The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-09
In MEMORY OF BELKNAP.
c55,OSs GR1YESTONEs TO COMMENO-
RATE ms NORdL DEiTH.
The Honorine Of Dead soldiers Made Dis
honorable-A New Yorker who hid for a
Contrnct, but Would not Purchnse Il.

hOnornble-A New Yorker who hid for a
Contract, but Would not Purchase IL,
The charge of fraud in the contract for
headstones to soldiers graves In national cemc-
teries, has been made airesh since Secretary
Beiknap's disgrace. The act to establish and
protect national cemeteries Is dated Feb. %,
1867 Beiknap secured an amendment on March
3, 1873, assisted by Samuel j. Bridges friend In
Keokuk. Iowa. who had then recently failed in
business, The amendment authorized the Sec
Rotary to advertise for and accept bids for fur
nishng and setting suitable headstones. the
contract to be awarded to the person whose
samples and bids should best guarantee dura-
bility. decency, and cheaDness, according to the
Secretary's judgment. The number required
was for known names, M,09i; unknown,
i05,3oi; total, 25],0SS The bids were to be open
ed Sept. o, 1873, and tho lowest was that OF the
Knoxville Marble Company. for which Horace
Maynard Is said to have interested himself ao-
lively; but this bid was rejected on account OF
the inferior quality Of the samples shown. The
next lowest bidder was Charles 4. Jones OF
Washington, 20 whom, with his associates, Sam
Thomas T., Morgan, and ID. g. Sage, the contract
was awarded. The third bidders In order were
Walsh Brothers Of New York city. and Mr.
Maurice y. Walsh, who was then an active part
ner. but Is now only special, Il responsible for
the Following statements, the truth OF which ne
urofesses to be able to prove before any comDe-
tent tribunal:
There were sevsnty-two OF these cemeteries
named in the advertisement OF the War Depart
ment, and Mr.. Walsh who OF the
heaviest importers OF Italian marble In New
YORK, determined to become a bidder. Brliev-
ing that nothing but italian marble would come
up to tho Specifications, he made arrangements
to have the chief part Of the work on the mon
uments done In the city OF Carrara. Italy where
stOnecutters could be hired for fortv or nfty
cents a d ay Instead OF o. as was paid here, and
! to have them shipped to points nearest TO the
| cemeteries. He visited the seventy-two sites.
and made Close calculation OF the cost Yi trans
Nghi n
| price. ON the ay OF the opening Of the bids In
the Quartermasler-G Generals Ofice he was pres
ent. having put In three separate bids In his own
/ name They were opened and read bv Capt. Nc
Gonge. aud the bid OF Jones Co. did not
Apparently the figures were hxed up,
a9a the lids thrSwn into the c.t. basket N
| Gonigle OF unfair dealing, and went TO see Gen.
| Meiss on the subject, but Meigs declined 10 be
| heve II. He nevertheless admitted that Mr.
wslsh's samples were much superior, and ex;
| pressed a wish that the Secretary OF War would
adopt his Did. After remaining In washington
| for day OF two to see Secretary Belknap, but In
vain, Walsh returned home, and the list OF bids
| was published soon afterwird. Then he went TO
| Washington again. and sent IN his name to
Beknap. He tells the story Of the conversation
thus:
| when Beknap found out who l was he
| turned around In his pomp us way and said,
Now,it you come here TO neht, I'm ready for
you. 60 on said, No, MIR. Secretary didn't
come here to 1ght, simply came here TO re-
| monstrAte against my not getting the contract,
the lowest bid tbat compiled with the terms Of
the contract. My lowest Did was sss3 .l5 for
the third quality Of the bost marble IN the
| Government 10 the shape OF duties, leaving the
amount to DO paid only $7Si-Zll5. My next
s;So,CD, for the second quality OF the best
marble 10 the world, aud my last bid for the
nrst quality OF the same marble was Sg9i, B.5i.
Wouldn't that suit the people2' lie said. : /
don't care sny,hing about the people you must
YOU to sive il to me- lie replied. i don't care
anything about the act Of Congress; the Prssi-
eign s.one over the graves of American soldiers.
| l said, This IA very lane excuse, Mr. Secre-
tary.' Then Belknap turned round TO Col. -ck
and asked, Have all these people nled good an q
SOUND secuIitiesT Yes, Sr. every one ~
them, Col. Mack said. That was tho end OF the
Mr.. Walsh saws that there has been no attempt
made to fulnl the requirements OF the law. The
advertisement required that the part of the
headstones above ground should be poisht d
neatiy, which was not done The tops were to
cost from ten to fifteen cents apiece more, and
was not done. The figures and capital letters
on the face were to be two inches high. Those
they have cut are not over three. .eiGhths
Of an Inch high. Tine portion below ground
were sawed out in mass this was not
done. For the same ressOn they have disre-
garded the requirement that below ground the
stone should be at least half an inch wider aud
thicker than above. The marble slabs were TO
he white, nne-graned, Of good texture, hard, Of
uniform grade, aud free from oxides. The only
marble that comes up to this description IS
Italian marble. Of which they have not put up a
single blOck ana NnAt they nave put up u al
ready disngured with 'oxidzed stAins. The
granite was TO be good granite for building
purposes, and they have not put up any granite
at ALL In Fredericksburg Cemetery the head
stones are bedded in whtewashed cobble-
stones, THIS work WAS three times rejected
but they succeeded through influence at court
ip having Inspector after inspector removed un-
| til they found one 10 suit them.
| soon after the contract was awarded Morgan
went to see Mr. Walsh ia New York. and left a
note making an appointment at the Merchants
Hotel. Mr.. Walsh refused TO go. He suose-
| nueutly met Jones Ht Will-rd's, in Washington,
aud Jones said they wanted him to take the
contract and wanted to know what he would
give. He said: Not cent" Jones told him
he was foolish; that Bridges controlled the
matter, and could get the secretary to amend
| the contract any way he wanted. Walsh de-
| clined to have anything to do with robOing dead
soldiers, and so the interview ended.