The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-12-22
Muttcrings Before the Storm
from the Cincinnati Commercial, Radical
November 70
The LEnatic Asylum Ring
Some specifications That VIII
Interest the Public.
CurtOsities of bidding and the En-
GterpretatiOnO of Contracts.

NolilluiilNs'lioh opPN'iSN III WIN
mercial:
TIE ATHENS LUNATIC ASYLUM.
To the Editor of the Commercial
1--WE would like the Trustees to let us
know something about the Athens Lu-
natic Asylum. Last July the contract
for the brick and plaster work was Civ
ell to Mr. James Sands d Co., of Gin
cinnati, and for some reason unknown,
Mr.. Sands did not accept it, and on the
18th Of November, proposals were again
received for brick and plaster work, and
since that time nothing has been heard
from it, and we would like to know what
has been done. ......... y. N"
BY coincidence that perhaps may
not be remarkable, but which suggests
inquiry, the Trustees managed to meet
and make the award on the day of the
publication of this communication. The
first bids were made on the Sth of Aug
ust, mot in July, as stated in the com
munication,) and the bidders for plaster
ing and brick work were Mr.. James
Dale, of this city, and Day & Sands-the
Day being Colonel ID. w. ii. Day, of
Columbus, and "Sands,"- we are told,
means Mr.. James Sands, and his cele
brated and magnificent brother, Alex.
Sands-the silent partner of the late
firm Of the two Bcns Ben. Wade and
Ben. Eggleston The other bidder was
L. 6. Megruc, Esq The brothers Sands
are not mechanics, in the strict sense of
the word. They have trade, though,
and it is politics; and they have the ad-
vantage of being clever fellows, and of
taking an interest in mechanics about
election times. Alex. Sands is as good
a working man as General Samuel Fen
ton Cary himself-in ward politics.
In the first bidding on brick-work, sol
id measurement, there was tie between
Sands d Day and Megrue, both bidding
to do the work at 81 80 per thousand,
and furnish lime and sand.
The State furnishes the brick, and
here is another small matter. The same
Sands d Day have the contract for max
ing the brick, and they are to make eight
millions or more. Thus far they have
made about million, and Mr.. Il. H..
Cottle, brick-layer of this city, who has
visited Athens to see the brick, says
they are hardly fit for side walls, and
that good job could not be made with
them. They are described as rough and
shabby, not square or straight or prop
erly burned.
Megruc declares that rs soon rs his
first bid was in the hands of the Trus-
tees, one of them ran to James Sands
and displayed it to him, and that jim set
about getting up lower bid, but failed
to do SO, owing to his unfamiliarity with
the business, but that the contract was
awarded to him nevertheless on some
plea in the Interpretation of specifica-
tions. The award was made to Day d
Sands, but there was afterward a disa-
greement, amicable or otherwise, and
the contracts were advertised again for
six weeks. The statement of the Trus-
tees is that they rejected the Sands d
Day bid for brick-laying after the con-
tract had been given them, for the reason
that the parties wanted to apply the new
Cincinnati bill of measurement, and OBJ
iected to that applied by the Trustees
and architect; and they claim that the
plastering bids were not satisfactory,
being higher than the estimate required
by law to be made, and which could not
be exceeded At any rate the first bid
ding fell through.
In the second bidding Day & Sands
were reinforced by Aud, of Columbus,
and the contract for brick work was
awarded to them 1t is claimed by out
siders that this extensive firm is ''the
ring" and that it is composed of Col
onel Day and d. Aud, of Columbus
and the Sands brothers, and few pol
iticians having underholds that may be
used to advantage, Mr.. James Dale
got the contract for plastering.
Mr.. Megrue claims that the contract
for pIastering should have been award
ed to him, and gives the following speci
fications to sustain his position:
BIDS FOR PLAsTERING FOR THE NEW LU,
NATIC ASYLUM, TO RE ERECTED Al
ATHENS, ATHENS COUNTY, OHIO, FOR THE
STATE OF OHIO.
Dale. Megrue.
Deafening mortar, between floors,
Is inch thick, 7,T5 square
yards, 1Sl2c lJt
Plastering on ceilings, 6, ,030 square
yards at, 39t2 oS
Plastering on brick walls A. .167
squire yards at, 70 20
Plasterinr on ceil4ngs-two coat
work, 3,346 square sas at, 39la 81
Plastering on stud partitions, 3lI
square yards at, 3Jla o6
Plastering On zig-zag ir1a lath ,S3j
square yards, at .g- % IS
Now, Mr.. Mcgrue claims that the bid
of Dale on zig-zag iron iath was cut
down because the Trustees gave him i'll
formation that amounted TO instructions
how to bid on that item. Megrue was
informed by Trustee that there woult
not to be any zig gag iron lath, ,and there
fore he bid with the understanding that
he would have to put up the wooder
lath, and made the bid with the idea O
doing that 1t was a specification in the
form of the contract that the contractor
should execute.
''All the plastering and jobbing con
nected with the same, not included il
the above, and finishing the whole com
plete according to plans and specifica
tons"
Dale bid simply on the iron lath work
as if it were to be done, and was allow
ed the advantage of the difference be
tween iron lath furnished and wood latl
to be furnished, though IL Wds perfectly
rcU hn0cn that IL had been determine,
that there acos not to be any zig-zdg iroi
lath used. Notwithstanding this, how
ever, Megrue claims that his bid wa
still the lowest, and the following figure
seem to confirm his assertion:
COST OF EXECUTING TIE SEVERAL SPECIE
1CArIoNs OF THE BID FOR PLAsTERINC
Megrue. Dale.
First Specification, $1,477 % $1,4SS 3S1l
Second Specification, 3,43l 10 1856 80
1hifd Specification, 1l,l91 IS 11,191 20
Fourth Specification, SOL AZ 33o u