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

ierlng 70 DeGolyer & Mcclellan voucher, date
July IL, 1871 am simply asking you IL
reference to the first line, as to the gradfngi A
a. NO, sir; there was no such amount done.
": DO you know anything shout the repair
ing done along the railroad track-those item:
charged there for relsying7 A. Yes, sir; did
20. What was the occasion of That repairing
a. Inere had been big rain-storm. 1t CANT
} on a snort time after we got the work done
there, in fact while we were at work, and II
raised up the blocks which were on Eighth
street, and some on Pennsylvania avenue, and
we had to put them back again. There were
some places where the street was In very bad
order when we paved IL: for instance, the water
had soaked down into the sewer, and the
ground was very soft, and the blocks went
down. We had them to take up and put dowr
again.
;. Q. Handing document to the witpess.1 d,
!, you know whether that is extra work that d
charged herel Examine It and state. A
| Examining This extra work of relayine
) the pavement, 102 yards of pavement, was MOI
!, in my administration of the affairs at thai
time. 1t was simply this first line of extra.
for grading. That is all know anything
about. with the exception Of some we had tina
were put down after It had raised up; but d.
not see that item In here
Q. All the items in that bill, then, you havt
no knowledge of, except the first onel A. Tha
is all, sir. ...f
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. Was not the railroad
track taken up, and did # not have to be relait
sgainl A. That was when we first commenced
work. "a.
Q. That was done. was Il nos-the railroad
track was taken upl A. Yes, sir; we took ths
railroad track up. When we first commenced
/ work we took up the horse-railroad track, Oh
rather assisted In doing so-moved 1t out into
the street, and commenced paving between the
J tracks. An injunction was served on US from
! some court to stop paving the railroad track
and afterwsrd we helped move it back AGAR
into its original position, as near as can re
member. .a
Q. Did you take up the pavement that YOU
had laidi A. No, sir; we did not take up the
pavement.
Q. Was it takenupi A. could not say that
1t was.
Q. Could you say that it was mott A.
could not say that it was or that it was not
The last that can remember about it, think
the track was still there with the blocks lying
between the track as we put them in
By Mr.. Bass. Q. When you first commenced
to lay the pavement over this street, had the
grading been entirely finished by Mcnamara
or was the work going on simultaneously AT
the same time that you were laying the wood
pavement was Mcnamara at some other point
on this street still doing the grading3 H. He
was.
! Q. That is the fact! A. Yes, sir.
Y. Can you tell how long that state Of af-
fairs existed that you were simultaneously
doing work on this same street? A. All the
time that we were at work there. Mcnamara
was at work all the time that we were at
work on the street. We had q contract with
him partially to furnish US gravel.
Y. see that here Is a voucher of $6, 900
That seems to have been paid Mcnamara upon
the order of De Golyer g. Mcclellan. 4. !
presume that was for gravel.
Q. Was that Independent of the work which
NC was doing for the Board of Public
@. Was he grading this street for the board
at the same time that you were laying the pave
mentf A. He was.
Q. So that these two contracts were being
executed simultaneously A. Yes, sir; they
were.
Governor Shepherd. Mr.. Chairman. allow
me to suggest that McNamara in his testimony
stated that he had the contract originally for
grading and matchmaking Pennsylvania ave-
nue. east. The people of the street, after the
work had been commenced, petitioned for q
wooden pavement, and insisted upon It, so that
the matchmaking portion of that contract was
stricken Oh, and he continued on his grading
contract. -..-
Mr.. Bass That Is what wanted to ascer-
taip. Ito Governor Shepherd.) And the
grading was done by him at the same time or
simultaneously with the work performed by
DeGolyer u Mcclellan.
Governor Shepherd. He had worked some
time before they came there at all.
Mr.. Bass. (To the witness.) Do you know.
anything with reference to the time when the
contract to do this work was signed by De-
Golyer u Mcclellan A. I think that Mr.
Mcclellan told me that 1t was some time In
November; think that was about the time
Q. Did you have personal knowledge of the
circumstances A.. Nothing except our con-
versation; that is all know about that.
Y. Do you know anything in reference to the
length of time you had been at work on the
street before any contract was executed A.
That would make It about four months.
By Mr.. Christy: Q. In what place did Peter
Mcnamara get the gravel that he furnished
A. Got it down by the hospital, out of the cut
from the bank.
By Mr.. Wilson: @. Do you mean Providence
hospital A. Yes, sir; Providence hospital.
By Mr.. Christy: Q. From Providence ayenucl
A. Yes, sir.
Q. From the street or avenuei A. I think
there Is an avenue there. / think Mr.. Barnes
was grading an avenue through the place
That was where the most of the gravel came
from-from the front of the Providence hos
pital. There is q reservation there, think. I
know that MIR. Barnes was doing grading at
the time.
TESTIMONY OF H. A.wnLARD.
II. A. Willard, q witness called on behalf of
the memorialsts, having been duly sworn, was
examined.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. You are member of the
Board of Public Works, i believed A. Yes, sir.
Q. How long since you were appointed A.
think about the 10th of May, 1873.
Q. Do you know Of q controversy between
the board and Samuel Strong in regard to con-
tracts that he had or indebtedness existinga
A. would be glad to have you refer to some
particular one.
@. Do you know whether there is any con-
troversy, or has been any controversy, between
Mr.. Strong and the Board of Public Works
with reference to any work that he has per-
formeda A. There is a matter of controversy
in regard to this bill for constructing the R
street sewer, that is the only one that am ia
miliar with.
@. Do you know of any agreement in
writing being prepared or presented to the
board providing for the settlement of the con-
troversy between the board and Samuel Strong,
and, If SO, when did you have knowledge of it7
A. know ofnone being prepared. know of
its being presented to, the board-some paper
which you describe.
Q. How long agoi 4. think that was a
week ago Monday. -
Q. Where did you first see that paperl A.
first saw It at the rooms Of the board on Four
and half street.
Q. Who had It when you first saw tn A.
The clerk, Mr.. johnson.
Q. Do you know from whom he received iti
A. do not know, sir.
Q. Was II signed by any person or persons;
and If so, by whom? A. It is my impression
that 1t was signed by some Of the members of
the board.
Q. Who had signed ita A. didn't have the
paper in my hand. I asked that 1t might be
read, but did not examine it, except to hear it
read. --r.r
Q. Do you know whether that paper had
been signed by Mr.. Magruders A. think it
had. -,-- -. .. go
@. Had It been signed by Governor Shepherd
A. That is my impression, sir.
@. What became of that paper7 A. I would
like to state here that when that was presented
to me, Mr.. johnson used this expression: 81
have paper here that the Governor wishes
you to examine and present to the board"
Q. What became of that psperi "A. That
paper was destroyed.
Q. Did you sign it, or refuse to sign I'll A.
declined to sign It.
Q. You refused to sign tn a. It was not
presented to the board except in an informal
way-discussed before the members Of. the
board.
Q. Did DR.. Blake sign it7 A. No, sir.
Q. Did Mr.. Cluss sign it, A. No, sir.
@. Did he refused 4. Yes, sir.
Q. That paper you say was destroyed A.
That paper was torn up in the office.