New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-30
TIE TESTIMONY.


At the Canal Investigation this evening Mr. A @. Bel
den VIA CALLED and testified as follows Am con-
tractor reside Syracuse do canal and railroad work
have been doing great deal OF work for the Cen
trail Railroad: have done work for % years
but am doing none now my brother j. j.
Belden. and II. 2 D. Dennison are my
partnors In contracts the why have contracts
m the name OF only one Of us instead of the firm name Is
because we are seldom together and for many other
reasons much convenient 1t is customary ior
never visited the work on the Denson since
was begun; think SO cents per cubic yard Tor
bid hoped 10 get plenty OF work te higher prizes
how 1 expected this was that there would DC
made the contract that such alterations were necessary
for instance. bid good price for piles on certain con;
tract the estimate but for fow OF them now
knew that at that place was quicksand, and that l
would have TO use large number OF pes ga not ,e
contract take Of itself knew that there was
on this particular look which was on the Oneida
river. was by going to the who built the lock
originally and asccrtainiDg IL from MIN IL was tnrty
years since the work was done the State could have
800 "nt vIat aid as they had gone work did
changes OF plans made alter from necessity you eau
moi see under ground cannot tell what you ar
ami ~ ENCOUNTER know nothing about what engineers
or inspectors do having sufficient 70 attend 10 ny
vertical wall in strict compliance with the specln'
cations and yet know Of cases where tne sPec
occasions are not many TO eAcaVste haro pan a.
oneida Lake would be worth Is yard on 'pe oond
for building Disco Lake hesefHOn l assuno 80
Rruhhing. The rest WOuh nave O 10 cintuc
Seary 900 acres the time the contract %as lot MI
aigt waa the Commissioner: over this WORK there WAS
but what 10 was don't remember the
Legislature passed act adhtlObai
for the completion OF tho work put hid morning. 70 %
,gold be S55 or $50 an attempted to use some
OF the timber but 1t cost me more 70 set IL 10
market than couid PurcnHse IL as toI
thousand; sold about 10000; do not think eOd more
than I'll 900 worth OF timber all told ana " cost ms Ina
10 clear IL out; the masonry on the dalh was Diu
al SO IL was worth $40; l bid 90 low oe.
expected 20 get stone on tne g'oltnu, ot
when went % work quarry the engineers wOud not
let me 1t had draw eight miles ana cost me
IS ward TO draw IL; all my bids were at rdr pncei
my only Lose dam masonry l. Hadr dDoub
ners were also contractors for a piece of WORK
OswegO Lake. The witness tben went on W
enumerae the pieces contracted for and sd not one OF
them Wa. nigh tins dam consequently ohnnSuU from
should mako about the same amount OF money
either wayl Ia my transactions as u contractor
/ hive eDdeayored 10 make a. good bargains as
possibly have always endeavOred 70 make our bids wei
your bIds as near the actual value OF the Work
70 DO contracted for ~ IN yOn opinion you
Z" The witness replied, Relatively 90
actually do not always; have heard some a Dut 90
aueneed approached for tho purpose Of making false
estimates.
Charles DE Graw was next called and testified Am
eoniTaelOr rede OF Fulton, OswegO County nave no
three contracts awarded mo Ia ten years
but have bought others during that llmh
bought one Of willard johnson for $1,000 know |
soiLing OF the alteration OF price In the contract for
v except what have read III the papers have never
made any unbalanced bids on canal WORK.
John b. Boomer next called ahd thstiiied as !0l-
~ssi AA aeaf b AguDri sn doing no CANAL SofA al