- Transcription
WHITE & GOUGH
LUMBERTON, N.C. Dec 16/18
His Excellency T. W. Bickett,
Raleigh. N.C.
My Dear Governor:-
I much appreciate your favor of 13th with reference to removal of Penetentiary to the State Farm in Halifax Co. If you will take your Copy of the Senate Journal, on page 284 you will find “Senate Resolution #895 offered by my self, you will see I am with you, the join Committee of Senate and house rendereing a favorable report for removal; you will re-call that after this resolution had met with favor, Senators-Oats, McCoin and my-self prepared a bill and talked it over with your-self, but on account of the heavy appropriation measures on at the time, we did not press its passage, feeling that at some good opportune time it would be cared for, I am glad the time has come and am sure you will be doing the right when you incorporate the suggestion in your message to the General Assembly, I am sure a great saving financially and more intelligent administration of the affairs will result.
I am in favor of converting the “unfinished” part of the prison into a State Printing and binding establishment, I believe the State could save Fifty thousand dollars a year by doing our own work of this kind
With the converting of our present plant into an Insane Hospital, we will have possibly the finest, and no doubt but the safest from fire of any in the South, you know our present arrangment, with all our care is a very unsafe affair-were it to get on fire it would be impossible to get the inmates out in the night, shouls the Fire Co be a bit slow which is often the case, We would not like to wake up some morning and see in large head lines going out to the world “UNFORTUNATES IN NORTH CAROLINA INSANE HOSPITAL BURNED, BUILDINGS OLD FIRE TRAPS &c, Of-course you are familiar with present inadequate room, the thousand worthy subjects now knocking at the door but cannot enter, I do not believe any thinking man in the State would oppose this great step in the interest of both economy and humanity.
With kindest personal regards and great respect,
Sincerely yours.
