New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-16

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,,s,,, ~, oos, Of laying this pavement must have
- 20 ..n any other which have described, yet
the ovcantiona price OF 70 80 per square yaru WAS
1901 the Common Council getting the usual bonus
| :, 20 cents The following was the amount OF Stow
,sation pavement laid in this city at public expense
nm 20 December 81 Fifteenth-st, between Broad
way and Seventhave., 7671 square yards Madeniane,
from Broadway East River 1900 square yards; total
1911 square yards. for which the taxpayers were
mulcted ss 40 so and the Common Council got 1885 So
fair price could not possibly have exceeded 1921 20
showing a useless expenditure OF s45,5l3
HOW A JOB WAS ENGINEERED.
Mr.. Richard b. Connolly, the Controller, started the
Hamar Pavement Company-the difference between
the Hamar pavement and the Ncoson being thatt Tor
mer has holes bored from the top half through
the blocks into which coal tar ia poured-somethng aer
the fashion OF the McGonegal patent" Charles H.
Greene brother OF John A. Greene formerly Clerk to
the Common Council made President Of the new Com
pany and Mr. Stephen H. Ingerso, ono Of the family
whose uphosterng Of the public buildings continues to
afford them such rich revenues, was duly installed
as manager Now came the first difficulty in the new
enterprise The State Legislature In the TaxLevy Dill,
passed during the session OF 1920, positively forbade
the paving any NewYOrk City already paved
and in good order Where, then, JOB to be foundf
Nothing was easier The Common Council were promised
bonus OF 81 per square yard; the pavement OF Fifth
ave. from One-hundred- andtwentyfourth to Onehund-
land thrtiethsts and OF
eighth ST. from Second 10 SiXtn-ave5 was torh up W
evade the law the ordinances were regularly passed
awarding the Hamar Company IS 80 per square yard;
Mayor Hall signed them at once, and the Connolly party
went Immediately to work And how they did work to
make this thng Double relays of men were EN-
poyed, and kept hard at 1t both night ana day.
Sundays included. until the two jobs were finished
Soon another placer was found In Fortieth-st' from
Fourth Fifth-aves. and Jan 1, 1871, the record
''O'' '''o'' Lonticn 3d. gard.
Fhbirs i2ah to ialth.s,.................. 100
oueaaniroi eniy gath st. u to 6th-sVeO
Total square ysrls. ............."...........alS0
AIS 50 per square yard the total price paid by the
city was slls61 OF which 2l,5so divided between
the members of the Common Council. good Price
would have been 81 25 yard or ss 5i for the
whole showing the unnecessary expense to have been
s7OI35 or nearly 300 per cent above expenditure and
honest profit This pavement Is still in high favor with
the powers that be-
TwERDs FINGER IN THE PIE.
Now comes the climax. The Hon. William NJ. Tweeds
Investigations having proven satisfactory that worthy
citizen at once took turn the tide OF profit
into his own private and that Of his more pow
erful friends whose cooperation in affairs political
he is compelled to rely. The first thing was to cut OIL
from all participation in the matter those who had 80
long enjoyed its exclusive privileges. This was easily
accomplished by those clauses In the charter which
take all power of the hands Of the Aldermen and
sstant Aldermen and place it in those of Mr. Tweeds
Mayor Hall How well the plan worked is shown by the
record the present Common Council They could pass
nothing which the Mayors absolute veto was not able TO
annul at once and being thus deprived Of their last
chance of making what they themselves would call
stake" they have not held a single business meeting
since they went through the farce of subscribing to their
oaths office These disposed Of the President OF the
Board of Public Works proceeded to organize |
an association for the laying OF wooden pave |
ments In the City OF New-York. That associa- |
hard II
Connolly and few Others of that cotere are members
of It, 1t 10 be chartered by the next Legislature and
the Board of Public Works will give il the monopoly OF
laying wooden pavements Of the metropolis at the
prices heretofore paid-5 and So per square yard viii
these contracts few far between To answer Yam
kee fashion, " Have Mr.. Tweed and his colleagues ever
hesitated stretch to the utmost any opportunity for
enriching themselves at the expense OF the public ~
Wooden pavements in themselves preferred by many
of our citizens to other kind, being regarded as
peater less noisy heathfu and more lasting than
those Of stone or asphatum The for giving
ia plenty OF them. Nearly every street which the
travel is not heavy will be paved with one kind OF
another: for the wooden Pavement Company" as Is
to be called will kindly allow their taxpaying fellow
citizens their choice. Like the who condemned
to die, but who permitted to choose the manner OF
his death, 80 the people. being ordered to pay, may
express preference for whatever style they like
best to pay for. This privilege is easily arranged The
contracts will be sublet to any OF the different compa
MES holding patents and over and above fair price,
ia intended award the subcOntracOrs royalty Of 80
cents per square yard under the plea of paying for their
patent-righs. Thus everybody will be satisfied. Tho
companies who do the work will get a largo |
profit and the monopoly will pocket an equal fnot
a greater investment whatever. Where 1t may |
be necessary to lay stone pavement Mr.. Tweed owns
quarry which can easily supply all that may be required
Indeed the Croton Aqueduot officials speak already OF
Mr. Tweeds blocks the they have ever seem
And as for sidewalks Messrs. Connolly Frear. Tweed
Coin other words the Wooden Pavement Company |
the propreOr OF that new variegaed plaster which
southern end Of the City Hall Park, and this
too be supplied In quantities TO meet all future de-
mands.
OF course the names of Messrs. Tweed, sweeny |
Frear Connolly and the will not appear in the list
OF incorporatOrs OF the wooden Pavement Company"
Their Oahs OF Office will not allow them to profit from
any contract which they may give The usual plan
in such of putting dummies forward will be re-
sorted to-
AN INTERESTING HISTORY.
To show that this account is not distorted little
incident may be mentioned which will at the same time
give notion the Importance attached to this projected
Wooden Pavement scheme by those who planning It,
There is kind OF wooden pavement extensively laid in
Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and other places called
the Paul pavement. This looks like very superior kind
of pavement double dovetals cut in the sides OF
the blocks by machinery, into which keys OF wood
mortised thus fastening the blocks of whole street
together in one solid mass.
About two years ago company formed in Newark
" j. TO manufacture and lay this pavement and appli
cation was made to secure contracts in this city, The
members OF the Paul Pavement Company not
politicians of influence but having complied with
the usual formula OF putting up bonus Of 80 cents
per square yard to be given to the Common Council,
ordinances passed by that body granting them the
privilege of paving or two parts Of streets in Harlem
at OF 81 per yard The Mayor vetoed the ordn
ances, but the Common Council passed them his
veto by a two-thrd vote. The Paul Company immedl-
aely went to work and mad machine made to cut the
pocessarv dovetails which thew maid They