National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-03

IHE NAIlONAL hEl
@. Did that enter into the amount of you
bid for gradingl A. I cannot tell you abou
that. -
o. How about the present board ratesi A
Well, sir, short haul lie the best.
@. The longer the haul, Is It worth more
A. Yes, sir; It is worth more, and 1t is hard o.
O.. How about the rates established by th
board. Are they excessive or very profitable
or any more than fair allowance A. The,
are not as good as the old prices.
By Mr.. Christy: @. Did you have any con
tract under Mr.. Bowen! A. had PAWN
contract under him--grading, paving, setting
curb, paving footwalks.
Q. What did that contract provide you shoult
be paid for gradingi A. think It was eighteei
or twenty cents cubic yard.
Q. Did you then get pay also for the dirt de
positedi A. When we put 1t on line of tn
work, yes, sir. -
Q. Did you, in fact get any pay for work boil
waysa A. Yes, sir; that has always been tn
custom.
Q. Are you the party to whom you refer a
having removed dirt little ways, and then re
ceived pay both for excavating and nllingl Dit
you refer TO yourself or some other contractor
A: do not speak about anybody else but my
self.
Q. And you did receive both for excavatin.
and fllingi A. Yes, sir; that is well-knowl
fact. ..
Q. And by the terms of the contract itself
A. That cannot tell you; but 1t was never OBJ
jected to by anybody. Inever read the contract
Q. And that was under Mayor Bowena A
Yes, sir.
o. Where was that street, A. Fifth, from
Pennsylvania avenue to Maryland avenue.
O. Who was commissioner of the ward undel
whose direction you did that A. Edward At.
kinson. 1 did half dozen streets like that;
did $50, 900 worth Of work.
O.. Who were the sub-commissionersl A. A
man named Scott, think, was on the Fiji
street line; forget the other man. They had
generally two assistant commissioners on eact
kind of work.
Mr.. Christy suggested that Mr.. Shinn BE-
called, and stated that he was called at the
suggestion of the committee in regard to the
notice received by him to attend a certain
meeting.
Mr.. Christy. wish IT to be understood that
he is not called as our witness, because we may
want to prove that fact differently from his
statement.
TESTIMONY OF RILEY A. sHINN.
Riley A. Shinn sworn and examined.
By the Chairman: @. Were you q bidder fol
work on the bid opened on the LIST of Septem
Der, 1871? A. Yes, sir; on K street bid.
Q. Did you make deposit of money! A.
deposited a thousand dollars.
Q. Did you afterward receive a circular tc
meet the Board of Public Works at their office
A. received letter, think, notifying me to
meet
Q. Was 1t marked privatel A. No, sir.
Q. Did you meeta A. do not know whether
1 went next day, or whether it was day or two
afterward.
Q. Did you find other contractors the day
you calledl A. think there was one or two
there.
Q. Governor Shepherd A. Yes; think two
or three others.
Q. Did he order all of them out of the room
except the contractorsl A. Not to my knowl.
edge, while l was there. l think the door was
partially open when went there.
Q. This was on the 18th of September. Were
you there on the 18th of September A. l dc
not recollect about its being the 14th day. 1t
may have been the next day after received the
note, or a couple of days afterward.
@. Did this note require you to be there on a
particular day? A. do not know that 1t speci-
fed that. In fact, have the note, Lpresume,
filed away at home or at my Office.
Q. Was it printed or written motel A.
think it was written by Mr.. johnson. That is
my impression.
The Chairman. Mr.. Christy, I submit that
this fact can certainly be shown by some of
those people who we've connected with the
board at that time.
Mr.. Christy. That is a fact that we have
tried to show. Mr. Shinn is not positive; but we
will hereafter furnish proof by the contractors,
or else we will frankly announce that it cannot
be DONE
The Witness. 1t has been so long, and I have
not paid any attention to it.
Rv n mi nd
number of contractors there at the timei A.
do not think there were.
Q. There seemed to be no meeting Of con-
tractors with the Board of Public Words7 A.
Not to my recollection
Q. What did you talk about when YOU went
therel A. l think theGovernor told ne had
been awarded K street. l think Tat the same
time he wanted me to go on with Bridge street.
Colonel Magruder and Mr.. Muilett were there,
street.
O.. You were awarded K street under your
bidl A. Yes, sir.
Q. At tho price you bidi A. At the time.
Q. That is, you were awarded K street, A.
Not exactly at my bid. The bids were higher
and lower. l think my bid-well, 1t was
entirely too low. think it was Sac, out of
Seneca stone. Some of them ran up as high
as 50 or more. They made a scale of prices
for that stone at $3.50. That is my impress
sion about it. 1t was about a cent difference
that they made in the scale of prices, and gave
it to me at $3.50. 1t was entirely too low.
lost money by that portion of the work.
Q. The Board Of Public Works awarded you
that contract, and you executed q written
instrument in relation to it! A. Yes, sir.
By Mr.. Christy: Q. Both as to K and Bridge
streets? A. Yes, sir; but they were separate
Q. But you did get in fact both the Z and
Bridge streetsl A. Yes, sir.
By Mr.. Bass: Q. want to call your attention
TO contract 9S4. You had contract to con-
Struct Pinch sewer, man-holes, &C., on both
sides of Gay street, Georgetown A. did on
Gay street only one square; from Montgomery
run from Bridge street on Montgomery, on
both sides, up to Stoddard.
Q. What l want TO know is, as nearly as you
an tell, when you began that work? a. /
.hink it was in the spring of 1872.
Q. That is two years ago nowi A. Yes, sir.
2. Can you say with any certainty when 1t
vas! Have you any memorandum A. can
ind out by my books exactly.
Q. Iwish you would come here tomorrow
morning with your books, indicating when It
vas exactly you commenced that work and
lid it. A. can find out by my pay-rolls when
did.
By Mr.. Jewett: Q. When did you finish iti
4. think 1t was on that work four months;
perhaps longer.
Q. You commenced It in the spring of 1922
/. That is my impression.
Q. And you finished it four months after
Vardl A. think about four months after
yard.
Q. When did you execute the contract
The Witness: On Montgomery street,
Mr.. Jewett. Yes.
A. think before commenced the work;
hat is my impression. 81
Q. You commenced the work In the spring /
S72, and finished it in four monthsi A, think |
bout that time.
Q. And you executed the contract before you
the work. A. think so; that is
ny impression. About that time had several
and executed them about when /
Tas notified by Mr.. Mott to come there, and
instance, my security could
ot get them right there-two gentlemen to
meet me at Mr.. Motifs Office.
Q. You are certain that you had not exc
uted that contract within one yeari A. No,
ir; I am satisfied that did not. am pretty
ear satisfied, so far as that Montgomery
treet goes, that did not commence the work
Until afterward.
Q. Had you any other contract for George
ownl A. Yes, sir; Olive street.
Q. Had you but the one contract in reference
o Montgomery street, A. It took in curbIno