The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-13
Prison Directors Make an I'm.
pOrtant Discovery.
Why Their Deal for StilliDgs
Brick Road Was Aired.
Topeka DID 1T ALL.
Wanted Brick to Erect Asylum
Cottages.
Director Biddle Makes Reputa-
ton as Funny Man.

At last the two directors of the state
penitentiary who voted to use all the
prison made brick for Vint Stillings
road instead of for the public institu-
lions of the state, have discovered
why their action has been ventilated
by the Topeka State Journal.
They say it is because Topeka wants
TO make a characteristic grab" ano
get brick free for the two new cot
tages for women to be built at the To-
peka state hospital.
OF course this must be so because
the directors of the penitentiary say it
is so. But there are a few other build
ings which the state expected to build
which would be able to use prison
brick if the penitentiary directors
were wiling to save the state some
money instead of building a mile and
a half of paved road through Vint
Stillings' farm. There is the $1,000
laundry at Osawatomie, a SIS, 1000 ad-
ministration building at the Parsons
asylum. 100000 custodial building at
the school for the deaf, a SIS, 900 cot
tage at the girls industrial school, a
$4,000 cottage at the boys industrial
school, $25O,OOO worth of buildings
at the state university, $275, 900 worth
of new buildings for the state nor
mails, $225, 900 worth of new buildings
at the state agricultural college, and
numerous other minor improvements.
Total, $4,000 worth of buildings.
The two new cottages at the Topeka
hospital are to cost $4,000 and it was
expected that prison brick would be
used in their construction, as in the
other state buildings where it is spec
flied in the contracts that the board
of regents" or the board of controI''
shall furnish the brick. The follow
ing is an interview with w. 1. Biddle
in the Leavenworth Times:
There were no changes made in the
plans of the prison officials to pave the
road at the board meeting just closed. The
July stands. In addition to this Cap
tain Seaton, the president of the board,
offered supplemental resolution that
met with the unanimous approval of the
board.
THE prison officials are somewhat en-
barrassed at present over the surprising
retard the manufacture of paving brick
However it is hoped that the gentleman
will withdraw a letter he forwarded to
the prison officials and see things in a
different light on his return to the city
Considerable has been published of late
tended to use the entire brick output to
pave the road. Nothing of the kind was
ever contemplated. but the paving of the
road is to have the preference as there
are specific acts of the legislature to pave
the road, while there is nothing in the
statutes directing the prison officials to
furnish brick for the erection of new state
buildings.
Mr.. E B. Schermerhorn, chairman of
the state board of control, was in consul
tation with the penitentiary board Tues
day afternoon, and after he investigated
the conditions and learned the true situa-
ton he greatly modified previous de-
mands for brick and was well satisfied
with a mutual arrangement over the sup
plying of brick. Mr. Schermerhorn dis
claimed any connection of his board with
the articles, full of falsehoods, which APP
peared in a Topeka paper relative to the
output of the prison brick plant.
Mr.. Schermerhorn stated before the
prison board that 1t was nearly as cheap
some of the new state buildings as it was
to pay the freight from Lansing to the
building points. He stated also that 1t
was planned from the start to use stone
instead of brick for the new building for
feeble-minded youths at Winfield.
THE uncalled for attacks of Topeka
newspapers on the prison officials Is the
result of effort to get buildings for
that city worth from 5000 to $50 900 more
than was asked for and allowed by the
legislature. 1t is just characteristic
Topeka grab. And in this connection I
will state that the board of control has
requests for building brick for
all new state buildings, except those pro-
vided for at the state institutions located
n Topeka. This discloses the African in i
he woodDile.'