Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-03-02
STONE FOR THE CAPITOL.
Col. Dcwey's Explanation.

AdfOr Negfster see IN your col
umns of the 10th, communication
over the signature Of Mr.. Frank Hat
ton, Of the Mt. Pleasant Journal
commenting upon my letter Of the
Sd to Mr.. Brainerd, ofthe Iowa City
Republican, which may seem to de-
mand some notice, at my hands
Naturally one would suppose that an
editor apparently SO anxious that the
public should hear both sides Of a
question in which they are interest
ed, would have given that letter to
the readers of his own journal in
stead Of suppressing it and flying to
the columns OF 4 distant paper to
vent his criticisms. This il . matter
Of taste, however, where the widest
latitude is allowed.
But for strong aversion to enter.
ing into controversy with the con.
ductor of newspaper upon sub
ject where personalities appear to be
the weapon chiefly relied upon, /
should have before this noticed some
OF the many thoughtless charges and
misstatemcnts, to put it in mild
form, which l learn have filed the
editorial department Of his paper, ev-
er since the awarding of the stone
contract in this city ON the 18th ulti.
mo, In his communication OF the
10th inst, we find q rehash of the
same with such additions, alterations
and emendations as have subsequent.
ly from time to time occurred to
him. propose to notice . few Of
these charges.
One OF tho earliest and most often
itcrated of any, is as follows, vix:--
"That Commissioner Dewey report
ed Prot. Hcinrich's report ~ making
~ good stone as there is anywhere.
unfit for the foundations Of ! privy."
THIS language 10 said to have been
used in connection with the Sonora
and Joliet stone. My answer IS that
neither Commissioner Dewey nor
Professor Heinrich ever reported
anything Of the kind, or anything
that could by any possibility be per.
verted or construed into meaning
anything OF thckind in connection
with the Sonora, Joliet, or any other
stone. Another charge that is dwelt
upon with great junction Is that
''prof. Heinrich's report stamps this
Tama county stone as first class, and
the Joliet stone, which 10 used in an
the principal government buildings
throughout the west, and the mass.
i've structures in Chicago, Is .fo.rtA-
class" (Is Joliet also hurting the
gentlemen :? Then follows AN &C
count of :he practical tests as it is
called, Of Prot. l.. +. Parker, ot the
Iowa State University, aud what he
thinks Of the stone. Quoting from
the Iowa City Republican he makes
the Piof. say "that he built house
ut Grinnell about FIVE years ago. II.
went to Oxford, to this same quarry,
and got the stone tor his foundations.
lie told them that he wanted the
best they had as they were for a
foundation. He waggoned them
home, had them cut and laid in the
wall. Of course the marks OF the
cutting tools were left upou them,
He says that BY the action Ut the
trosts the rkolt outer surface has scaled
of and fallen to the ground SO that
now no .sarks Of the estting tool cav B.
found Mpoa them, and on the ground
at the foot OF tho wall IS line ol
debris that has fallen from the eur.
face Of the stone." Then follows
what the Professor would do "wsr<
he to build another house" in whicl
we fully concur-proyidcd the charg
% be provcn-ior If accepted as true
IN their fullest and broadest meaning