National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-11

inspected the pavement aud was so much
pleased with 1t that he recommended that one
street TO be paved with &C..
MI. Wilson. But the contract was let to ii.
d. Bingham personally, was 1t noti
Governor Shepherd. It was let In his name,
out my understanding was that he represented
company who owned this Beidler keystone
patent.
Mr.. Wilson. Do you know whether he did
any Of this work himself, or sub4et 1t.
Governor Shepherd / think that he pur-
chased lumber, If my memory serves me. He
furnished everything and sub-let the grading
and the laying of It.
Mr.. Wilson. Do you know how long after he
got the contract 1t was until he sub-let It'll A.
Indeed do not. .=t
Mr.. Wilson. To whom did he sub-let It'll
Governor Shepherd. I think to Mr.. Baldwin,
II my memory serves me right. ----.
MT. Wilson. Where does Mr.. Baldwin livei
Governor Shepherd. He lives in the city.
Mr.. Wilson. What Is his full namel
Governor Shepherd. j. s. Baldwin q ...-
Mr.. Wilson. Do you know whether, In esti-
mating the excavation or grading, there were
two feet deducted on account Of the pavement
-carriageway! e.. -..-
Governor Shepherd. Indeed do not know.
Mr.. Wilson. Do you know what premium
} Mr.. Bingham got-what he got for the con-
tract when he sub-let 1T
Governor Shepherd. do not think he ever
sub-fet it, except so far as portions of the work
were concerned think he carried the con-
tract in his own name, or of the company that
he represented. We never had any notice of
his sub-letting t.. only judge from the fact
that these parties did the work on the street.
Mr.. Wilson. Was he ever here himself, per
sonally looking at this contract =.
Governor shepherd. Oh, yes, frequently
every week he was here. That Is the way l
icame to know him. did not know him until
after he had been ct work some time.
Mr.. Christy. I find, Mr.. Chairman, from the
Starkweather Report, page 70, list of contracts
made or extended since August IL, 1871, that
contract No. A was contract to pave and
curb the gutter on Twelfth street, on the east
side, awarded to A. Gleason. ~ . -...--
Mr.. Christy. On page rs of the same report
there is statement that, on the 18th day of
September, foot pavement and curb for X street,
from Ninth street to Tenth street northwest,
was awarded to Thomas Lucas; that contract
is not numbered. .s .-a-s..-. .....
Governor Shepherd. These are the contracts
let under the $500, 900 act while the 81 OOO, 900
loan was in suit. That is the reason.
The Chairman. That was undoubtedly
Thomas Lucas first contract.
Mr.. Christy. / want TO prove the priority of
Mr.. Lucas. contract which think is proper.
By Mr.. Harrington, Ito witness Lucss:) Q.
Did you do any sodding on street, A. Yes,
Q. How was that work performed, we'll or
indiferentlyl A. Well, the board who inspect
ed It pronounced it as a good job.
Q. Have you had considerable experience in
laying sodding in the cityi A. No, ST; none,
except the one have Just spoken Of. '.'-
Q: In your opinion is fifty cents square yard
a fair price for sodding laid as required by the
specifications of the Board of Public Works
A. Well, l think It is. / do not think it could
be done for that price nov in some parts of
Washington. East of the Capitol it might
have been done for fraction less. Take it in
the neighborhood of Georgetown, and do not
think it could be done for sixty cents on account
of the scarcity of sod and soil.
@. You speak of this wood going down on X
street that it looked like untreated wood do
you know the effect of burnetizing woodl A.
Yes, sir. ....
O. What effect has IT on Roodl A. 1t dark
ems the color of the wood.
| @. Are you not confusing the burnetizing
process with the process of irouing2 A. Posi-
bly,, that might be-.
Q. Is 1t not the ironizing process that dark
ems the wood, and the burnetizing that does
not change its colorl / think probably you
have got it little confused. A. If you can
give me to understand whether Pennsylvania
avenue was igonized or burnetized, l can ex-
plain.
Q. Some of Pennsylvania avenue was creo-
soted, and that would darken 1t little? A.
Then might be mistaken.
Governor Shepherd. As matter of fact, the
burnetizing does not change the color at all.
The Witness. know when I was quite a
boy, when we were constructing an aoueduct
at Georgetown, know the curing the GOOD
there did not change the color but very little.
Mr.. Christy. now desire to call attention
to the fact that, in the list of contracts re-
ferred to between pages 5S1 and $50 there is
no statement of any contracts made with II.
H. Bingham that / have been able to find. |
That is the list of the contracts, copies of
which arc fled with the Secretary of the Dis
trict, as the law requires. That is brought |
down to February 10, 1872.
Governor Shepherd. That is because he had
not signed and bonded, l expect, Colonel
Christy.
Mr.. Christy. am only calling attention to
the fact that this contract, bearing date Sep
been made, was not, in fact, flied as the law
requires, during that time.
TESTIMONY OF SAMUEL HILTON.
Samuel Hilton sworn.
By the Chairman: Q. Do you know any
thing with reference to the measurement of the |
grading on Pennsylvania avenue east and II |
street eastl A. Not on Eighth street east.
do not know.
Q. Do you know anything about the meas !
urements on Pennsylvania avenue! A. Between
First, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh do. was |
superintendent Of that work.
g. State what you know about It!
The Witness. In regard to the amount.
The Chairman. Whether the measurements |
for grading were properly made. A. The
amount Of grading was between thirty-seren |
and thirty eight thousand yards, between First |
and Fourth, and Sixth and Seventh, skipping |
Fourth and Fifth streets. -
Q. Do you know anything as to the quantity |
between Fifth and Sixth and Fourth and Fifth |
streetsf A. No, sir; that is in the reserTa-
ton.
Q. How did you ascertain the quantity of
this gradingi Did you keep run of it as it |
went ina A. Yes, sir.
9. Did you report i'll A. Yes, sir; reported
it in my report.
.. To whom! A. To the Board of Public
Works. |
Q. You were q superintendent under the |
boardi A. Yes, sir.
9. And 1t was o part of your business to |
keep an account Of the grading for the boardl |
A. Yes, sir; as near as possible. I kept an
account, as near as possible, without the use
Of the instrument.
Q. Did you return that in writingi A. |
Q. Who did the grading therel A. Mr..
Peter Mcnamara.
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Your measurements in |
cluded from First to Fourth streets east and |
Sixth to Seventh streetsl A. It did not inter-
fere with the reservation at ali between Fourth |
and Filth.
Q. Do you know what was the amount of |
grading in that intervening space between
Fourth and Fifth streetsl
The Witness. In the reservations
Mr.. Merriek. Yes, sir.
The Witness. No, SIR; do not. noticed 1t,
but am not competent to speak about 1t.
Q. Can you form an approximate idea of |
how much was therel A. should Judge 1t
was near three feet; that is, near three feet Of
grading. never estimated the amount.
Q. Could you state by an estimate now how
much it would BET A. Not without had the |
size Of the reservations. Think 1t would aver
age three feet over the reservation; somewhere
In the neigbborhood of that.
By the Chairman: O. You did not keep an
account of the amount of grading between
Fourth and Fifth, and Fifth and SIXTH A.
No, sir, did not. That is in the reservation.
That came under Mr.. stegmeyer, another
superintendent. He superintendent under the
board for the reservation. -....
Q. Do you know anything about the amount
of grading on that reservation A. Only from
what might judge. - |
@. What would be your Judgment A. Ny
judgment would be about three feet.
Q. How many yards were graded A. do
l.