Iron County register., 1899-12-21
The Locating OF the Asylum.
BISMARCK. Mo-, Dec. Is, 1S9!

Ed. Register-I have read with pleas
ure your s.hot shot" editorials ABOUT
the location of Asylum No. 4, and L
think also that it is due the people to
know why that location was selected.
To date the Commissioners haye not
answered your questions concerning
this matter, and after having given a
reasonable length of time to the Com
missioners to explain, this being STATE
affair and paid for out OF the peoples 5
treasury, in lieu of the fact that they
have not done so why not let the mat
ter 90 from some other sources! In the
first place, who drafted the original
bill to locate Asylum No. IN South
east Mo? Answer: NJ. L. Clardy.
Who furnished transportation for the
persons at Pennington and DeLassus
to railroad around after the Commls-
sioners? M. L. Clardy. Who owned
lands between DeLassus and Farming
ingtou, on the proffered site? M. l..
Clardy. That was all o. X; they
were lawfully his, and no demerlt at
taches to him; but why was Asylum
No. 4 located there later on, and why
for $50, 900 dollars minus small do
nation? Now, let US see if the Com
missioners have discharged this sacred
duty to the State aud to the peoples
pocket book by so Going.
Here is a portion of the bill in refer
ence to the duties of the Commissioners:
Sec. 6. After said Commissioners
have organized, as provided, ETC.,
| ssthey shall proceed to examine, con-
"a \
said asylum-and no location contain
ing less than one hundred and sixty
acres Gnterlined, $50 acres) of good
land shall be considered; and in max
ing such location said Com nmissloners
shall have special regard to the follow
ing matters: first, salubrity of location;
second, cheapness quantity and quality
of building materials, and convenience
of access to the same; third. coDVen-
ience to pure and wholesome water;
and fourth cost of land for institution"
etc. ..And said Commissioners shall
see that the title of lands thus selected
is clear and indisputable and that the
same is free from all liens and lncum-
brances of any kind before paying for
the same"
The above is a correct copy of Sec.
6, specifying the actions OF the Com
missioners in their work OF selecting
the location. Now let US see if their
obligations have been complied with:
but. in order to narrow long matter
to all possible briefness, L am willing
to admit that all of Southeast Missouri
north of the lowlands-I mean all OF
the hill towns-are healthful and quite
SaIubrious. Hence no objections spec
tally can occur on this point; but |
wish to say that when one honestly
considers the whole question, there is
not in all Southeast Missouri more
shan two locations that should deserve
consideration; and first of all is Bis
marck; second, Arcadia Valley. Now,
then, this proposition naturally cuts
out all other competing points; so let
US see if these two points-especiall |
Bismarck-have been considered in a |
fair, reasonable and honest way.
We offered two locations, either |
100 feet above sea level-the highest |
location in Southeast Missouri-hence |
salubrious if either location was Sc
lected. Our people donated $3, 900 |
money.iu bank, and titles to lands bona
fide. Location No. consisted of 338 |
acres of land-250 in cultivation, 80 in |
timber-upon which is so acres of
growing wheat, 800 fruit trees, good I
dwelling houses, and one of the finest
building stone Quarries in this section
of the State. within six hundred feet of
the building site, from which Mr.. Wm.
Devine. in my presence, told the Com
missioners he would bond himself to
deliver on the building site all the
building stone they wanted for one
dollar per perch, aud promised, if
needed, to raise fifty car loads day
for fifty years. Hence if this location
had been slected the immense saving
to the State This location. including
this quarry. was offered for fifteen
thousand five hundred dollars, less
$3. 900 donation-net, $12. 500-and |
within one-half mile of the depot. and
the land lying directly approximatiug
the railroad; and furnishes almost a
perfect level to the building of spur
switch direct to the building site, and
not single piece of building material