The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-01

with plans, profileS and specifications; that
then, If possible, all grades should be. re-
duced so as not to exceed a foot and half
to the hundred feet, and all DOGGY places
and fills should be thoroughly tiled; that
an excavation on the grade nine feet wide
and five inches deep be made and curbed
with one-inch by twelve-inch pine boards,
the nine-foot space between the curbs 10
pc then covered with clean, dry SAND TO q
depth Of six inches and thoroughly tampec.
On this, a foundation set on edge, at
right angles to the curb, a single course
of the best paving brick. three by four by
nine inches in size. Then excavate space
two feet wide outside of curbs, tapering
leaving the shoulders against curbs, and
I'LL this space with crushed stone TO depth
of six inches which will be two inches
above top of curb Then cover both brick
and stone with sand, clean, sharp and dry,
and sweep until the interStices are all thor
oughly filled; then roll until the whole road
IS solicited: Finally cover with one-haf
The entire width of the road should now
be graed SO that it would be easy TO get on
and on of hard road and in good weather,
when the ground is settled the side roads
Will be used and thus save the wear and
tear of the good road From what /
and know of the endurance of such brick as
above named, you have road good for
forty years. without any need of repair:
except the crushed stone part, which is used
particularly for curb; fit for traffic, pleas
ure and beauty to the country through
which 1t passes, and also as far as dollars
and cents are concerned the cheapest that
can be built.
The cost of a mile of brick road thus
as OF this t sum Il the e cost Of the BRICK
is computed at $3.50 a thousand, or a total
of 1864; making the cost of all the other
features, i. e., engineering expense, grad
ing, curbing, laying brick, etc, $2.149 a mile.
IF convict labor were used in the manu-
factu.e of the brick, they could. without
doubt be furnished at the plant, to the
counties constructing the roads, at 81 a
thousand, which would require an outlay of
but 500 a mile. The crushed stone could
he hx Ia a a
greatly reduced cost, and could be used for
foundation instead of sand. Stone curbing
stituted for the pine boards. With these
changes the road need cost but little If any
over $3.50 a mile, the most of which would
be for grading and the laying of the brick,
For, understand, the plan proposed does not
consider that the convicts be employed eX-
cept in the preparation OF the material,
the latter to be furnished al cost to the
counties. All grading, teaming, brieklaying.
etc, should be done by free labor, it is
at present. The day of the chain gang al
work on the roadside, subjected to the gaze
and Jeers of the passer-by is, rightfully,
a thing of the past"
OF this fifth condition Mr.. Blatchley said
that but little more need be said The
prisoners, We all know said he, ARE there
and without work; A man without work IS
tive and surrounded as each of those con-
YictS is by others of his kind, that activity
will be used in plotting new crme, or plan
ming new rebellion against the keepers. The
years of their incarceration are, on account
of this enforced idlenesS, ten-fOld longer,
for no time hangs heavy as that where
the hands and the brain are unemployed.
Our prisons should be reformatories, not
preparedness for insane asyums, but this
they surely are and will be as long as the
convicts are left in idleness."
OF the last condition, Mr.. Blatchley said:
The plan proposed will, we think. furnish
many of the convctS with labor that Will
pay for their keep and at the same time
not be nimical 10 the interests of free labor
outside the prison. Country roads have not
extent
of paving brick unless free labor can be
employed in the making of the brick The
first cost is prohlbltory, even II the ultimate
cost is less.
With plant erected which will give en-
ployment to 375 men, 100000 brick can be
made daily. years output Will be suffi-
cient to pave almost 100 miles of roadway.
Two hundred additional convicts could be
employed in breaking stone and preparing
curbing. The only extra expense to which
the State would be put would be the pur-
chase of the shale land and the machinery.
All buildingS-even the inclOSing walls
about the plant could be constructed by
convicts of brick made on the spot, for the
shale will make ordinary and pressed front
| brick of the finest quality.
Five years ago California was in the
same situation Indiana is to-day. Her
ccnvicts were idle in Difference to the wishes
of her labor organizations. Her legislators
passed a law authorizing the employment
of the convcts in the breaking of stone for
road material. To-day that State is supply
/ ing the prepared stone to the counties at
| % cents a cubic yard. on board the cars,
which is less than one-third the ordinary
market price; yet sufficient to pay for the
maintenance of the conVicts. The railroads
of the State are carrying the material at the
| bare cost of hauling, for they realize that
| the improved country roads will bring to
| them in the future a great increase in farm
| products for shipment.
| Many objections to the plan proposed will
! doubtless arise. for the Questions to be
| solved are important ones and for that rea-
| son no plan can or Will be presented but
what will have it's weak points. 1t seems
! however, that given ever growing de-
mand for better roads; an abundance of ma
! ture products which can be made into
| the best of road material, and $50 convcts
able and eager to work, that we have
| combination, which. under the proper man
] agement, would give us the improved roads
| furnish employment for our convict labor
and yet give no offense to that army of
| honest workingmen whose interests and
welfare are ever to be upheld.