The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1912-11-07


the State has a railway, in fairly
good condition. for getting the
cane crop from this farm and
the Imperial farm, adjoining, to
the mill. The improvements at
this place during the past two
years have been most marked.
the managers home having been
rebuilt. the sugar mill having
been overhauIed. sheds have
been constructed and much
other valuable work having been
done, the permanent improve
ments alone costing S53, 90S.38
The Imperial farm comprises
5.235 acres Of State owned land
with /, 600 acres leased, on which
there is an option, all except
about two hundred acres being
in cultivation. Permanent inn
improvements 10 the extent OF
$40, 1904 have been added to
this farm.
The Clemens farm in Brazoria
county contains 1851 acres.
with some six or seven hundred
acres leased. Of which 4, 786
acres are in cultivation and the
baIance in timber, uncleared.
There is also a sugar mill on this
place. and the State owns rail
way facilities for getting the
cane from the farm TO the mill.
On the Ramsey farm there are
7,7S2 acres which the State owns
and an additional l,200 acres
leaseu. There ia in cultivation
on this place, including the leased
land. 4. 0i5 acres, leaving about
$500 or 5000 acres Of timber
land uncleared.
On these four state farms and
the two farms at Huntsville and
the one az Rusk, there Is an ag-
gregate Of 80. 1913 acres Of land
cultivated by the convicts. of
which p sos acres are on state
owned land, the remainder being
on leased land, and on the con-
tract farm.
The total permanent improve
ments placed on these farms by
the present commission have been
$3.50. SIG. SIS while 1874. 329. II
have been put into permanent
improvements at the Huntsville
and Rusk penitentiaries.
These improvements are every
where in evidence and show that
the commission has had an I'M
mense undertaking in the matter
Of putting the prison system
in condition 10 answer its pur-
poses at all acceptably. AT the
Imperial farm approximately
S15. 900 worth of dltching has
been done; at the Ramsey farm
/. 900 acres has been cleared and
grubbed ready for next year :
crop; at the Clemens farm 75O
acres has been cleared and pre-
pared for cultivation; ten artesian
wells nave been sunk at differ
ent camps on the farms; nine
new buildings for the prisoners
have been constructed on the
system: up-to-date dairy barns
have been built on all the places
new quarters for guards, sheds,
stables, etc. have been erected
TO meet urgent needs.
Ii is impossible 10 conceive the
magnitude of the penItentiary
system. and the great problems
before the commissioners, With
out personally going over them
and all studying them at leisure.
The financial problems con-
nected with the system require
the closest and best study. The
system represents an investment
of approximately So. OO0, 600. and
Is doubtless now worth more than
that sum. While the deficit from
the first two years under the new
law cannot be accurately fore.
casted. il is agreed that il will be
something like 81. 600. 900. Good
crops end good prices this year
may make it less than that
amount.
The last Legislature appropriate
ed 1910. 000 to put the new law
into effect. 1t has been found
necessary to spend S34l. 500. 70 in
permanent improvements. The
excess expenses of the new sys-