Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-21
MORGAN HAS LOST OUT
New State Prison Will Overlook
His Country Estate.
HIS EFFORTS HAVE FAILED
Objected to Chosen Site and Fought
Hard for Removal.
EVEN TRIED TO BUY OFF STATE
Offered in Vain to Repurchase the
Site Near Highland Falls and
Give a New One.


21.-J Pierpont Morgan. the New York
ffnancier, whose beautiful country seat
just below this village overlooks long
stretch of the Hudson and the green-clad
mountains across it, has finally abandoned
all hope of circumventing the state and
preventing the new Sing Sing prison from
rearing it's gray walls a scant three miles
from his favorite resting place.
Now rumor is persistenly heard here
abouts that the rambling hig house in the
trees will know him no more. His neigh
bors have heard more than once in the
last few months that he has determined
TO sell the home in which he took so
much pide and move his rustic gods else
where, probably to the other side of the
Hudson.
Fought Over Cable.
Morgan was in Europe when he first
heard that the state was negotiating for
the large tract of land at Highland Lake
a short distance below here. on which to
erect its new state prison. According
TO his neighbors he kept the cables warm
in his first efforts to stall off the re-
novel of the penal institution to this part
OF the Hudson bluffs. His trusted agents
and lawyers were instructed to spare
neither money nor effort to break off
the negotiations pending his early return
from abroad to lead the fight in person
To his chagrin he was informed on his
arrival not many weeks later that the
state had practically closed the deal
despite the efforts of his agents and that
the beautiful little lake in which he took
much pride was actually within the
limits of the IOo-acre tract on which the
new prison was TO be built.
But even that adverse report did not
discourage the financier. He Immediately
got into communication with the authori-
ties at Albany and found. TO his dismay
that the report only too true. The
state had already taken title to the land
Opposition Not Abandoned.
Morgan thereupon began his real fight
to save his favored spot on the Hudson
from what he regarded as the greatest
blight that could befall it. He called the
attention of the state authorities to the
fact that to build the new prison at
Highland lake must inevitably destroy all
of the adjacent bluffs along the river as
desirable for residence.
He contended that it would greatly de-
preciate the value of estates like his and
those of his neighbors. He strongly init
mated even that many of them would
move elsewhere rather than have Sing
Sing for q near netghbor.
But all of Morgan's arguments fell fiat.
He was informed that II was too late
for the state to alter its plans. The
land had been bought at heavy cost 10
the treasury. and any change in the
plans at that late day would entail In
evitabIe loss 1t was then that the finan-
cier played his last trump card.
He Immediately offered not only to take
over the states Jo-acre tract at exactly
what had been paid for it. but to give
an equal tract of land further up the
Hudson. The state need only select the
land and he would pay the purchase price.
By this means, he said, the state would