The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-10-06

about IT, I esiled within the time named,
and he told me that he had not been able to
give the matter his attention. I called again
Within the course OF ten days, aud he told me
work, and thai. he would advertise Il over
I bid the second time. 1t was then abou,
the winter time, and had not so many horses
aud carts. On this second occasion. was,
then went TO him and said. "Nir. Mayor, / am
now again the lowest bidder for X street"
He says; How much below the other bids for
street are your" Itold him l thought about
$500 lie said. mo, not as much as that.n
After some further remarks he told mo to call
on him In about week from that time. did
lowest bidder, but that he could not give me
the street l asked why he could not do so.
He said he was afraid to-, said "How is II
am the lowest bidderi III WAS not the lowest
bidder, thenyou might be afraid to let me have
II, but as long as am the lowest bidder you
"Well, MIR. Mcnamara, there Is A patty
who has the street to whom l am going
to give First street and q street, and
they ne, k street" Wei, now" says !,
Mr.. Bowen, I consider, sir, that you have
the same right to give my property upon Gap
away to anybody else. f fssfus tie lowest BID:
der, Now, sir, claim that street, WelP,'
says he, " Iesnnot let you have ~ Well"
won't do the other streets unless they get X
! streetU yves, do" says he. Says I, 81
never like to ask for another mans bid, but as
! long as II Is going by election, and you are
| trying to do the best you can for the corpora.
! tion, will make this offer; Give me the four
, sas !eS% tSE .SS. less s sSas
to me the day after tomorrow | called on
him the day after tomorrow and found that he
had made the award to the other contractors.
That is all know about the matter.
q. Did you offer to wait until the whole
work was done for your money!
A. 1t was with that intention l bid for 1t,
because the advertisement contained that pro.
vision. and went by the advertisement. |
knew would get my money when the work
was completed. The advertisement always
tells US whether we will get the money right
away or whether we will have TO walt until
the work Is completed.
q. 1t Is always understood, that when you
bid for street you are not to get paid for II
until the work Il compietedf
A. some OF the streets money is paid on.
q. suppose you have been contracting for
the corporation work for some timei
A, Yes, sir; for some twenty-three years.
q. Has II always been the custom not to pay
for the work unless the signature Of the com.
missioner OF the ward, that the work has been
| well done, Is obtAincdi
A: Yes, sir. We never could get any money
without.
| get the money before you commenced the
work, and also as fast as you could do II,
would you have offered to dolt at even n lower
rate thai that contained In your bid
| A. Yes, sir; at = great deal lower rate; and
for this reason; II had got the contract for
| doing those streets, I would have had to go
| outside and borrow the money, for which, OF
course, / would have had to pay heavy dis
| count, that is, II had expected to wait until
the work was completed before receiving my
pay. IT, however, l had been told by Mr..
| Bowen, or had been encouraged by him to be-
| lieve that would get money once a month,
why, of course, l would have been saved the
| heavy discount, and could have done the work
much cheaper.
| q. II you had been paid as the gentlemen
| Interested in this work In question are repre-
scented to have been paid, you could do the
| work much lower than you offered TO do ~
A. Yes, sir; would not thea have had to go
to Mt. Todd, or some other wealthy gentleman
that would he required TO carry on the work.
4. Do you always fnish the grading of y
street before you gravel III
q, When engaged in filling, do you always
anish the hllingi
A. Always. Generally when have = street
OF which do not know the proper gr-de,
then | call on the surveyor or commits IS loner
Of the ward to see Il 1t is ready for grsveling,
ani II the eomnissioner or surveyor tells me
TO go on with the graYeling do so. ! try to
get every square passed as 60 along.
q. Do you know anything about the dirt
that wa. taken off Of K street, going into the
in the week.
that the dirt that came out OF street wen,
to NIL up these other streetsl
| A. Yes, sir As / said, passed by there
morning and evening.
a Did you understand that the contract
provided that payment should be made onl >
for excavation or enbankment as the parties
A. Yes, sir. Ever siace the time when Cos
| tcllo had Law suit with the corporation,
about tve years ago, II has been always
ms.surea me most WSuls Se mia forV,hst n,s
ment would be allowed oniy one way.
a. Did you understand these two streets
First and q streets, were to be filled with dirt
out Of X street. and were not to be paid fort
A. No, sir, ldii not understood itwhen
bid That was an understanding betweet
them and Mr.. Bowen.
q Do you know any way by which the wOrl
could have been done cheaper than by givinI
It to these patties who did the work
A. Yes, sir. could do II cheaper.
q, DO you know any way by which the cor
porstion saved money by giving the eontrae
TO these parties
l q. Have you any idea of the amount tn
; cot poration has lost by giving to these menl
p. A. Well, sir. the way the work stands =
. save, IL they would let me bid accordingly
\. 5000. | could do It the came as 1t is now do n
{ and save money on It; but do not call II dom
q. Do you know, In all your experience, o
contractors ever receiving $4,000 for work be
A. No, air. alwsys had very hard work to
get II after IL was completed. Ihaye not yet
received pay for work done months ago, al
Mr.. Bowen knows-work approved by Mayor
| Wallach.
q. Have you not always been required, IL
! grading and graveling streets, to bring then
out to both gutter lines-from gutter line to
gutter hne-befOre having the bill approved
| A. Yes, sir; and | will say here that Mr
Bliss put me a little astray In that street, be
cause he told me It had to 20 from curb Il
curb, and saw Afterwards that 1t didn't 81
from curb to curb.
q: VIVA, depth OF gravel do you put on thu
surface Of the streetsl
A. Nine inches on the centre and four at tn,
sides, after II Is rolled.
q. 1t Is measured, then, after 1t Is rollell
A. Yes, sir. The comm ssinner generally
comes up before he signs the bill, aud meas
urea 1t at different places along the street, hnt
then approves the bill, II II Is to his salts
faction.
Communicated
A NEw SESsATIoN.-The first society Of Pro
gresstve Spiritualists have rented and renttei
new and cOmmodious hall on Pennsylysn
avenue, opposite the Metropolitan Hotel. o.
sunday last they commenced their fall AM
winter lectures with the services of Clair II
b. Spettiyue, lady who adds to her publ,
lectures the practical facts Of the new phiuso
ply, OF religion Of science, rs they AZ : please,
to term 1t. At the close of each lecture. ate
requesting order, silence, candur, and respect
GuI treatment, she becomes entrahced, and la
huenced, AS she declares, by little girl. sh
Z then desccnds from the platform and passe
d | through the audience aud describes the Ipiri
friends Of numerous persons to the unknown
On SUNDAY last she gave n number Of sAtii
8 factory teBts to strangers whom she Il Ad neye
y scent and she promises, In the future, duTin
Il her stay, which Will be only one III Onth name
Ani particular Ilcts, which sh all leave n 70 dOut
II 10 the reason able mind that the departed Ar