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

TO 9069 yards instead OF $500; "ahins 'V' 500
square yards Ordinances under "h,on "vio
nassed Inv thu Common Council at the beginning OF the
year; ma. a. vi. estim.,ei
Bond from PrS.dr ssge 20 E::; River iron Second to
Trjsye now paved with stone block Began payemen 5000
JOhn.st and Bp1hns 300
Total .ouare yards
This makes the aggregate 1880 square yards. From
this the Common Council received s2 49, and the Com
pany will receive $780, SIG. AT the fair price OF 81 so per
yard the amount would be S 5O that the people
the losers Of exactly equivalent sum to this latter
sll4,SN 80. Next comes the Brown Miller pavement,
which is laid in santing position by of "pris
matte ss," to present the sharp ledge OF each
block to the surface Otherwise 1t is about the same as
the Nic0son in material and construction Very little
of this pavement has been laid the not
backed by any great political influence and, where
there any competition OF course lost the contracts
The price paid cents less per yard than
generally awarded. but the Common Council re-
ceived their so cents bonus from this from the Others
The streets paved with the Brown & Miller pavement
were in 1869, August 80, North Moorest.. from West
Broadway TO Westst 1905 square yards and Widest,
from Centrest TO Broadway l55 square yards, making
total of 6GGO square yards AT o. rs per square yard
the total paid by the city s 635 The bonus
to the Common Council $3.50. fair price would
be s16,65O showing unjust expenditure OF Sl9S5.
This completes the quantity OF wooden pavement laid
In this city at public expense up to Dec 81 1869 For the
remainder must pass the period intervening I'M
til April IL, 1870 the records being lost In 1868 Walst,
between william and Hanover, paved with Stafford
pavement at private expense; but 1t was not until the
Stafford passed into hands of INSCRIPTIONS politi
clans in November OF the following that it found
favor with the Common Councillor, in other words this
did not happen until the required cents per square
yard was forthcoming. In September 1862 ordinances
passed authorizing the laying OF the Robbins Ex
celsor pavement Fourth and Ffths.s from the Bow
cry TO LOWEST. This style Of pavement was pat
ented by c. W. Stafford and W. o. Robbins. r. w.
Trundy President OF the Company, whose Office Is at
No. Warren-st The directors are b. II. Bixby
Judge Of the Yorkvile Police Court, F. NJ Bixby
C. W. Stafford, W. o. Robbins. and J. A.
Monheimer. The Hon. James O'Brien, ex-Sherif,
is said TO be largely interested. The blocks
OF this pavement are doveaied their base extra
seepers and all the wood is impregnated with earbolc
acid by process patented by Prof Charles Seeey The
spaces between the blocks filed up with concrete.
The Fourth and Fifth-st jobs OF this pavement
probably completed between Dec 81, 1862 and April H.
1870 The number Of square yards laid may be roughly
estimated 900, which at S. per yard makes fl05OOO
contributed by the citizens for the benefit OF the poll
ticans. Half that would give fair profit TO the
their outlay but where in that would
the $500 bonus to the Common Council from On
these two jobs alone therefore, there has been
necessary expenditure Of t525OO Between April IL and
and Dec 81, $780, the Robbins Excelsior Pavement Com
pany finished another job in Forty eighthst from Fifth
sixthaves S56 yards price s57So The bonus of the
Common Council 1873 Iand the unnecessary ex-
pense to the city over $500
THE STAFFORD JOBS
Next comes again the Stafford Pavement Company,
the first specifications for which ordered on file in
the Office of the Clerk of the Common Council November
49, 1862 The popularity OF this pavement Is that the
blocks are grooved in the middle with double dovetsi
beveled at one end and running to an edge to form
groove ON the upper surface. These grouped into
sections which formed by keyng together the blocks
so as to break joints The sections Of the dimen
sions Of by three feet, and Keyed the base
with four dOyetail keys running lOngitudinally and
having shoulder projecting below the base The
lions and strngers treated with carbolic acid by
the seeley process. The foundation is of sand
three inches deep, and a layer Of sand is
spread over the surface. Merely difference
of shape distinguishes this from other pavements,
and is certainly without any apprecabe advantage
strange circumstance Ia that the Office Of the "Staf
ford" is the that Of the Robbins Excelsior at
No Warren-st spoken Of above and still stranger is
the fact that owned by the same Sheriff
O'Bren, Judge Bixby, and others. 1t will be
bered that in ss7O these politicians exercised great
sway in Tammany Hall. and had many opportunities.
People give Mr. OBrien credit. moreover, with being
very shrewd man, who knows good thing when he
it. "A MOnheimer President of the Stafford and the d.
rectors are j. A. Monheimer, H. Bixby and NJ Bixby.
The property-owners on Wall-st, between William and
Hanover laid down this pavement at their private
expense in 1863 and proved very satisfactory But the
blocks there inches deep the Stafford patent
calls depth OF eight inches whereas the specca
tons adopted by the Common Council have called for
only depth OF six inches The CrotOn Aqueduct Board
in their Twentyrst Annual Report, speaking of the
seventhave job then just ordered eve think that
the depth six inches will be too little for this kind of
10
long they got so cents square yard for passing the
ordinance Authority given the Stafford Company
TO pave Seventh-ave from FOureenth-s to Fifty ninth
st. blocks and aferward under the plea that difficult
rock was encountered along the route, the Common
Council took an additional 80 cents a square yard and
authorized the Company TO charge $ so per yard for the
Job assessing each lot Seventhaye $500 to pay it,
Rock and ALL the cost Of paving could not possibly have
exceeded g per yard and 1t was wonder that tho in
dignant property owners against the out
rageous imposition and took legal steps TO annu the
ordinances. The suits pending, but in the mean
time the Company have received their pay. This
immense job no less than 052 square yards It's total
cost the city A163S8 Of which the bonus to the
Common Council was s04,O52 and the Company received
1852 1885, fair price would have been tl9276, showing
an unnecessary expense to the city of s22ls2 25
more than double the proper sum- Two additional jobs
Fifteen from Seventh TO Eighthave., and Fifty
seyenthst LexingtOnave. SIXTH 272O and 109l6
square yards respectvey-subsequentl brought into
the Golfers of the Stafford Company $O and into tn,
pockets of the Common Council, s6Ss, making the total
excess taken from the taxpayers by of the stat
ford Company, s22 636-nearly quarter of million
This surprising the pavement TO be really worth good
price. .r,,.r
The Stow Foundation Pavement Company first sprang
into favor in October 1869 1t originated in San Fran
cisco III which city under the direction OF the paentee,
Henry NJ Stow most Of the streets have been laid with
It, Becoming aware OF the immense plum slowed away
In the wooden pavement jobs In this CITY ana wishing TO
have finger in the pie. Mr.. John Bryan the wealthy
tobacco merchant and an intimate friend OF the Hon.
VIM NJ Tweed purchased the patent rights for this city
fnrnnd with Mr. RrNnn as its Pres