National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-17
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION
(Conffnaed. from Frat PGoe.l

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was living and here / would say to MN nc We
an INSCRIPTIONS contractor; that II ne eouio
get q contract without much reference 10 Tue
price, he would endeavor to do the WORK so as
to make something out Of 1t without any refer
snce to the manner of its execution. say
thst for myself, and I say that his general
reputation IN. Chicago where he is known as a
Contractor, and hence having learned that fact,
Jcautioued him particular when he came here
to abandon his style Of doing business, that he
got good price for his work and that it was
his duty as said, to do good Job, but never
could make him understand that It vas q
proper thing to do HIS work well.
By Mr.. Stewart: =. You have been ooserv-
ing Foud pavements closely; how are they
generally laid down. A. They are laid with
out foundation almost entirely, and 1t Is on
that account necessary that more attention be
paid to the foundation than you would If you
were laying the plank flooring. That ooViates
for the time being the apparent necessity.
@. The most OF these patents have left out
the original plan Of Nicholson A. Yes, sir;
suppose so. DeGolyer, and, in fact nearly,
if not all others, have left the planks out; but
in leaving the plank out they forgot to put a
foundation in; in other words, they neglected.
O. You say If they did them according to
the specifications Are you familiar with those
specifications A. Yes, sir.
o. Are they sufficient for good pavement!
A. Yes, sir, think they are; and I think it is
most extraordinary that they have been per-
mitted TO lay down pavement without more
care.
Q.-You think the specifications are sufficient
AYES, sir.
Q.TTaking these specifications, how was the
scale. of pricesl A. The prices are liberal for a
good pavement, and man could take a con-
tract and make money, and he ought to do a
good job. He can afford to do It, and he ought
to do it.
Q. You say they are liberal; what do you
mean by that-excessive! A. No, sir; l should
not consider them excessive; l consider that,
after paying expenses and doing good job, a
man would get what call reasonable pay for
business man to obtain
O. To do a good job, taking the DeGolyer
No ITO do what you mean by good, faith
full job-what would it cost square yardl A.
think it would cost two dollars and quarter
or two dollars and thirty cents to lay the De-
Golyer No. 3.
O'Imean including all that enters into the
element Of expense. A. think If man sue
ceeded in putting it down for $3.50, that he
would be entitled to the consideration Of his
employer.
Q. By employers do you mean contractors!
A. Yes, sir; am speaking Of foreman get
ting the work done.
O. What would be q reasonable compensa-
ton to the contractor, taking into account
Different royalties. contingencies, and all that
enters into the cost before he has his net profit
before he can count his net proftsi A.
think that $3.50 would not more than, If it
would absolutely, cover legitimate expenses
for job properly done under the sPecihca-
tions.
9. l. would not more than cover II A. No,
sir; think not,
Q. That would leave dollor profit A. Yes,
sir.
O. Would not that be pretty large profit?
A. Well, that depends-nO, sir; do not think
it would.
Q. Why would it not be pretty large profit
A. You must recollect that the pay you get In
the District OF Columbia is not what we call
E'trade-dollars." 1t is entirely different thing.
If you were to get your money, and get it
promptly, then dollar would be- If you please,
q large profit. would be satisfied with half
dollar, and glad to get il; but if, on the con-
trary, the board was not prepared 70 pay, and
l took their open promise, and they were not
able to tell me when they would pay, then
think tina: dollar would be margin; it would
not pay my debts, l should say.
By Mr.. Jewett: Q. They are paying their
debts when these contracts were made, were
they MOI! 4. l believe they were.
Q. DO you not know they were? A. l think
they had money to pay when the contracts
were let.
z. Do you not know they were paying then!
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You know It. Then at the time the con-
tract was made, in your judgment, it was an
extravagant onel 4. Well, when the contract
was made it was liberal price.
z. In this preparation you impaired to the
wood first the sulphate of iron! A. Yes, sir.
q. What effect does that have on the wood!
A Well, it uni;es with the lbres.
