New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-14


| To n. Editor Of The World
| SIR: For several successive DAYS past The
World has been publishing articles reportora and ed
itoria claiming to be exposures OF what 1t terms tho
Brooklyn Ring, but designed, 10 TO me, mainly to
inure my reputation ana TO blaeken my character.
know of no instance OF persistent and continuous an
attack upon private citizen by tropOtan journal.
which has opportunity OF addressing readers In every
and influence private citizen is almost absolutely pow
erless. can easily estimate the danger OF entering
| upon explanation even In journal hostile 10 him
who makes It, You are an expert in controversy and
am not. You have ample space at yonr disposal and
readily twist my language 10 what do not intend
IL shall You can choose any weapon OF argument you
see fit have no such opportunities. The last word, at
all events viii be yours, you 80 Will 1t, and cannot
claim to have been grossly, maliciousy, and wan
tony hbeled by YOU without any provocaton or just
cation III am told that have my remedy IN court
OF law, answer that II Is always slow ana sometimes
an uncertain remedy. have neither time nor Dcna-
ton to resort to it. Ipreier at present At all events
| fuence The Worlds attacks upon / will assume
that It is made to subserye pubic ana not private ends
have been wronged, will trust to your honor as jour
halis TO 40 He Justice KNOW u9 r;Ss run 10 IA Seo,
and 10 my friends cannot remain silent, for silence
lbeOus any which have been charged against
private citizen by public journal The attack upon
running on from day to day for the past two weeks.
cannot hope to be permitted to use any considerable
amount Of space in my reply Inyour article OF Thurs
day up your main accusations, aud to these
| will reply as briefly as know how.
tract Tor building storage reservoir at Hampstead
Valley You say that this work was unnecessary, and
fecty responsible contractor willing 10 do tue work
for IL does not a9Voye On ue 70 Justly tae hocessy
the waterwOrks OF Brooklyn designed to supply
the city with minimum supply Of 20O0O,0O0 gaOus OF
| water daily. The minimum supply is in the Summer
| months, when the maximum consumption Is reached
THE naxmun consumption has reached over 20 100000
gallons per day. Tie necessity of increasing supply
is question open for dscussOn IL ~ on al hands
admitted by those who know anything about the sub
iect VIC
tension tine waterworks eastward on Long Island. the
other the storage Of the surplus water from the
now under contribution so that in the Summer months
the pended water could be drawn upon. After mature
KirEWo"d. the E1gineer under whom the water-work5
were originally constructed, and by Mr. Adams the En-
gineer now employed by the water Board. Plans ana
speclcao OF the work prepared and estimates
solicited from Ave Of the largest contracting firms
III the country. Tue bids received we're as follows; 80,
ts K E%Si SiDi K..a:y. is
Mr. White Is a wel-known Grookyn contractor "a Is
Mr. Freel; Mr. Wells had the contract Cor the water
works this city amounting to several millions OF dol
lars Mr. Mcdonald built The water-w9rks at Montreal,
men is itself sufficient answer to the accusation that
there was any collision IN me bidding me h contract
bidders and after sharp and close competition After
oatl Mr. william Beau made an offer, through the news
shd dollars less than my bid and when he knew "a
,;ssvr uvl,d rot 10 ACCEPTED. vny ~ men
in my own profession, but TO the editor OF The World
there can be no fser basis Of accusation against
one contractor than this vague offer OF disappointed
contractor do the work for less sum- after the con-
tract had been awarded The contract IL air contract
mpOrtant work. 10 will occupy three years III Its com
niation and shall deem myself fortunate II my profits
reach fraction OF the amount which The World more
than insinuaGes have already realized. -
Second Your second charge Is that Tor building tne
Third-aye the firm OF Kingsley Keeney received
s2cOOC0 fraudulent sum IN excess Oh the pa OF re-
ley Keeney Of his contract wien 1t was only partially
Tue contract for this was awarded to Mr.. Van
Wrinkle. he being the lowest bidder He commenced the
work. and, il he had been able To- complete IL under MS
tec him from being robbed by anyDody Inc llfIn OF
his contract until selected 20 estimate on so
| much of the work as was unfinished van Mlnkle was
deprived of his contract because he failed TO carry 1t
out and at the earnest solicitation OF residents OF rne
section OF the city through which the sewer runs the
evidence this fact Is In existence IN petitions signed
by every prominent owner OF properly on INC ine o e
sewer the absence OF my partner ana without max
vas lad INV hid was not the lowest for in the progress
~ ba nr II was found that the cutting bad to be made
nr V5n WinRIe not being able to complete the work
under his contract. The second estimate w lauf
my firm In view Of it, The prices paid were fair prices
Tie work was pushed forward and completed promptly,
aud profit II, sorry to say, was greatly less
that the firm OF Kingsley Keeney. or anybody Tor
Them received sG800 any other sum- for extra work
Jhird / aui charged with influencing contracts for
Bonestee the agent the NicolsOn Pavement Company
Wee as bribeD Nv business is that Of a contractor.
