Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-16
Continued from first page.l

had ended and went home, suppose, in the
month OF April. AFTER that and in the fall of
1873 there were sent 10 me two bills from the
Board of Pubic Works, from the assessors
once, amounting TO S425 81 for these improve
ments. That remained 50 until came here in
December When came in December I think
WAS hrstiRfOrmed by Miss ardner, the sister
in-lsw Of Commodore Almy, who was left in
charge OF bis property, my next nsighbor. She
spoke Of this affair. which, I need not saw 20
Won, had given the greatest dissatisfaction to All
the property holders Of that square. Admiral
Almy had been peculiarly exaspersted. He
bal been here all the summer aud had been
an ye-wtness AZ he told me, TO this Continued
and increasing excavation. Instead of being OF
spoken about, they went down and do VII until
the gulf seemed almost bottOmess that they
were going TO make there. lie was in utter
despair. and he wrote me several times about IL
when was in Delaware; but felt quite hopele
felt 81 ~ had no rights that the Board of
PUBLIC Works 10 Washington were bound to
respect; but did ROt drea N of interpnsing any
thing TO check their will at that time. So
Admiral Almy-his sister asked me about this
award, and told me that Mr.. Edmunds hal
settled by Offering them exemption from tn
claim OF damages, and having no charge made
him for the special tax think ~ thas m meat
turned around and saw my nei ghtOr in MS
yard, snd I went over and greeted him-I han
not seen him the vacatIOn-aud he IN al told ma
OF the settlement he had made. AMI may also
saw the object Of Judge Edmunds AMI mys eff
Il expressed TO him and he to me-was that
being in the Senate. and having votes which
might possibly tOuch the measure or measure
which m zht ali CT the Iari Of P bile work.
we concluded II wss beet, even az a sacrifice to
get In eyery way Tid OF transactions with them.
It was matter OF necessity Us both, some
what, TO own these houses, where we had any:
We could not help that. And il was Onlg a
feeling Of embarrassment to have anything 20
do with them or any outstanding unsettled
transactions, u at he told me influenced him
n believe it did, and know Ii controlled me-
and determined to arrange on some such
sttut ment a. he did, If got the chance.
ON the sth OF January Mr. Magruder. the
treasurer Of the Board of Public Works. came
TO the Sc rate and sent for me. 1 went out, and
he told me that he understood would m AXE a
settlement. told him would do so. Nothing
was said A. TO the amount of that award. He
Knew that my claim vas 80 900, and told him
4 would give that up for the purpose of s1uar-
ing the matter, and that we would have MOTH
ing more to do with each other-the Board of
PUBLIC Works and |; and so We settled, and
here the documents appear. I had seen Mr..
EdmuDds' receipt, and having confidence in his
eagaeity and his character ALWAYS, 1 exactly
ionoSed the Language that he had used in Civ
ing that IL was An djustment of any cOntro-
yeIsy with the Board OF Public Works
IN rerpect OF certain claims filed hereto
fore by me for damage to nv house
and lot on Massachusetts, avenue.
do not know that l would have come before
this committee a. all, had il not been thar OBJ
served in an extract from the testimony that
what we term in law a leading question had
been asked by some member of the committee
In respect Ia this transaction of paving tax
Il thought, g. the committee had inG uired in
regard 10 IL, that It was right for me- and 20
suggested to my friend Mr.. Edmunds as the
matters were our own, and as we had more
knowledge of them han ANYBODY else we should
give you all the facts, II tney were deemed in
the least degree important. Perhaps thew are
proper 10 be given, and are important, for
standing as two public men, Representative
men. IL Is right that even the most ignorant
and least well informed of the community should
understand nov very clear the tT ans action h 8
been of anything that was mott NAV saw rather
credltable to ourselves on that score of money
say TO you now that would give much more
money than these
enabled TO restore the property / have on Mas
eachusetts avenue to the condition il was in he
fore the Board Of Public Works took it in hani
That IL a very moderate statement of what INV
Keeling IL on the subject.
