Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-04-07
Editor of the Jefferson Banner:

ed on the 18th of March resolution, to pay
Mr.. Chas. Stoppenbach the sum of six
thousand dollars over and above what his
contract calls for, are preparing a long
answer to my address to the taxpayers of
Jefferson county and that they particularly
try to show justification of their action by
two arguments
l. That the ar chitect Mr.. Matz deceived
the contractor Mr.. Stoppenbach ard the
super visors by false estimate of the
material used and that consequently Mr..
Stoppenbach was let into his contract un-
der false superstition.
Let US see whether this argument will
stand. The supervisors had appointed
committee Of five to get up plans and
specifications for building not to cost over
twelve thousand dollars and the old jail
material, and Mr.. Steppenbach was one of
that committee. He went around and in
spected with the other four members of the
committee different jails of neighboring
counties. He particularly was instrumental
in having Mr.. MATHS plan accepted by the
board and he must have made some enquiry
into the correctness of the estimate of the
architect because be remarked right after
making his proposition, that he expected
to lose couple of thousand dollars, but it
was his own business.
a I'M had fhn Of Iy,J,
to September 7th to make the necessary
enquiries. because not until then was the
contract made with him by the building
committee. If he found that his offer was
too low, he could have backed out. But
there is no such thing as a finding out
to low estimates. On the contrary Mr.
Stoppenbach, who always was a lucky bird,
had the good fortune to secure lot of
stones of the burned Jail of the city Of
Chicago at very reasonable price, much
lower than they had been estimated and
the board of supervisors gave him th
privilege to alter the stone cells, so that
those stones could be used The taxpayers
will see in this where those extra nice
stones came from and what the great
lIberality of Mr.. Stoppenbach who furnish
ed better material than the contract called
for, amounts to. 1t is true his pride
dictated him, to get up slate roof at
much higher cost than the specifications
and estimate call for. But am told that
the supervisors gave their consent to this
alteration only with the condition that be
should charge nothing extra for it. Not
one of the members of the building COM
mittee claimed, that he agreed or promised
Mr.. Stoppenbach any extra pay, if be
should build better building than the
contract called for. l further think that
MIR. Stoppenbsch, who put up large num-
Der of buildings, his own magnificent
private mansion included, in the village of
Jefferson would and should be the last man
who would claim or concede, that he could
be deceived by the false estimates OF an
architect. But it he should have known
all the time, that the estimate was too low
and nevertheless build a building that cost
$4,000 and old material, when the super
visors had passed a resolution, that it should
cost not more than $4,000, and simply
trusted to the lavishness and incompctency
Of the county supervisors, to refund him,
be deserves no mercy from the taxpayers.
The next argument is,
2. The county got its moneys worth,
i. e. got full consideration for the amount
| appropriated.
While do not for moment concede,
that it would cost careful and prudent
builder the sum Of SIS, 900 and old material
to put up such building as Mr.. Stoppen-
bach built, | will for the sake of answer
ing this argument suppose that the claim
| the building is worth the amount appro-
| priated, is correct. hope, taxpayers, that
| you soon will see that even this would be
| a thin argument to say the least.
The county had concluded to get a jail
for Sl2, 900 and old material. Taxpayers
were not willing to spend more. This
amount was really enough, to put up
good substantial and safe Jail and jailor's
residence and nobody neither single SUPER
visors nor members of the building COM
mittee had right to give their consent to
a more costly building with the promise
or prospect of pay out of the county funds.
Taxpayers, you surely do not want to keep
your criminals and their keeper in pal aces
while many of you are compelled by
necessity to live in very modest houses.
If you should, do you not run the risk, to
induce many an honest man to become
criminal for the purpose of securing quar-
ters in such palaces?
But if pride dictated Mr.. Stoppenbach
TO get up a magnificent building, monu-
ment to immortalize his name then | hope
you will with me be willing that he him
self foots the bill of cost. Or would you,
if you had made contract with builder
to get up a building for $4,000 with the
express understanding that it must cost not
cent more for reasons best known to you
and that the builder took it into his head
to put you up building worth $4,000
because he thought he could squeeze that
amount out of you, would you accept the
building and without murmur and with
out trial 10 resist extortion pay over the
amount claimed by the builder. I, for my
part, would under such circumstances say !:
My dear Sir, $4,000 is all feel able to
spare for building. You put me up a
building that will be an extra large expense