National Republican., 1874-05-27

thet should like Mr.. Forsyth to explain *
the committee sonaething about the measure
ment on Twelfth street ths. Mr.. Blickensderfel
Mr.. Forsyth. The measurement has besr
made by me. believe It b right. The worh
has been done there In several places two oI
three times by Mr. Clephsne, and there haFe
bean different changes In the grade.
9: That is, dug down and then flled up
a. They have dug down two or three times
and SLED up.
Q. Is that the way you account for the dis
crepauey between your Measurement and Mr..
BlickenSderferi A. That Is the only wsy can
account tor Il. These chnges In the grade had
to be allowed for.
q. DO you know from your personal kpowl-
edge that they dug below grade, and then
filed up on that street, Al don't know Of my
own personal knowledge, but was informed
so by Mr.. Clephane, the contractor.
2. And you measure accosdinglyi A. Yes,
Q. Did you examine the eross-sectiens on
that street, A. never had any of them my
self furnished.
Q. Were there any cross-sections on that
street? A. Not that am aware of, at that
time
Q. Did you inquire about cross sections at the
engineers Officer A. did not.
Q. We had letter read here directing Mr..
Barney to furnish you with cross sections, and
directing you to be governed by thati A. The
letter directed Mr.. Barney to furnish me, and
he never did furnish me with them
Q. Where would be the place for them to
furnish these cross-sections to yoai A Fur
nish them to me as that letter directed.
Q. In the engineers officei A. AT my Office
in the City Hail. --r e.
Q: Are you not an assistant engineer of the
Board Of Public Worksi A. Yes, SIR; but my
Office Is in the City Hall -
@. DID the engineer Of the Board of Public
Works have two officesl A. The Office Of the
records of the District of Columbia Is In the
City Hall, and all the records of the whole
county. . g.
Z Q. And II you were directed to measure the
street and wanted to have IL correctly done,
where would 1t naturally occur 10 you you
would find the data-the cross-sections, or
whatever data there might be, A. Get Ii from
the engineers Office.
Q, Would not that naturally be one of the
first places you would go tot A. Well, he
was to send this data to me If he had it.
He did not do SO.
Q. You would hardly expect Mr.. Barney to
furnish you with large list of cross-sections
require the work Of two or three clerks to do
that-to furnish you copies of cross-ssctions OF
every street. Did you understand that to be
the meaning Of the orderi A. did.
Q. And you never applied at the engineer
Office for cross-sectionsi A. have frequently
got the quantities from Mr.. Barney to insert in
the vouchers where they were prepared and
ready. -r -
Q. And you would go there and inquire, A.
would. a.
Q. Did you, in this particular instance A.
do not know that l did. ..----. ..
@. Do you know whether you did or noti A.
/ do not think did. a..
BY Mr.. Stewart: @. Have you figured down
this with these cross-sections to see how your
figuring comparesa A. No, sir.
Q. How did you ascertain this processi A.
BY the measurements along the line of the
street, the height of the banks as they appear
now, and the actual digging that had been
done in consequence of these changes that
were pointed out to me. Va
@. Who pointed out the ehangesi A. Mr..
Gleason. He was doing the work for Mr..
Clephane at the time. .- ...
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. He was the man who
was to get the money! A. presume that
is SO.
Q. He isa good man to apply to to get ac-
curate informationl A. Well, whatever did,
Mr.. Wilson, wish you to understand did it
conscientisusly and fairly. Idon't want to be
cousidered- .-.-.. 70
Mr.. Wilson. am not controverting that, Mr..
Forsyth.
The Witness. If you had been a contractor
would have done the same for you.
Q. Since you were on the stand there has
been some testimony given in regard to the
mode Of making assessments, and desire you
to state how you went to work to make those
assessments against the property holders on
the various streets and avenues In the city.
That Is q matter that has been peculiarly
within your charge, as understand 1t. A.
The whole cost Of the street was given TO me
by the board, and half the intersections of the
different streets were deducted, or added in, as
the case may be. The net cost was divided.
One third of the whole cost of the street was
divided by the front feet Of property bordering
along the line of the street, which gave the
rate per front foot.
Q. Then, according to that, before you could
make an assessment on any street or avenue,
you had to know the entire cost of that street
or avenuei A. Yes, sir.
Q. 1t had to be completed, and the work
done, and you had to know what the cost was
before you could make an assessment against
the property A. That Is SO.