TIE COMMITTEE ENGINEER RECALLED.
MI. Blckensderfer was then recalled AMI
asked as 10 what explanation General Babcock
made TO him? His answer was When showed
linn my results, he stated that he hal been
called upon % certify TO this work by the la y
OF Congress without their having m 4da any an
preparation 70 give him assistance TO DO the
work, and he could not do IL himself, of course;
80 ne ayalled himself of the assistance of The
only man at his disposal, 20 wit Mr. Samo in
charge OF the Washington aqueduct and mai
requested HIM 20 make the measurement and
be very careful about IL, and to make no m "a
surement which he could not veifrv bv All "a
VII, as ne had no doubt there would be an in
yestigatlon.
q. In your intercourse with Mr.. Samo did
you see any effort or disposition on his part 20
suppress any facts or mislead YOU in any Say
IN your measurements? A. No, sir: | cannot
say saw any thing like a tendency u supprsss
facts or mislead me on his part.
BY Mr.. StewaIt-Q. DIG you on anyb0dy's
part? Answer that fully. "A. / do not know
that can say 80 directly. / do not think ex-
pla2ations on the part Of sOme-at least ( do |
not think explanations were ever volunteered
TO me- had TO get what 1 wanted by asking.
BY MI. wilson, Give Us your statement 1
IN regard TO the reservation or space 10 which /
your attention was attracted YESTERDAY and in |
f fsisI 70 which you had not your hgares
fuliy completed. A. IL Il the resery4 alton AZ the
intersection OF and 9th streets and New
Hampshire avenue ,supOn which I Yesterday
5'stsu had NOT quite completed my figures. |
NJ, calculating the quantities in the same yav |
they have been made up by the board in the l
Charges 10 the government, is all. in accord
ance With my Measurement, should have said /
before, Il Sill 1921. DeductIng from II for the |
intersection OF and 10th streets in the same |
manner as i have in the Intersection a. eY-
planned yesterday, the amount to be deinctad 4
would be q l46s leaving $40 49i 81. The charge
as made to the government, or against the gov /
eminent by the Governors answer. ia : II 1852 81.
the excess over my statement, S957 90.
BY MI Stewsrt-Q. Taking the same basis
they have, what is the misunderstanding
tne same work that they measure? A. 1858 % /
Mr.. Wison.-Haye you found any case where
the charge against the government is correct;' 4
A; Not according to my views.
q. Have you found any case where the
charge against the government il less than in 4
should be? A. No, sir.
q Invariably more? A. Yes, sir.
By 'WilSon:-Q. In looking over yo1r tas-
timony do you find that enormously printed? A.
do.
q. Then, for the purpose Of correcting it, /
think II would be well for you Just to give the
tables that you had yesterday and allow them
70 be printed IN the record a. = correction o.
those errors. That would be the easiest way 10
correct IL A The correct sum, a. make it.
OF Rawlins Square il -, .73 ~; the Deductions
fcr intersections, sl6z5.G6; leaving s22 1t9 81
The charge to the government, a. per report 20
the government. Is so }63 20. Mr., Samo gave
Il 20 me. Ss.,31l-95; bat / also discovered an
error In bis statement according to the quanti-
ties which he furnished me, not having been
correctly carried out, b. which his sum Is in
creased s12i-95, making il Si4,5g2 20.
BY Mr.. StantOn:-Q. And that understand
youI Nas 81 error in some multiplication Of niso
A. Yes, SIR.
Tables Of the alleged Overcharges were pre-
sented a. corrected, and thereupOn the com |
nlttee adjourned until Monday morning, a. 10
O'Clock
IMPORTANT DECISION IN BUILDING Asso-
CIATIOS CAsE--In the Equity Court yesterday /
Mr.. Justice Wyhe denied a motion for an in
junction in the case OF Phil II. Welch agt The I
Franklin Cooperative Building Associations,