary for this State, including its en-
closure wall, when fully completed, will have
been very little more than One-halt the cost per
cell OF other prisons OF its class on the congre-
gate plan. The State prison in Rhode Island
has 252 cells, and the cost of the plant was $780,
21I5s, or s, ,400S3 per cell. The prison at Joliet,
Ill, has 900 cells for population of 500. Its
cells are only 4xTX7 yet its cost was 81 O0O OO0 or
little over s., III per cell This prison is fire
proof, and more than one prisoner is confined to
ceH; IL Is regarded by prison authorities in
that State as relic OF barbarism. The new
state prison OF Massachusetts has a capacity Of
500 inmates and cost 81 900 900. This prison is not
absolutely hre-proOf yet 1t will be seen its cost
was ST. ESQ per cell. The TefOrmatOTy at Mans
field, o., has capacity of 750 prisoners, one
prisoner to each cell, and will have cost, when
completed, 81 ,l25,OO0, or 81, 800 per cell.
This is FIRE proof structure, and is about two
thirds completed. The penitentiary for the
Eastern District of Pennsylvania cost about
SlO50.000; the refOrmatOry at Huntingdon, Pa,
cost 81 ,220 600. and the Western penitentiary at
AleEnany, Pa, cost 81, $4,000. The prison at
Aleeheny, Pa, has 1,250 cells, hence its cost
was s., 500 per cell. The new Tennessee peniten-
tiary viii have. In obedience TO the statute 1900
cells, part Of which, to the extent of so much
OF the present appropriation as was available, is
now under the contract, and provisional con-
tract, contingent upon the action of the incOm-
ing Legislature, has made for the entire plant,
exclusive Of the enclosure wall, workshops and
grading, at an aggregate price of 1851 ,65929, to
which add the farm and site, including the inclo-
sure wall, workshops and grading, which we
viii place approximately at S275, ,OO0 and the
total cost would be 81 ,226 659.e9, or Ss1777 per
cell-very little more than One-half the cost per
o., the prison at Allegheny, Pa, and the Rhode
Island prison, and nearly $3.50 less per cell than
the prison at Concord, Mass With kindest re-
CARDS, / am your obedient servant,
w. G. SMITH, Architect.
From all of which it will be seen that the Ten
nessee prison will be in all things superior TO
the best now existing in the United States, with
much less cost. That part Of the prison con-
tracted for will contain 900 cells, and will within
itself be complete prison. but will be less than
one-thlrd OF that contemplated by the act, and
altogether too small, as you have already seen,
for the purpose of the State as expressed in the
act and absolutely demanded by public policy,
health and humanity.
/ urgently and earnestly recommend the ap-
propTiatiOn- refer you TO the commissioners
report for a description Of the coal lands and
the history OF their purchase. In the purchase
the State certainly did weI in procuring the
best fields in the State. The eOnvicts there are
now and have been engaged in opening the mines,
and the output Is fully up to the expectations OF
the committee. The mines had never been in
any way worked until the purchase by the State.
! think it viii be well that the committee be
authorized TO sell the coal taken out aud ap-
propslata the proceeds 10 such buildings and
improvements ~ nay es necessary ~ the RiResi