II my right as contractor to get all the business
can and obtain the highest price can for my work
When the subject OF selecting payements IN Brooklyn
was being agitted three or four yearsago endeayored
to Obtain the right TO ay pavement which would fairly
compete with the paYemthts lheh pfcsoeu On puDc at
tpntion. While endeavOrag 10 do so, Mr.. BOne'teel
called upon to endeavOr 70 combine our interests by
giving me an interest In the NlcOlsOn Pavement Com.
his the distinct understanding that had
no Influence with the Water Board that IT 10 were 0her-
wise would NOT use IT, aud that the pavement should
stand upon ii merits. 1t brought into competition
wit other wooden paYements, and was put down III
some instances, but not in others, on street on
wooden pVenenL was lilu IhS
statement shows that the charge that received
Ions The accusation is not new one II has judi
cally suit OF cOntestng property OWNERS
la that suit testified that not dollar OF tue pTOnts
in this pavement any other was paid 10 any human
being and this evidence WAS corrObOated by every
this pavement in Brooklyn was the same as was
charged 10y the same Company In New-fork.
Fourth: IL Ia charged that have received i've per
cent on the expenditures OF the East River Bridge Com
pany Tor alleged services as tupei1ntohen ahI tae
my Services are shown 10 consist OF seE Tug rluto
C0mpany's stone from his my quarry, ana LUMBER
from his own mJ) sawlll AT lat prohl' ana eoleetns
from the company i've per cent on Tue ehllfe eApen
ture for his own stone aud lumber" ,o
am tie superintendent OF the East River Bridge Com,
pany 1 one OF the orginalors OF the enterprise
am one the stockholders; have sIaked large pOr-
ton OF my fortune on its success Inc CVlnpahy ans
are controlled by citizens BroOkiy whose reput
atoms hitherto have not been assaled. These cllMehs
are all large stockholders I'm the Company lhry cannot
their own. Under my contract VITA tue Company nave
received i've per cent OH so much oI the ~ulk as es
beneath the surIaCeo foundation OF the 0Nefs-undcr
the restriction that the aggregate amount shOud not IN
Il Z a. We
any services have rendered TO this undertaking before
the Company nov conduoting IL was organized: gave
them Willingly in the nope Of aiding one OF the most
eupeudols works time, and OF living 10 see &c
doubling the material wealth OF the cry with WHICH an
NV Interests are identified NV compensation aS super
iniendcnt than Is paid 20 the superintendent
OF an ordinary building; % nut one-tnird 0I what -
paid to the contractors the Post ONCE nov being punt
In New-YOrk. Tue aggregate sum i my remuncrau0l
for several wears aDOr, and oti-r enterprise CuuiI
secure that labor for this cOmpcs ton sfate mere,
without fear circulation that Tor every diar expended
by the Company for work ami material, lss received
a dollars worth.