National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-04

eisy o"nes Wsre consulted or not N Snas mat
Q, Do you know the extent In amount and
value OF the old material takeni A. Yes, sir.
Q. What Is the aggregate amount in ALI A.
Really cannot give It to you from memory;
have Il upon my records.
Q. VIII you be kind enough to prepare that
statementi A. viii do 20, sir.
.. Do you know Of any stone sold to the
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company BY
the Board Of Public Works. A. Yes, sir.
Q. What was the amount Of thatl A.
think ninety-nine and oue-half perches, II my
memory serves me right.
Q. What was the character of the material
soldf A. II was old broken stone, which had
accumulated in the yard.
Q. Where was Il obtained FRONT A. From
canal yard and Slxth-street wharf. cannot
remember the exact amount from each yard.
Q. 1t was this old material taken from vari-
Gus citizens, was NJ A. Il was old material
which had accumulated In our property yard ,
and 10 was OF no service.
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Curling material, or
cobble-stone, or what A. There may have
been some pieces Of old curbing, gutter-stone,
all broken in pieces, such as would accumulate
in large yard where the stone Is constantly
broken.
By Mr.. Christy: O. Are you sure that none
of 1t was new stone purchased by the boardi A.
The six perches, or about that amount, which
were obtained at Sixth-street wharf, were
broken pieces, about foot, ffteen or eighteen
inches In length, which had accumulated IN the
yard, and we were very glad to get rid Off
Q. Fragments OF new curbi A. There were
some, believe. know my instruction to the
issuing clerk was to allow those of no service
to Us TO be cleared out Of the way.
@. Was there any valuable stone, such as
could be used in the improvements Of the Board
Of Public Works, sold 10 this company A.
None, whatever.
LEWIS CLEPHANs RECALLED.
Lewis Clephane was then recalled at the
instance Of the District government, and ex-
amined by Mr.. Mattingly, as follows:
Q. You are charged In the first charge Of the
memorialists as being one Of several conspir-
ators who conspired for the purpose Of obtain
ing contracts from the Board Of Public Works
unlawfully; state whether any slch conspiracy
existed. A. No such conspiracy existed, and
regard 1t as a malicious SANDER. state that
there is no foundation for such q charge or in
situation. The gentlemen who make these
charges know me we'll, and have known me for
years. These charges are not made under
oath.
Q. State whether you were in New York at
the time charged in August, 1871, and what
you did then, tie object OF your visit, and 90
on. A. believe was there at the time men,
II.
bourn and Mr.. Evans. ! was not there, how
ever, with Mr.. Brown. Ibelieye he was stated
to have been there also. I know nothing
about his being there.
Twas engaged In the business Of street paving.
Bids were to be put in on the LIST of September.
As matter Of course, as Q business man l
went around TO examine the different pave
ments and the prices, and 90 on. The board
had advertised for patent payements, all kinds
anNrz 1a1f- a. L.
spect such pavements as might consider the
best for the purpose, and in doing so Il was
necessary that arrangements should be made
with the proprietor for the right to lay those
pavements. did make such arrangements,
wherever I could, for the right TO lay their
pavements in the District In case we obtained
contract.
Q. What were those arrangements-merely
royalty in case their pavement was laid A.
Merely q royalty.
Q. State whether you had done any street
paving here prior to the organization Of the
boardi A. would state that had done paw
ing; had paved one half Of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and NJ street; not, however, under the
Board OF Public Works, Of course, but before
the Board of Public Works was organized, IN
der contract with the commission appointed by
Congress, and was engaged In that business;
had Q saw mill and all the facilities for doing
business, wood pavement being my speciality.
Q. There Is Q charge based upon the increase
In Filbert's contract for the Miller pavement.
Please explain that TO the committee. A. I
would state that that pavement was laid on
street and T street, where there
had been very heavy cutting-heavy grading.
The street was very much cut up with putting
In of sewer-pipe and water-pipe, and so on. Mr..
Filbert had q contract for laying what was
called the Roberts pavement. Machinery was
purchased for the purpose Of cutting those
blocks, but Il was found that IL would not op-
crate. then took the work; and Mr. Shep-
herd being very anxious TO have the work
prescott was In q terrible condition, and had
been laying so for long while; II was laid late
In the season, and so on. Finally told him
hat would not attempt to lay the pavement
On that street In the condition II was, without
putting q floor under Il, and that If did 90 he
must pay extra price for the floor, which was,
think, told him about Is cents yard. In
order, therefore, to have the work pressed for
ward, he agreed to allow that price. The
street was in no condition to lay pavement
without It.
By Mr.. Mcrrick: o. What street are you
speaking Of nowl A. Eighteenth street and
street, In the First ward.
@. West Of tho War Department. A. Yes,
sir; west of the War Department. I think
there were about 2, 900 yards In all.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. What did the original
contract call for on that street, A. Three dol
lars, believe.
Q. What kind Of pavement A. Roberts.
Q. Please explain 70 the committee the or
yanization of the Metropolitan Paving Com
pany; the time Of It's Organization; and Mr..
Shepherds connection Herewith. A. Proba-
bly, can better explain that by presenting
etter which addressed to Mr.. Shepherd him.
self.
Q. Explain first the date of the organization
Of the company, aud so on. A. The date Of
he organization Of the company was 7 think,
ng Pennsylvania avenue.
Q. The company was organized for that pur-
posei A. Yes, sir; Il was organized for that
purpose. The manner Of that organization
was, that had the patent-right for the Stowe
At that time composition was very
great. or course, advertisements were printed
n all the papers throughout the country invit-
ng proposals and styles Of pavement. Com
petition became very general. We organized
Company stock company-and went into
operation.
@. Explain now Mr.. Shepherds connection
With the company A. This 70 . letter adj
dressed to Mr.. Shepherd himself. He made
inquiry of me just before this Investigation COM
nenced as to bis connection with the company.
By the Chairman: @. That was written BY
7ou TO himi A. Yes, sir.
Q. And states the factsi A. And states the
acts. It Is dated March 16, 1874.
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Since this investigation
A. Yes, sir.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. Perhaps you had bet
er state the facts outside Of the letter. A.
dr. Shepherd asked me bis connection with the
ompany, II I remember correctly. That letter
EXPLAINS Mr.. Shepherds connection better than
can say otherwise. The letter Is a. follows:
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1874.
DEAR SIR: In reply 10 your inquiry, respect
ulIy present the following brief statement OF
our alleged connection with the Metropolis Paw
You VIII remember that in the early par. Of the
he right Of the Stowe wood pavement for this
district. In July, 1870, IN cot Of Congress was
assed 10 pave Pennsylyanis avenue, and adver- |
lsements were publishsd In the principal cities |
Or proposals and Specimens OF styles Of pave
aent, to DO forwarded to the commissioned ap-
ointed for that purpose. OF course, the competi-
Iou became very general hence the Metropolis |
nth partfss holding the rights 70 the Stove, |
ballard and Miller patents, which were regarded
ne best OF the wooden pavements.
On the organisation Of the company 81
$40, you declined to take any stock, bat We agreed
0 Issue TO Samuel q. Young stock for the inter
st you held IN the Stove patent. On the organic
alton Of the new District government and uPon
our being appointed member o. ne 6csra o.
'ublic Work., you insisted that MT. Young
hould disposs 81 his stock as from the fsct Of his
cling relative Of yours, Il would Be charged tnat
on had an interest In any contracts when me
he Board Of Public Work.; and, m eomPlisnee