National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-23
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.
CONCLUSION oFTUEsDAY's TESTIMONY
(Wsusam Forsvtaps testimony coAtinred.)

William Forsyth's testimony eOntinted)
Q. When you were out there for the purpose
of measuring that embankment, did Mr.. Cluss
or anybody else propose to test the quantity
that was there by sinking pits or snaIts Somi
until You should strike the soild grouhd' a.
a Ma or did not Mr.. Cluss propose to test
that matter In that way; and did he not call
Your attention especially to that mode OF deter
mining the quantity! He could not deter
mine Il in that way
q nd he not propose to test the amounts OF
fJIing that had been done there b. sinking the
pitsi A. He did not do so.
o, Did he not sink some of his pits therei A.
Iesnnot say; believe he did.
o. Did not you and Mr.. Cluss have some
pretty high words over that matteri A. had
some words with him in relation to that.
Q. Now Just state what occurred between
you and Mr.. Cluss on that subject A. There
is no necessity for stating that.
@. / want to know. A. prefer just to let
that rest.
O. 1 prefer not to let it rest. prefer to
have the facts. A. Well, Mr.. Cluss, thought,
as in the first instance the case was referred to
me, and refused to act because had no data
upon which to predicate correct estimate. It
was referred to me again, and from my general
. knowledge Of the condition OF the place, by the
gravel being taken out of 1t for probably two
or three years during the war, there were i'm
mense pits found there. ] had to do the best ]
could from my own judgment, and the result
of what could do-the best could do-you
have before you now. Mr.. Cluss thought IT
was too much, and he had it remeasured twice.
Twas not satisfied with bis results, because ]
thought in the first place it was disrespectful
to me; and, to settle the matter, the board re-
ferred it to board of arbitrators, and they
settled 1t.
Q. You insisted that Mr. Cluss was not giving
enough measurements there, did youf A.
did not know whether he was giving too much
or too little; and do not know yet whether
the award that he got was TOO much or too
little. 1t was the best ! could do in the prem
Uses.
Q. We're you not dissatisfied with Mr.. Cluss'
measurements? A. ] was dissatisfied with the
manner in which he did it.
Q. Were you not dissatisfied with his meas
urements, the amoL n that he returnedl A.
WAS not dissatisfied; it did not make particle
of difference to me,
Q. Did you not insist upon It that he had not
returned enoughl A. did not insist upon
anything of the kind.
Q. Then what was the occasion for any con-
troVersy between you and Mr.. Cluss A. 1t
was his going out there In the first place to
make measurements without notifying me of
the fact. Then he was ordered by the board
to 60 out there a second time, and when he
and were notified to 60 together, and then
took occasion to express my opinion OF him
then and there, and can tell you that 1t was
very near coming to an opinion that he might
not wish.
Q. You did IT with some vigorl A. / did;
and would do it with little more if the case
required it to.
Q. State whether you do or do not know that
NJ TNlf1ec IL cl0ff hat NrfNv1
may call it9 A. Well, damn the shaft. / do
not care what shafts he sunk. Whatever he
has made, it does not make particle OF differ
ence to me whether he gave him one yard or
fifty yards or fifty hundred thousand; not a
particle. Now, so far as that affair is COD
cerned, we have gone over that ground half a
dozen times, and you have got my views upon
it, and that is all have to say in the premises.
Q. know it does not make bit of differ
ence TO you, and therefore there was no occa-
sion for you to get excited about it then, or TO
get excited about 1t nowl A. There is no neces-
sity for going over the ground so often.
Q. Well, but want to get at the factsl A.
Well, now, you have the facts, Judge.
Q. But did not Mr.. Cluss find hard ground
not know what he found.
Q. Perhaps you were too much excited A.
l do not know that.
Q. You do not know anything about TT A.
l know nothing about it. He got the best
could do for the man in the premises. Whether
1t was too much or too little, do not know and
do not care.
Q. Did you not finally insist upon it that It
was too little, and keep on insisting until you
GOT? A. Now, you have got my views
dozen times upon it. do not know whether
the man got too much or too little; he got just
whatever l considered at the time fair, from
the best judgment had in relation to it.
Q. You did get q little excited al Mr.. Cluss,
because he insisted upon having it donel A.
| stated all that to you before, and there is no
necessity about going over it second time. /
would get excited with any person. l have
nothing in the world to be benefited in these
things.
Q. You have been pretty familiar about this
city for the last several years, have you noti
A. Yes, sir, certainly have.
Q. You have been engineering and surveying
about herel A. have.
Q. And been connected intimately with the
operations of the Board of Public Works since
its organization? A. have.
Q. Can you tell US now where the earth came
from of which the fills were made on Fifteenth
and Seventeenth streets down to B street northl
A. cannot tell you.
Q. You do not know where It came 'FRONT.'
A. do not.
Q. None of it, A. Not particle. / never
20 watching carts to see where they go.
Q. Were you out there at the time that work
was being done9 A. was not out there
neyer go upon any works except where / am
ordered 10 %.
"a, And you do not know where spadefuI
of that earth came from? A. do not.
o. You know the canal was filed? A. /
know it is; it does not exist now.
Q. Wen, you know it was flledl A. Ger
tainly do.
Q. Do you know where the earth came from
that filed the canall A. do not.
Q. Not'a spadeful of i'll A. Not particle.
It is so, judge; YOU may fmilei itdoes not make
Q. am not smiling. The reason ask you
the question is that / supposed might be able
to get an opinion from you. A. Well, you can
get it from another, if you cannot from me,
probably.
Q. Well, Twill try to do so. Do understand
you to say that you do not know anything about
any of these tables in these reports? A. No,
sir; all know is the data from which every
table there is printed has been furnished by
the auditor of the District TO me,
Q. You made up the tables from the data
furnished By him! A. No. be made those Ia
bles himself.
. q. You cd not make thcml A. No, sir; the
result Of my labor is at the bottom.
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Did you make the esti-
mate foE excavation F9d hauling on Massachu-
sets avenuel A. ] did not.
Q. Who did, A. guess you will find that
Mr.. Barney can inform you upon this subject.
Q. You made none Of iti A. No, sir.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. will ask you one fur
ther question: Was it you who made out these
charges against property for water-seryicea A.
No, Sir.
Q. Who was the man that did thatl A. The
superintendent furnished the accounts to the
auditor and the auditor furnished them to me,
and as they are so charged on the assessment
they are the same on the list forwarded TO me,
and you can see any list or paper have in con-
nection with any of the assessments.
Q. The statement was made here the other
day in reference to water service, and to two
lots with the same frontage on the same street,
one of which was SEQ and the other SS3.
Would you be able to explain how thing Of
that kind could happenl A. / could not ex-
plain it; know nothing about It.
Q. That ought not TO be the fact, ought it 7
A. presume not.
Q. And you are not able to explain how q
thing of that kind occurred? A. ! cannot; /
can only give you the papers that came to me
whether they are right or wrong 1 cannot
say. II must be an error Of the superintendent
if such is the case.
Mr.. Mattingly. will state that we are hav-
ing that examined, and whatever the result Is
we will advise the committee.