National Republican., 1874-04-01

Mr.. Christy. Or any one Of the streets iu tn,
neighborhood ofthe Capitoll
The Chairman East Capitol street you SAY
here In this mernorandum. Counsel win beal
in mind that am following their memorandum
privilege Of enlerRing. East Capitol street OF
any other street In the nsighborhoodi A.
understood large lot Of earth was cut from
Second and East Capitol streets, and North
and South A streets, and dropped on the ground
near the new stone building that Is going ur
south of the Capitol. 1asked Mr.. Clarke, the
architect, about It, and he said there had been
considerable dropped there.
The Chairman. Mr.. Clarke Is the best witness
on that subject, admit.
The Witness. will add be told me he did
not know how much He knew It had gone
@. Then you do not know how muchi
BY Mr.. Mattingly: Q. You do not know your
self, personally, anything about I'll A. Yes,
sir; saw 1t dropped.
Q. You said Q you understoodp "A. I un-
derstood large quantity was dropped,
By the Chairman: q: Doyou know how that
ernment paid for itl A. / asked one of the en-
Mr.. Mattingly. submit, II the COMMITTEES
The Chairman. You may state the engineer
you asked. aa ssfTy - ~ t.II
A. Mr.. Barney. Mr.. Barney was the engi-
peer In charge. ..,-- ....---....f :,
The Chairman. Mr.. Barney, then, VIII know
Mr.. Christy. This Mr.. Barney is himself an
officer.
Mr.. Mattingiy. I submit that Mr.. Barney Is
the best witness, and If they want to contra
dict Mr.. Barney, then they can call Mr.. Ord
way.
The Chairman. There can be no difficulty
about this. lift is q matter that is material,
why Mr.. Barney can be called to state what he
knows about it. His evidence would certainly
be the best evidence. The engineer-in- chief
ought to know not only where, but the amount
taken. g. liza 80 - q ~. saa
By the Chairman. Do you know anything
about the depth of excavation on East Capitol
street, A. About nine feet at the corner of
East Capitol and First street.
Q. Excavation made by the Board of Public
Worksi A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know anything about the charac-
ter Of the soil there-whether It was gravel,
sand or clay7 A. should think It was loan
and clay; not much of gravel. excavated
just beyond that and found 1t to be loan, clay
and some gravel. i
BY Mr.. Christy: @. How does the sodding
you had done compare with that under the
Board of Public Worksi A. think It was
very much superior. That / saw around nv
grounds was done very indifferentIy.
Q. Have you observed any of the other sod
ding done for the boardl A. Yes, sir; have
observed good deal that has been done around
these parks, very poorly done.
7. You speak Of bricks being removed from
East Capitol street. How often were they re-
moved for preparing the ground for planting
treesi A. They have been removed twice
within year and half.
Q. How often was the grade changed on that
street, A. could not say; think the grade
has been where 1t Is now by law for several
years.
Q. When they began this last excavation,
are you able to ix from any marks upon the
wall, or in any other way, where the dirt stood
the surface Of the dirt-at the beginning of
the excavation under the Board Of Public
Works. A. think Icould tell very nearly,
sir. l.fi-7'r -
Q. What kind of marks are they, and where
are theyi A. I do not think there are marks
on them. could tell by measurement from
the surface of the ground. The sodding has
covered up the marks. .-6- 10 --l
o. Have ycu noticed the stone-work done up
on this portion of the lot ceded to the District
government for the erection of judicial build
ings; has there been any excavation for cellar;
for foundationf E.r..ars 30 r--
The Chairman. He has stated that.
Mr.. Christy. He says there were q half q
dozen cart-loads of earth taken away. He
spoke Of having been told that. Iwant to know
whether any visible work was done. We are
under the impression 1t was myth.
Q. Are there any traces of the extent to
which they did work therei A. There were
very few cart-loads brought out, and something
brought in. l understood It was done by the
Board Of Health to make It even. The Board
Of Public Works exeavated, and afterward the
Board of Health filed the excavation.
Q. Do you know of any trouble or delay In
getting the money that was appropriated for
the interest of the District government in the
buildings on Judiciary square by the Board of
Public Worksl A. 1 know nothing about It.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. Who did this sodding
for youl A. l do not now recollect his name.
think know him. He is a man who has
have bill. -r
Q. Has he ever done any work for you beforel
A. 1 do not think he has.
Q. Has he done any work for the Market
House Companyi A. do not think he has.
Q. Do you know where he got his sodi A. 1
do not know.
Q. You cannot tell his namei A. I cannot
at this time, but 1 may have bill; possibly
have.
By the Chairman: Q. Did he put soil under
The sodf A. He removed some soil that was
further along, and put 1t on. i do not think
he drew more than one or two loads.
Mr.. Christy. desire to offer his testimony
n'regard 70 one other matter, and that Is ali.
have spoken Of the grading neces-
sary to be done In laying sod. ! viii ask you
whether, in point Of fact, the Board Of Public
Works does not prepare, under separate con-
tract, the contract for gradingi
Mr.. Mattingly. Does he know anything about
.hati
Mr.. Christy. He has spoken Of sodding.
lesire to show by him by whom the excavation
vas done.
@. When the excavation was made upon
East Capitol street.-the street with which you
.re familiar-did the one having the contract
or grading extend the grading to the sidewalks
md the part OF the street upon which the sod
ling was subsequently placedf A. / could not
peak OF East Capitol street. only remem-
yer Of examining First street. think there
he contract for the sodding and the grading
vas done by the same man; at least he 30 told
ne. saw them sodding, and saw them SIM
,ly rake down the earth, without any prepara-
ion. =, j.
Q. Was there any loan put under that sodi
4. saw nothing done there at all but the sim
DE raking down of the earth and putting down
he sod In very loose apd indifferent manner.
By Mr.. stewart; Q. Do you know what 1t is
worth To prepare the ground when the ground
8 substantially made; TO put on eight inches of
Ioil and sod IL; to do fair jobf A. do not
snow that ever saw any sodding done In that
way here. have seen q great deal of sodding
lone. / never saw two inches put under the
urf In this city. ~. 4,
@. You never saw two inches put underi A.
Not two inches Of coil outside of what was
here, and have noticed great many. I
Q. Do they put down sodding, where the sod
las been removed by grading, with two inches
If soili A. Without any, In most cases.
laye examined great many places where sod
ling has been done, and I have never yet seen
wo inches In any place put In.
@. You do not know what It would be worth
% put In eight inches of soiii A.. Wen, black
iirt, or loan, Is worth twenty -ive cents load.
That Is what Mr.. Clark pays. have sold
'ome for that delivered. You can get It for
hat. Three loads-perhaps two large loads
would make yard, and you can estimate
rom that how much that would cover.
Q. Then you have no practical experience
md cannot tell what such work would be res-
ionably WORTH A. Except have made the
examination spoke Of.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. Where did you ex-
mime and see them layirg the sod without any
'oil underneath A. Oh, around these parts
here. T
O. wherei Specify some particular locality
A. have seen il laid around the property that
have an interest in, in Carroll Row. large
ot Of it. 's 1 rE
: n sodd;no npt down yioht on the cath WITH