National Republican., 1874-05-13

Q. Do you know whether Mr. ,Npllett re
seiysd pay. consultine enstnsefhA. thinl
q. At what ratei A. He was paid in gros,
for the time that he served, about 5000, wa
it not, Colonel Magrdderf
Colonel MagTuder. Yes, sir.
q. DID be also receive pay as chief engineer
A. He did not; that 10 the only pay that be evel
received either 4fom the. Government Of the
United States or the District of Columbia ant
he earned every dollar oft.
Q. believe asked you who let the contract
for that paving on Fifteenth street, between
Boundary and 8. You say you do not know
anything about 1T A. That is Rhode Islant
avenue and Boundary street. suppose now
looking atthe date that I let it.- T was vic,
president Of the board at the time, (August 5,
and It must have been done through my Office
q. Do you know 70 whom It was LETT A. Il
was let to Mr.. Gregg.
Q. Do you know who did the work on thai
street, A. ! do not.
Q. What Is che humhef Of that eontracsO A
q. Sixteenth street has been graded out tc
Boundary, believed A. Sixteenth street wai
graded and paved in 1872 to Boundary.
Q. Does the Board of Public Works contem
plate cutting through the hill st Boundary. A
That was the original contemplation. )
q. Has the work been suspended A. Yes
STR.
Q. How long sincea A. It was suspended III
q. There has been nothing done since. A
Nothing done since. They had to condem the
land there, and that took some time, and Il
was only in 1873 that the land was condemned
and the right of way obtained.
Q. Has there been any improvement made
connecting Fifteenth street between where It Ii
paved at the point where ] have already indi
Gated and any other paved street, excepting one
A. Indeed, do not know. did not know
that Fifteenth street was paved at the far end
/ would not have allowed 1t to have been done
If had known anything of It.
Q. But you, let the eontraeti A. Yes, sir
But did not carry II out. / lef the board In
the following month and did not supervise the
work. fl had had the control or management
of It should have made them commence al
Rhode Island avenue and work up, instead Of
commencing at the far end and working down
1t was let from Rhode Island avenue to Bound.
ary street.
Q. There is a space between that point and
P street, on fifteenth, where there Is no wood
pavement, and no contract has ever been let
as understand III A. Oh, yes. This contract
is from Rhode Island avenue. fifteenth street
10 p1NCu W hhOAC Aclah4 dtCA4Gs xulS ID 1IOul
Rhode Island avenue to Boundary street, and
they commenced at the far end and worked
down instead of commencing at this end and
working mp, as they ought to have done.
y. twas probably misled by Mr.. Wizards
understanding of it. Do you know whether
any part Of this grading that was done on
Sixth street where the Baltimore & Potomac
Railroad Company has put down its track has
been charged to the Government A. know
nothing about it. The. street was graded and
improved, and I presume II was paid for as all
other streets were. do not see why the Bal
tipore & Potomac Railroad Company should
pay anything on that street. 1t is street OF
the city and the property belongs to the Gov
ernment. They asked us to establish the
grades before they commenced to do anything
and we established the grades. General Bah
cock went there with me and looked over the
matter and fixed the grade so that this bridge,
which they are compelled to put up under their
charter, would be as easy of access as possible.
! never had anything to do with the railroad
company in that connection.
BY Mr.. Merrick. Q. Does not the charter re-
quire that they should pay for the grading OF
the streets cut downi A. I do not know. They
did not cut Il down; It was cut down by us. We
had to carry out the improvement of Sixth
street. We are improving il clear to the river,
and we fixed the grade with that connection.
Sixth street is paved to the river.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. What is the character OF
the work that is being done in connection with
the James Creek canal from the arsenal north
ward TO Virginia avenue; and what is the pur-
pose for which tits being done7 A. 1t is necessary
as an open sewer, and at the same time as .
canal. 1t is an arm of the river that makes
up there.
Q. What Is being done with IN A. Il has been
1redged out, and the walls are now being built.
Q. To what depth is 1t being dredgedl A. 1t
has been dredged out to n depth of sir feet at
low tide.
Q. Is that intended as an inlet for vessels to
come ini A. A place for those lighters and
things of that kind to come up 10 unload wood
and lumber. It answers the double purpose of
Training that section OF country right through
! swamp, and at the same time, think within
i've years, If the improvement Is carried out,
most of the lumber business, wood business,
Ind coal business Will be on that canal.
Q. Is 1t intended TO utilize that to the city in
.he way Of revenues, in any way7 A. Yes, sir.
Q. How is 1t proposed to do thatl A. Well,
'y selling out the privileges Of 1.-THE sites. 1t
s an outlet of the TPer sewer, the main out
ct, It will be, when completed.
Q. Does that run through public or private
Tho Witness. Do you mean the James Creek
,anall
Mr.. Wilson. Yes. r-..
A. 1t is down on the original map of the city.
I is intended for a canal.
Q. Is the property on either side of it owned
~ private individuals, or is It Government
,ropertyi A. There are streets On each side of
ia very wide street on each side. ..E
Q. Then It is proposed to lease the use Of this
It various points along 1t to parties, and there
~ derive q revehuei A. Yes, sir. In the mat
a. Of nj nj rxraua1 heot,nhk IA
here is large business dope II that which
would probably occupy half the space the mo-
nent IT is accomplished.
Q. Do you knoy Of any company having
,een formed for the purpose Of taking these
easesl A. ] do not: / do not think there is
nything of the kind.
Q. Is there any such thing as that In con-
emplationi A. I know nothing of the kind.
Q. It is matter wholly open to all personsl
|. Entirely, sir. By-the-by, the act Of the
legislative Assembly provides that # shall be
ct by public advertisement. It applies to that
s well as to the old canal. - r.. ..
Mr.. Christy. Before proceeding with the
of Governor Shepherd. I de-
ire to ask preliminary question of Mr.. Ma
ruder, in regard to o subject to which refer
nee was made by the Governor.
@. Ito Mr.. Magruder:) Please state the plan
r arrangement made between the Board Of
'ublic Works and Senators Bayard and Ed
1unds in regard to the injuries that they suf-
cred by the improvement Of Massachusetts av-
nue.? A. Senator Edmhnds and Senator Bay
I'd, and those people around there objected
cry strongly to our putting the roadways in
he middle Of the street and parking up. The
oard thought that It was the proper way to
o, and VIC could not yield our opinion to them
r anybody else, particularly when large ma
ority of owners Of the property OH that avenue
esired that the road should be built Just as
re have built It, that the street should be i'm
roved, so that they could get the benefit of
his parking between their houses and the road.
enator Edmunds and Senator Bayard both sent
lrge claims in for damages and finally they
greed that II the board would abandon their
they would withdraw these claims.
he assessment amounted TO $3.50 piece.
Veil, the board considered that It was an ad-
lirable settlement to mako with them for the
eneft of the District; that II they went before
lie Legislature the probability was they would
ct much larger damages than these assess-
tent bills amounted 70, and they Immediately,
ithout any hesitation, as soon as the board
uderstood the matter, accepted the PROPOSE
on, receipted their bills and struck them of
the assessment, In consideration Of their
oandoning ell claim to damages for their
roperty.
q. Now that principle was established AFTER
n consultation With the Board Of Public
Q. And It was their action as . Board Of
ublio Worksi A. lt was tho action of the
oard of Public Works.
@. Is that the settled principle upon which |
~ arranged these controversies Is to damages
I,1aad hv trnnrovenahtsi A Thara rvaa ~