National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-22

for year or 50, and suggested the propristy
Of not giving this contract to Tompkins q
Ruckles; but this, think, was che only on
that did, because Gallagher g. Go. neve
heard of, by name even, before.
Q. You suggested that no part Of the worl
should be assigned 10 these contractors yoI
have namedf A. Yes, sir; because their worl
was hanging for year, which they had moi
completed.
O. Thst suggestion Of yours was received
and acted upon, was Il mott A. Yes, sir.
@. Who suggested Sam. Strong insteadl A
did, think. wish to say that Sam. Strong
+ is known as one Of the best mechanics we have
In the District here, and so I did It just on the
strength of his mechanical ability.
Q. l understood You to say, in answer to a
question put by Mr.. Wilson, that the vice pre-
siden. of the board, to wit, Governor Shepherd
was in the habit of letting these contract:
withou. consultation with the board; do you
mean to be so understood A. mean to bt
understood that in none OF these large con
tracts had the least inkling when or who was
to get them.
Q. That is, you did not knowi A. know
this much, that no meeting was called to bring
US together to give out these contracts.
@. In your judgment, were these contracts
SO far as you have any knowledge of the act:
OF the board, awarded by Governor Shepherd
or by the board on consultation A. To the
best of my knowledge, they were given by q
stroke of the pen of the vice president.
@. Without consulting the boarll A. Ht
may have consulted Mr.. Masruder, for in
stance, on the street.
l.. Q. But he did not, at least, consult youi
A. No, sir. wish to say that correspond
| Governor of the District and the vice presi
dent, which frequently involves business mat
tiers which Is not brought before the board, snd
Of course 1 cannot be blamed for what DE-
not know. 20
o. At this time, A. Yes, sir; came Il
know that; frequently objected to Mr.. Will
lard about certain things. He told me after
ward, II feel with you, but l acted under or
ders.''- ."Whose orlers!" 'Well, you see, al
order of the Governor" "well," I says, 'i
you take orders of the Governor, and do no
know your rights and duties, do not want Il
see them" That is Just what told him.
approved in Youf 6aicei 4. Yes, sir.
Q. Generally approved by youi A. Yes, sir
2. Were you consulted after you became
member of the board, or as its chief engineer
as to the price that should be paid to contrac
tors for gradingl A. think was consulted
about the haul.
Q. As to what should be paid for haull A
Yes, sir. found that every contractor wher,
bill was made out there were the bigges
fights; he said that there was not enough in 1t
My conclusion then was, on looking at tn
actual cost of hauling that these men mus
either have been starving the year before, o.
else the measurement could not have beer
| exact. They were insisting upon In actua
measurement. I recommended that the prict
of hauling be increased.
Q. To the rate fixed by the board afterwardl
A. To The present rate fixed by the board, ant
it was based upon the fact that o horse canno
walk more than twenty-five miles in day, anC
horse and driver and cart must make 50 50
at the end Of the day upon honest measure
ment.
Q. Did Governor Shepherd, when he was
vice president of the board, ever consult with
you as to the work that was going on, either
as to the manner of its performance or as tc
the desirability Of improving particular streetsi
A. do not think he did much of the kind. II
you will allow me to state an instance: Ont
morning last summer came down to Seventh
street, and found there lot of men digging
up and picking in all directions. Some Of the
Inhabitants of the street asked me what wai
doing here, and who was contractor? / was
ashamed of myself. / made haste to get away
because these men were put there withoat al
engineer. I did not know whether It wal
Gleason or Mr.. Evans; either the one was doing
the work, orr the other was doing the contract
or the reverse. This work had been carried on,
and all this expensive day-work has been paid
for. 1t only remained for me to sign the fna
voucher. Not having seen the proper control
in keeping the days, the only thing that wa:
left to me was to make Mr.. Gleason, the con
tractor, swear to'his pay-rolls; that they were
correct, and have: his oath.
Q. So that either Governor Shepherd or the
vice president of che board, or at least the othe
members of the board ,,were In the habit of or.
dering work without consulting with you
either as to its utility or as to the method o.
doing it, A. Yes, sir. In fact, when 1 wa:
asked about this pisce' of tagging, had nc
idea that loo, 900 feet Of tagging were to be laid
dows- l thought 1t was some small places
here and there, which General Babcock most
likely had desired Governor Shepherd to LAY
down.
G.. When you discovered that Mr.. Oertly
had made partial estimate there for Gleason
aggregatisg S14S 900, and that upon that &
certificate had been issued by the auditor, die
you call the attention of ths board to that ir
| regularity A. l do not know that the auditor
ever issued this. The auditor issues only {
| certificate upon order. This bill lies with the
auditor, and the auditor Is not at liberty tt
| issue a:certiicate. He issues certificate wheI
ordered! to do SO. The auditor Is q clerk will
a high salary.
Q. He does not issue certificates, then, upor
the approval Of the engineerl' A. No, sir.
Q. Must it receive the approval Of the boar(
first! A.. The approval of the vice president.
Q. Not the board ITSELF Al No, sir; not tn
board.
Q. Do you know whether certificate wa
ever issued for that? A. have noticed in tn
treasureras statements, published in the repor
| for 1873, that amounts corresponding to thos
were paid.
Q. bid you ever call attention. of the boar
to that great irregularity on the part of one o
your sabordinatosa A. Well, : spoke to Mr.
| Willard frequently about 1t, and he always uni
| formly would give me the answer that this wa
done before he had become vice president, ant
the system could not be improved. He wa
just carrying out and continuing what had beel
done before him..
By Mr.. Stanton: Q. Did youesn attention
to this particular easel A. No. I do not know
that did. l. say I watched for the ina
voucher to turn up.
O. Then you did not call attention. A. No
sir. / was watching for the final voucher.
By Mr.. Wilson: @. About this work o
| Gleason's on Seventh street. Did you ascer
| tain, after you got away from there, tina
Gleason was doing that workl A. Well, yes
afterwari.
Q. Whom did you makeinquiry on A. Tha
| really do not know. had. to find out b.
some men about the street. 1t was only q fey
1
work had been awarded, and to send to tn
contractor to make contract for Il. At leas
that is my recoilection of it..
| Q. Is that the same work, around the Pos
| Office and Patent Office that Mr.. Blickensder
fer spoke of the other day, where the gradin
had cost upward of So yardP A. Yes, sir.
Q. The only evidence Of the correctness Q
that voucher is simply: Gleason's affidavit
which you required him to afix to It? A. Ths
is as l understand it.
Q. That is all you havea' A. All that have
l do not remember exactly whether some supel
intendent nominally certified to 1t also, but
have found in the course-of our business this
these superintendents that we have would sig
anything.
o. Whati A, The. superintendents, espt
cially If they have not bsen paid for five, si1
or seven months, arc very apt to sign anything
have trapped them. Vhey sign pay rolls, an
a. soon as I comparable afterward there wer
thousands of dollars of difference.
Q. Are Gallagher 81 Co. constructing tn
sewer that was, awarded to themi A. fe
sir.
Q. Are. they doing: 1t themselves or by sui
contractors A. think they are doing
themselves.
! Q. You have been a member of the boar
for some time; would like to have you stat
what was the reason for laying these expensiN
wooden and concrete pavements in local1tf
that are. comparatively uninhabited-whel
there is comparatively nobody hvtngt A,
cannot give You any info- nation.
, O.. Were you party to that in any wayI