National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-09

effect that he has examined large portion OF the
i5oni1ed-paving-Rlocks put down on Lake and
and finds them In all stages Of decay; and that In
his opinion, the life Of the wood Is destroyed By
the intense heat TO which It IL subjected, the
ing process thereby Fastening decay.
He desIres, inasmuch as his name has been
used heretofore in recommending this work OF
treatment, to retract his previously expressed
, sentiments, which he says were derived from
Of the subject.
BY Mr.. Stewart: O. You say that this pave
i ment was swindle and fraud. Did you
know that when you were putting 1t down in
the begiuningi A. did not, sir.
Q. You did not know it, A. 1 did not know
, Il, sir, until my return from Chicago, in 1873.
{ When we put 1t down I believed 1t to be good
thing, and did It honestly.
u Q. You believed it to be good thingi A.
Yes, sir, when we put It down; but knew
nothing of the circumstances of its decaying
until this last year.
Q. Had you any reason to doubt the good
faith of anybody connected with the putting of
It down until after 1t had been tried and It was
sscertained that 1t was failure in Chicagoi
A. No, sir; do not know that had.
Q. You thought that 1t was good thing at
that timer A. 1 did, sir. -
1 Q. Did you have any conversation with the
superintendent in regard to itl A. did.
Q. And with persons connected with the
Board of Public Works! A. I did, sir.
Q. Did you commend 1t to them at that timei
A. I did, sir.
O. Did you have any conversation with them
as to the cost of putting It DOWN. A. Simply
Q. No, no; mean with the Board of Public
Works, or anybody connected with It. A.
4 Well, simply said to Mr.. Shepherd in his
i office-his store-thst thought 1t was time
that that humbug was busted up. 4
Q. That was after you found out 1t was q
humbugi A. Yes; not previous to that.
\ n NJ,
to that. -..-.. -, --..-- : = 1
|. Q. You did not even suggest to them that
there was big percentage in the laying of 1t,
did you? A; No, sir; my business at that time
was simply to superintend.
Q. Simply to superintend? A. Yes, sir.
Q. You thought it q good pavement, and
so stated it, until after you discovered the
errora A. did, sir.
| O. Then might not this fraud and swindle
that you speak of consist in the process itself
that is what you had reference to-the process
itselfa A. The process of treating the lum-
| Der
Q. Was a fraud and swindle, A. Yes, sir;
1 think it was.
@. 1t was not discovered until after it had
been triedl
The Chairman. He stated he did not discover
It until July, 1873.
The Witness. After it had been laid here
one year. i
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. Did you lay any of this
pavement in Chicago! A. did, sir.
Q. What was the price received for It therel
A. My impression is that we got for the first
contract S2.25 square yard for this ironized
| wood.
@. What did the lumber cost thcrea A. Our
| lumber cost US there about S11 q thousand for
pine lumber.
Q. Are you familiar with the different kinds
| of wood pavement laid throughout the country
A. 1 am, sir. have been In all the principal
cities where it has been put down within the last
five years.
Q. State where 1t has been put down. Just
give the committee general idea of the extent
| to which wood paVements have been used with
In the last five years. A. They have been put
down in Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, some
In Cincinnati, and some in Columbus, Ohio, |
Louisville, Ky. Those are the principal cities |
that have visited In the interest of the wood |
pavement. would also add the city of Wash |
ington, and some in Philadelphia.
Q. What is your opinion of wood pavements |
as to their durability if properly laidi A. My |
opinion is that they are not good for much.
Q. That they are not good for muchi A. |
No, sir.
Q. That is what you state as q wood pave
ment-manl A. Yes, sir. In a country where
lumber is cheap as 1t is In the city of Chicago
or Milwaukee, and those cities lying near the |
lumber market, and where stone is scarce as |
a material for the streets, that 1t would answer,
no doubt; but in cities like Washington, New
York, or Philadelphia, or any of those cities
where lumber is high, Il consider that wood is
very poor material to make q street of-the
poorest that is known.
@. Then your idea is that where stone could |
be obtained that ought to be used for a street
pavement A. Stone and concrete. There is
some concrete that will make q good pave
ment.
0. Is not 90 25 in Chicago for this pavement,
with lumber at $11 q thousand, better than
So. so in this part of the country, with lumber
costing S22 thousand A. Our psvements do
not cost 81! 25 there.
Q. But asked you whether 81. 25 in Chicago |
for this pavement, with lumber at $1l thou
sand, was not better than %. so in this part of
the country, with lumber costing s22 thou
sard9
Q. It is not, according to your ideal A. No,
sir; for the simple reason that the gravel that
we use there in paving is worth S3 cubic
yard, while here it is worth comparatively
nothing.
@. Your gravel costs you much more there2
A. Yes, sir; that makes the item of difference. II
Q. Did you superintend this pavement of the
board from First street to the navy yard gatea
A. did.
Q. When was it constructed A. will
qualify that, saying that the cross streets were
finished the next season after. 1 had nothing
to do with that, simply where they crossed the
avenues. did not do that.
Q. When was the main body of the work
A. 1t was completed some time, I
think, the last of November or first Of Decem-
Der.
Q. Eighteen hundred and seventy-twol A.
Yes, sir. IA
Q You had at one time been in the employ
ment of the Board'of Public Works; had you {
mott A. had an appointment but never did
any work for them. l was assigned, I think,
to some work. Ia
hoEl kt,ot l., rok4 - |
nation Handing document to witness?l A. II
Yes, sir; It is.
Q. Read it to the committee, If you please9
R. ssa ssS 1is p Sd Ata sgGs soa1s
DEAR SIR: Please accept my thanks for your l
slider my services of more value than the price
tablished by your honorable board, with its
1P with amy any sen sense
tractor, which evidently is the case with many &
special superintendent
Please accept my resignation. #,
Respectfully yours (Signed) QUINBY.
Q. State whether that was a letter written ,
by you to Mr.. Shepherd Handing document
to the witness.l A. That is letter of mine.
Q. Read 1t to the committee, If you please.
sa %kksadIs s D. C., December Is ls7s'
MY DEAR s1s : beg pardon for intruding upon {
fact that since it became known. to the ironizing
Company that had furnished you with partial
evidences OF the utter WorthleSsnesS OF the fron
lied wood have been discharged from the employ
Of paving firm who are friendly terms with I
them, and, as understand, they are to proceed :
with the work. I infer that the mission Of Con-
gresham Farwell to the city in their behalf was
q successful one. When asked him for Q letter g
to you. in his store in Chicago, told him that
would expose the thing which he himself said he
had no faith In and now he comes here, to use his
own words, "to help them out"
To all Of which I am prepared, however, to Ger.
tify by AFFIDAVIT, II necessary. have done moth
ing but what my sense Of justice has prompted me
to do for the benefit of the public who aging
%. so per square yard for pavement the actual !.
cost or which is not over $1.75 I
presume II Is useless for to ask your assist
ance to secure me some position whereby can Q
Darn an honest living, as by this time your pa
thence must be nearly exhausted. would, there
fore ask, where can secure those papers that Z
you received from DR.. Filbert and from me. q
propose to make known through the press the 4
whole transaction relative to this Infamous +
swindls . y
II you should see at to grant me an interview I
can more easily explain what wish than by
Hoping that my feeble efforts to render the ,
people OF this District, over whose public affairs
you have lately been called to preside, may yet
be rewarded, remain, most respectfully yours, |
o. H. Quincy. Is North street.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. do not exactly un- s
derstand your statement. Did you say that |