Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-20

nve years, and should not be now; told q ov
work, which did, and corrected the mistake;
Forsyth made an excessive measurement g.
Frank NJ. Smith, Of 1900 yards on NJ street
also; there was . case with another smith on b
street, between ID and Sd street, and over
messuremt Mt Of 400 square yards; insisted thai
another man be deignated 70 make these
N. asurements; then secured Mr.. Barney,
Q. Did Mr.. Forsyth make any measurement,
after that? A. Not under my direction; he die
utder come body else's, and measured govern
Q. What do you know of the controversy con
cerning grading on NJ Massachusetts, avenue east
A. referred the matter to Barney; he told M
1t was impossible to make q measurement, OF,
account Of there being no cross sections; afteI
making diligent inquiry, L found some esrtf
bad been deposited there by other contractors,
ssked where the dirt came from; the cry wa,
pas SD along the line, "Don't tell him." For
sy;h made two measurements; his second meas
urement was 30 600 cubic yards more than hi
first; it was too much OF pill for me to swal
low, and L tabled his report and went over the
work; Connolly, the contractor, was botheriug
Mr.. Shepherd, and he suggested it be referre,i
the Treasury department.; he was on the work
one afternoon with Arthur Shepherd, repre-
ssntiDg Connolly; the next day heard he had
resigned the position; he was afraid it would
thing to do with 1t; finally Governor Shepherd
without my knowledge, appointed Q commits
sioner; went to them and told them I would
make pits for them, which did; the COMMITTEES
took testimony and said twenty-tso thousand
yards additional we're due Connolly over nv
mt asurement; this was the end of IT, the nnal
a.Ld was 10000 yards; I think $1,000 yards
Q. Were the vouchers In your ofice used by
Same and Forsyth in making government mea
suremenP A. Yes; for work done since Angus,
q. Who fxed the prices for Tagging around
the Botanical garden? A. The prices for the
govern msnt were fixed by Samo, Oertley and
Fortyth; the prices for private property wer,
fixed by correspondence between Governor
Shepherd and Mr.. Oertley; 1 consider the price
Of new tagging is too much at S1.25; 1 think a
fair price-cash price-would be about IS or 81
cents this Is fair price for the circles; quarry
faced tagging is worth about IS cents; made
mistake and was misinformed when 1 figured
the price at "a cent?; thought it was the same
60 back on my action in fixing the price at s.
csHp-th at lie too much; John o. Evans die
about 200 600 tquare feet OF the tagging arounc
government property.
tagging? A. No, SIR; do not know who mad,
the tagging contTact<.
Q. DO you know OF any cases where contract
were executed after the work was done. A. ]
know many such cases; the rule has been {
make the contractor sign them, and the boar
signed them in bulk.
Q. Have you received extra compensation a.
an engineer of the board. A. No, sir; nor have
i claimed any; letters were not couched to mt
in the terms thought due me as a fellow mem
Der Of the board; Mr.. Willard said L WAS an en-
giDeer, and as such was entitled to additiona
salary; asked him what he got additional a.
vice pI eeident; he said nothing; / said then
co not want any additional salary; have prac
ticed my profession as an architect in severa
instances since i became member of the
board.
Q. At what prices have these main sewer,
betn constructed? How did you arrive at thai
price? A. Witness producing map of mali
sHWeTaCe.l The am0unt maid nv the TTuitar
States on account of sewers is SOS ,9I9.7O. Th.
total cost il 81 ,435.S55 .. Expended, 81 4O1,-
6i3.C3. The price for the Boundary street sewer
is $50 IS. The price has been increased 81 per
foot on account OF the depreciation of the Dis
tiict paper. This has been done uniformly Oh
all sewer work done this summer.
Z. DoyOu consider $50 IS a foot able
price? A. Yes, sir; considering the payment,
the men get.
Q. Is the board still letting contracts? A
Contracts are let out, but mostly Tor sanitary
ta'oDs-clcaning aleys, &c.
q. Who had the contracts, as a general rule
for putting down the streets and pavements il
front OF government property? A. L could'n
cay; there have been many cases where tn.
the pavement by another; up to November las
the bills were made out by the auditor; the en-
gipeer put In the quantities, not the prices; d
were separate that the two feet Of grading wa,
deducted from the paving contract; had
good deal Of trouble with MIR. Fibert with ref
feet deducted.
q. Do you know the actual cost of q square
yaro Of wooden pavement? A. Witness mad
computations, and stated the cost at about 81
30 ptr square yard then to this add 20 per cent
profit, and ten cents for royslty-"this con
slider very fair rate"
Q. DO you know anything about the grading
on 18th and 18th streets, near the War depart
ment9 A. The District has paid for the grading
s31 ,0o5.40. The government is charged SIS, 172
1t is not An overchaIee, but inSongruous.
q. Well, explain that? A. Well, il you buy
horse for $500, and man brings you q Dill t.
pay for two mules at $3.50 each, you are MOI
cheated. You pay the correct amount, but in 9
wrong way.
been kept? A. 1t seems 80.
2. Explain that again? A. Well, you sec
John .. Evans did the work. There wa
actually about 46, 600 square yards. Evans wss
allowed about 81 per yard. Samo put it rs, 900
yards at 80 cents per yard. That is the way i,
was dons.
@ Have you statement in regard to the cost
OF .ewers on G street northwest, between oath
Witness submitted q tabular statement show
ing the cost or sewers on that street
At half past II O'Clock the committee took q
recess until 1:30 p. m.
AFTER RECESS.
The committee reassemoled at two O'Clock.
Mr.. Cluss was examined with reference To o
tabular statement submitted by him. He also
submitted voucher Of John o. Evans for 18th
street, where Is, 900 yards Of illing is charged
at 40 cents. He did 20 to show that the bill was
In a different handwriting, and that when he
signed the voucher he did not know these
amounts were included. The figures are in the
handwriting of Oertley. 1t would be Barney's
duty to fill up the voucher; but Oertley, acting
undtr special orders to measure John o. Evans
work, filled up these amounts, and Mr.. Barney
is Dot responsible for the same.
z. Do you know where the earth came from
that filled up 18th street? A. do not; IL could
not possibly have come from any place but
streets and alleys; no private sources are avail
able for so much dirt; the q street sewer cost
S2,125; they have charged the government
ss,l95 for the sewer; the grading on Maryland
avenue. between list and 18th streets, cost the
board sS5, 1885; the United States has paid
oct, 900. 50.
Q. How do you account for this? A. can
not account for 1t. 1 have taken the accounts
and made up the statement.
Q. In North Carolina avenue the amount
charged TO the United States Is S3l, 3e6.67; the
cost to the board 10 &9, S21,70. How do you ac-
count for that discrepancy? A. cannot &C
count for 1t. / have taken the records Of the
engineers Office for the statement.
Q. On Connecticut avenae the cost 10
SIG $3.50. The United States has paid over
S21 600. How Is that accounted for? A. know
no reason why 1t should be %. have taken the
records.
Q. What do y0u know about filline ~ canalf
A. Not voucher has been passed In the enei-
neer ONCE for nlling up the canal; very small
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