Q. What does; what unites-the iron? A.
Yes, sir, the iron.
Q. In the next place, you impart to it lime?
A. Yes; a solution Of lima saturated solu-
ton Of lime. That unites with the sulphate of
iron, the fibre, the tanner, and the insoluble
aIbumen, forming a compact.
-, O. Tle complaint Of tte DeGolyer patent is
that it destroys itself. A. Well, 1 never heard
that, except through Mr.. Quinby.
Q. You never heard that complaint gener-
ally9 A. No, sir; have not.
Q. Now, do you not know that iron and
lime are two Incompatible properties? A. No,
sir; do not.
Q. You do not know that lime always has
and always will destroy iron? A. No, sir. If
YOU will allow me, will show the analysis of
Professor Blaney, whose opinion took instead
of my own upon that subject, before invested
largely in the process.
At the request of the committee, Mr.. Nick
ersOn read from the opinion above referred to
as follows, stating, before doing so, that Pro-
fessor Blaney was the chemist of the Rush
Medical College, Of Chicago:
PROFESSOR BLANEY's REPORT.
CHICAGO, February Is, 1877,
To the Honorable Board Of Public Works, Cay @
Chicago:
GESTLEMES: A communication from Benjamin
Z. Nickerson, ESQ.,, dated February Is, 1870, ae-
companied by two specimens Of wood, one OF which
was obviously the ordinary white pine wood OF
this market, the other, certified BY him, as pre-
pared by the process known as the patent process
Of John Lewis Samuels, Of California, (Which
patent bears date January /, 1851, and 10 num-
bered co. 1884, with request that should submit
the specimens transmitted to me by him, to
chemical analysis and report my results, was
duly received, and in accordance with the request
respectfully submit the following as the results
Of my analysis, and my opinion Of the value Of his
process based thereon:
In the first step OF his process he introduces the
wood, - Re prepared into q close cylinder, caPa-
BILE Of sustaining pressure OF over two hundred
and fifty pounds to the square inch, after closing
the obect Of removing as far as possible, all the
constituents OF the sap which are soluble IN
water, end Of coagulating those substances which
are ooagulable by heat alone.
The albuminous, or other bodies, capable of
acting ss terments, contained in the sap OF the
Temperature sufficiently high, and sustained sufi-
GENTLY long, be deprived Of their power to act
longer as ferments.
from the steam in this STEP there should be taken
from the wood large proportion OF the soluble
(but not Of the coagulable) constituents Of the
sap capable Of acting as terments to impair the
In the second step OF the process he removes,
vacuum, 6 large proportion Of the solution COZ
tanning the materials OF the sap soluble in water,
leaving the capillary spaces Of the wood receptive
ofthe solution of the sulphate Of iron, which is
introduced under heavy pressure in the third STEP
the effect OF which is, first, to combine with, and
moro permanently to coagulate any ingredients
Of the sap not previously removed by the first
step.
The ingredients acted upon by the sulphate OF
iron, and forming by IT'S decomposition lnsoluble
compound, which remain in the capillarles Of
the wood, are, first, aIbIminoid bodies; second,
fannie or gallie acids, or their analogues, and
resinoId bodies acting Gs acids and capable Of
com bIning with and forming insoluble compounds
In his fourth step he employs vacuum to alb
strsct far may be, the solution of iron, leay-
ing the rinsoluble compounds which have been
formed, together with q portion Of the solution
ITSELF
The afth step introduces solution Of line, the
effect OF which is to combine with the suiphuric
acid Of the sulphate Of iron remaining In the
pores Of the wood, not distracted by the previous
procese The result Of this step s to form the In
soluble sulphate Of lime and protoxide Of iron
both Of which remain 10 the pores Of and attached
to the fibre of the wood. .a.... De-
So far you have an expression Of my opinion as
regards the results which actually do, or should
by theory occur in the conduct Of the several steps
OF his process as detailed by him.
now proceed to state the results Of analysis
which have made in confirmation Of these theo-
retical views.