The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-02-01
The Concrete Pavement Job.

The Fisk concrete pavement was first in
| troduc,d in America some years ago. a
| Company was formed for the purpose of
bringing il into public favor. Gentlemen in
| Philadelphia, New York, and Boston com
posed this Company. Mr.. RUSSELL Fisk was
elected President The capital, we arc in
formed. was s9J0,000. Three or four years
ago the Company were authorized to lay their
| pavement in few streets in Brooklyn. They
| furnished their own foundation of pounded
stone, and covered II with six inches of con-
crete composition for two dollars n square
! yard AT the same time they laid a similar
pavcmen. in Twcnty-flth street nt the same
price per yard
Soon aflerward the pavement was brought
to tho notice Of the city politicians. Then
the capital stock of the Company was in.
creased TO 100000. We learn that the
Hon. WM. NJ. TWEED, Jr, the Hon. ALEX.
AMBER FREAn, brother of the Hon. lIuGn
SMITH, an unknown gentleman in the Office
of the Transcript, and somo other mys-
FERROUS parsonage each received $4,000
worth of tho now uttcrancc Of stock. Mean.
whilc Mr. JOHN l.. BRowS. said TO lie in
tercstcd with Mayor HALL in street.
cleaning contract, was elected President. 1t
was through 1ayor Halls official recon-.
mendatiou that tho Common Council was
induced TO make tho first experiment in
Twenty third street. After the distribution
Of the stock. the original incorporators Of
the Company resigned. Their places were
taken by Mr.. CoRsoS, now clerk of Mr..
SwEENY's Senate Committee on Municipal
Affairs Mr.. KISo, a messenger In the Street
Department Police Justice SCoTT, and other
gentlemen representing similar interests.
All things being in readiness, q clause ap-
propriating "the sum of two hundred and
fifty thousand dollars, or 80 much Mcrtof ms
may be required" for the pavement Of Fifth
avenue, was inserted in the tax levy and car
rled. But this was not enough. The En-.
crossing Clerk, il is averred, was bribed TO
leave out the simple word thereof" making
the appropriation read, "the sum of two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. or so much
as may be required" Gov. HOFFMAN signed
the altered bill, and the city was in for It,
Then the immensely OF the job was devel.
opcd. 1t is asserted that the Common
Council Immediately gave the Company n
contract to lay the concrete pavement for be-
tween four and five dollars per square yarl
the city furnishing foundation in its Bel.
ginn pavement The composition was put
down last Summer. We are informed that
while the Company wcro charging the city
over four dollars n square yarl for tho con.
crete pavement. they offered TO lay it-.fir-
ris,iHg hir o-n JoVadatioa-for private
citizens, at two dollars and half per square
yard.
Before Fifth avenue was completely poul.
ticed. It's residents began to complain. The
dust from tho pavement crept into their
dwellings and choked them with its peculiar
flavor. 1t ruined their valuable paintings
In rainy weather the wheels of their car.
rngcs cut through tie black crust to the
Belgian pavement beneath. Everybody com.
planned but the Ring smiled, and steadily
smearod the street with tar. They did more.
They enlarged their contract with the city,
and went at the fashionable bisccting streets,
Yesterday, after the Ring had pocketed
over q million of dollars, the Grand Jury
fifty presented the pavement as a nuisance.
What ofthe men who made the contract?