The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-17
INSIDE HISTORY OF. THE WHOLE TRANsAo-
- TIoN.
GOVERNOR SCOTT DEMANDS sIX MIL
.,....,s- LIONS MORE!
rHE NAMES OF THE CONTRACTORS AND THE
AMOUNT OF THE B1Ds-wHY THE HIGHEST BID
DEB WAS cHosEs THE COST oy THE WORE
WHO 1s REsroSsmIIa I'm. ...-'''


AMOUNT OF THE B1Ds-wHY THE HIGHEST BID
DEB WAS oHosEs THE COST u THE WORE
WHO 1s REsrossnII -t.,ai.r
i.e..% J.. 4i-J -, =. Il
COLUMBIA. g. Co.. rHuRsDAY, July 16.
80 TO THE EDIroR OF The NEWS. !:
I know that your papsr has supported The
Blue Ridge Railroad through thick and thin
bus m ar,lcls upon the Asheyille and Spartan
burg Railroad, which read in TEE NEws
abort time ago. encourages me to beieVe that
you will not refuse-to expose the huge joh
which has been devised in connection with the
Blue Ridge Railroad. My ipformstion comes
from 4 frst-rate source. The statements ]
make can be proved to be true, and will convince
the people that the Blne Ridge Railroad Ring
may hold up it's head by the s,de of the great
Whlskey Ring. and not lose by the comparl-
sen. Ibeleve that the whole scheme has but
one object-to put money in the pocket OF DIR.
r. Z. Scott, the so-called Governor OF South
Carblinss Why should he care II eight or Ten
millions be added to the State deb 2 All that
he cares for ID to make hay while the suns shines,
and he viii do it if We let hum alone.
CALLING FoR PROPOSALS.. '@ y;
I need not remind yon that the Legislature
in September last passed bill authorizing
the guarantees Of four million Of dollars for the
completion Of the Blne Ridge. Railroad. and
that 1t the meeting Of the company held lately
in Charleston it " ss determined to make the
principasand interest OF the guaranteed bonds
payable in coin. About the end OF Juhe ad-
vertisements were published IN the State pa
pers, and in the Northern and Western
papers, calling upon responsible persons
10 come forward and contract tor build
ing the road from Anderson TO Knoxville,
distance OF one hundred and fitty.two miles,
payment 10 be made. in the. Aforesaid com
bonds. Colonel Low. the chief engineer, was
to have plans and specifications ready, and the
bids were to be opened ct Columbia on July 8.
The Chief Engineer was; very close and gave
no information as to what his estimate Of the
cost OF building the road was; yet, -queerly
enough, 1T turned outafetwafds thAt the bid
Of one contractor was IN every item so little
above, or 90 little below, tha estimater OF the
Chief: Engineer, that the total bid was just
about the same. ..t.. -, .'..' s..
.ga .a.: OPENING OF THE BIDS.
/ When the 9Th came the bidders, or their re-
representatives., met in Governor Scott's ofdce at
Columbia, and it wa found that bids had been
submitted by the following persons, J. M,
.Christy,.& Co., CrissuIl, Patterson 3 Sellers;
Dudley, Bardaell b Co., IA. Hunt, OF North
Carolina; D. Tyler & Co., OF Pennsylvania; B.
D. Haseil OF New York; aud J. D. champhn, OF
New York, and one other. All the bidders
named were responsible persons, and could
guarantee the fulflment Of their contracts.
The lowest. bid for the work was, in round num-
bars, 81 500, 900. and the highest $40 600 OOO
This last mas the bid Of Crissvill 4 Co. There
was one higher bid, but 1t was understood to
have been put in only that Crissvill's might
not be the highest. !!u :. -. .;r.~-'
MAKING THE BARGAIN.
When the bids had been exposed, Governor
Scott SAID he found that it would take at least
50 600 900 to complete the road, and he could
only command "a. 900. 1t would not do to
spend any of this, as it was his intention 10
apply to the Legislature to increase the
guarantee to the full amount required. line
engineers estimate was, think, IS 100000
This cansed the contractors to prick their ears;
one of them, however. Was in the secret
Mr.. Mcclure, representing Cnssvill d Co..
came forward and said that he had known the
NEWS Of the Governor, and bad 30 arranged
his bid as to advance the company at once
$500, 900 to pay off lts outstanding liabilities
and that he would carry ON the work for nine
months. at q Gust OF about 81 .00O, 900, without
touching the bonds.
The othe- contractors very properly op'
jected to this way OF doing business. They
said that they had not known what Scotts
views were. and asked to be allowed to m >dl1y
their bids, 80 as to be able to offer the same
advances. Scott could not refuse this. The
contractors revised their bids aud submitted
them airesh, Crlssvll Co.'s being still, OF the
bona fde bids. the highest. All the contrac-
tors were then bowed out, except Cr'ss-
will & Co., who seemed to occupy per-
mapently the Governors back room. When the
uninitiated were out Of the way. there was
palayer between Scott and Crissvill & Co.
After some talk they agreed to reduce their
bid to about $4,000, 900, ,rhlch uas accepted.
There we're other bids as responsible in every
way, at $s OOO 900 aud less, but the $4,000, 600
bid was accepted. Is Scutt in partnership with
CressweI? He cer. .ainly was not in partner
ah,p With the bidders OF 81, 500 600 and s.. .OOO'
600.
THE PRICE OF TIE WORK.
Now let Us look at tho prices at which the
work was proposed to be done.
The estimates for earth9ork, per cubic yard.
ragged from % to As cents. Crissyill Il Co. 3
p.ice was 40. CWben there is any bid at
higher pr1ce than theirs. it may be set down to
the account Of the covering bid" put in to
prevent Crissvill g. Co. being at the top.]
For rubbing and clearing. per acre. the
bids were from $50 to $l75. Crissyill's bid Was
500.
For loose rock excavations, the bids we're
from 81 cents to 81. Crissvin's BID WIS W
cents. go
For solid rock ihe bids ranged from 81 10 to
81 9O-the last beng Orissyil's.