The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-01

nary board purchased 24SO acres ~ land On
t ort Bend county, known as Harlem farm
70 which they soon after added 2Ss az
aacres, and began its further equipment and
Improvement as a State farm II has
proved splendid Investment for the State.
ana the revenues derived from its rrnns
nave largely exceeded ali expenses con.
nected with its maintenance aud operation
said farm and Its permanent improvements
ahu general equipments, Including live
STOCK are valued at this date az s1as. 42i ~
NO crop WINS grown on this farm In issfi
Tor state account, and the result OF tho
venture was still problematical; but So
1InoIIuughIy convinced was Governor John
ireland of the future success OF such 4
policy that In his last general message Ia
me legislature. he concluded a thorough
discussion of the penltentiary question with
me recommendation for the employment of
0ll conyicts who could not be given ac.
c9mmodnuons and profitable work inside
the prison walls.
In pursuance OF the policy thus outlined
70 the legislature with such marked en-.
pnasiS ny your excellency, aud with your
sanction and the hearty cooperation aud
endorsement OF the chief officers Of the sys-
t--in with the exception OF Mr. Searcv Baker
who succeeded Hon j. S. Rice as suprrin'
tendent April IL, 1902, the pcnitenlinry
board, on December 8, 1899, acquired by
purchase 5427 acres Of fertile land In the
Sugar Bowl district OF Brazorla county.
ana at the same time secured an optlon
upon 26SS, "A acres of land adjoining. Of
tae same fertility and equal suitability for
hpnn
bought and paid for. This splendid body
OF cane land, known as William Clemmens
/ farm, therefore, contains S2l247 acres
! which were secured at cost OF $T7, 96l. 40,
tue price paid averaging less than $40
per acre. II hes a frontage OF two and
one-half miles on the BRACES river, fifteen
miles from Its mouth, where a sufficient
depth OF water exists the entire year to
insure an all water way to the gulf or to
Nelnsco, the nearest railroad station nc.
ceSsible; and hve-eighths of IL wns untouch.
ed by the disastrous food Of July, A. n.
1899 which facts prove II to possess one
Of the most valuable locations in the entire
BrazoS valley. The WORK OF Improving
ana equippinG 1t has gone forward as rap
idly as the finances Of the system would
Justify. Under authority conferred Ivy the
Iwenty-seventh legislature, a contract was
entered into by the State on April o. 1902
for the erection on this farm OF modern,
Up nIpo,'o.date sugar house, capable Of grinding
800 tons OF sugar cane every - hours. IA
be completed by October 25 1902, at cost
Of S26S. 800, without interest The sum al
$4,000 OF this amount has been paid
$4,000 will mature January I, 1903, and
the proceeds Of all cane crops hereafter
to be grown on the farm, less 800 acres for
planting, have been pledged as further
payments on said contract, until the on,
tire balance due shall have been paid
Since its acquisition by the State over coo
acres Of this land have been cleared and
put In cultivation, and 1000 acres OF the
land planted In cane thereby enhanrInr
elusive Of permanent improvements Not
withstandlDg the severe and almost uu
precedented drouth that has prevailed thi.
year, a conseTvatie estimate OF the cane
crop which will he utilized MS payment
on, the sugar house contract places its
value at S500NO.
When the projected improvements upon
this farm shall have been completed and
II is operated with the same business acu
men and ability that have characterized
the managerial control OF the penltentlary
system for many years past. we are thor
oughly convinced that II will prove most
satisfactory solution Of the convict problem
now under discussion, and will be Tecog
nlzed by the citizenship OF Texas as one OF
the most enduring monuments erected tC
the wisdom and stutosmnnship Of the pres
ent administration of State affairs.
During the yicissitudcs OF the system In
the past, the end at last reached, as above
recouutcd, has been for years strcnuouSly
advocated and peT'istdntly puBued hl
the officers Of the penlteutiaries and III,
several boards who have been at the helu
Of their affairs; aud our qualification ut tn,
splendid results finally secured. will b,
pleaded ms our excuse for going so mucf
into detail In dealing with the history ot
this branch Of the penal affairs OF oul
State,