Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-28
TO OPEN BIDS APRIL 10
Expected They Will Number Be-
tween Fifty and One Hundred.
TWO TRACTS TO BE PURCHASED
One for Workhouse and the Other
for Reformatory-Some Queer
Inducements Put Forward.

There will be no dearth of sites for the
new reformatory and workhouse provided
for in the last District appropriation bill.
Judging from the number Of inquiries
that have been made Of Daniel E. Garges.
chief clerk of the engineering department
Of the District government, many own
ers of tracts of land in Maryland and
Virginia within reasonable distance of
the capital will offer their land to the
District for the penal institutions. Two
tracts Of land of 1000 acres each are to
be purchased, and for buying the sites
and for the erection thereon Of temporary
structures for prisoners Congress appro-
priated 100000
Il is expected that between so and 100
sites will be offered to the District when
the bids are opened at noon April 10
The forms Of proposals have been going
like hot cakes from the Office Of Chief
Clerk Garges, and already ffty-fve of
them have been distributed to prospective
bidders. In practically every case the
who announced that they intended to
offer a tract of land to be used for these
penal institutions.
II have just the sites for the work
house and reformatory." several of the
inquirers have announced to Chief Clerk
Garges, and they follow that statement
up by outlining the features Of the prop
erty which they own.
Oyster Beds and Gold Mine.
1.-THE tract of land which l think the
Commissioners ought to buy for one of
the institutions" said one OF the visitors.
lis just below Colonial Beach on the
water front. It is close to the oyster
beds and the prisoners could be employed
i'm shucking OYSTERS"
Another tipped of the chief clerk Of
the engineer department that his land
had gold mine located upon 1t and the
prisoners could be employed In digg1ng
gold from the earth, to the great enrich
ment of the District or the national gov
eminent He did not go SO far as to say
Just where the gold mine is situated. but
expressed willingness to let the District
in on the ground moor fOr the develop
ment of the property.
Fine building stone Is to be found on
tract about which another spoke to Chief
Clerk Garges. He said that some Of the
property, but he promised that the best
of the house material is deeper down and
could be taken out by the prisoners:
That the tract which he owns had the
the claim Of another; and he suggested
that brick-making would be good work
for the men committed to the penal inst1-
tutions. Several of the proposed sites
nave Doeu SpOkcu VI dS AOIcStS duu eHc
cutting down Of the trees and the saving
of the trunks into building material was
suggested as the occupation which the
tracts would furnish the inmates Of the
institution.
The inquirers have come from many
sections of Maryland and Virginia. There
have been men of the agricultural class
who would like to dispose Of their farms
to the District; and there have been
many real estate dealers inquiring for the
proposal blanks. One dealer declared
that he had six sites to offer Besides
residents Of the District who have re-
ceived the proposal forms. there have
been requests from persons residing in
Herndon, Va, Alexandria, Va, Upper
Marlboro. Md, Accotink, Va, Glendale.
Nd. and from places along rural free
delivery routes.