The New York herald., 1876-03-10

Tor the known
Among the other bidders was one Mr. Jones, who
made bid for all the cemeteries amounting IN the
aggregate to $500, 900.
Mr. Morgan bid for all the cemeteries at an aggregate
Mr. Sage, OF New York State bid estimate for
Rutland marble at 81 az for blocks and 50 for the
gravestones OF the known the whole bid amounting TO
little less than 81 O00, 600
Mr.. 5. G. Bridges of Keokuk, handed in letter slip,
making lump bid TO furnish all the stones at the ag-
gregate price OF $900000 AS was subsequently de-
vcloped, Mr.. Bridges secured the contract sharing
with Messrs. Sage Morgan and Jones, Mr. Bridges,
may be Inferred securing the lions share OF the
profits II be proper 10 state that neither Of these
gentlemen owned or controlled quarrles.
At the time the bids opened not one OF these
bidders, required by the rules OF the department,
had placed on exhibition any specimen OF the stone
ward they were required to forward such specimens.
On the morning before the bids were opened the bid.
ders furnished with the following modification Of
/ the original specification -
WAR DErAErxESr
! QuARrKRNAsTER GESERAL's OFFICE
wAshSGToS, ID. e. August 10. 1873. }
siR-In addition to the information contained in the
for headsOns' Tor soldiers you are
or rst name Of the deceased also in his rank and in the
name Of his state, thus
! sam sam ii H. 'SIs Walker. Il Col. Pa
the with the rank and name Of the state
By order Of the Secretary Of War
NJ c. MEIGs, Quartermaster General
But as subsequently developed these notifications
not all which The contractors Obtained and right
here In the place for the steal In the specin-
cation white stone was called for. subsequently the
word s'nearly" inserted before the word 'white"
a modification OF that. TINS would make differ
ence in the value OF the stone OF at least
twenty cents on EACH in the aggregate
$40 600 This modification was secured after the
had been awarded. The specification called Tor
rubbed stone''-that is, stone dressed alter being
sawed. Subsequently stone accepted just il had
been sawed making difference in price OF six cents
ON each stone or total OF IS $50 The spech hcaton
called for the rank in the army OF the deceased for
| example-"John Jones, pvt, Mass" This was so
modified aIterward as to save the cutting OF the letters
/ Inn of ttiuut thasa laIla MIN
amounts the aggregate estimating 100 900 privAtes
to $4,000 In the original specifications the letters
required to be two inches long, aerward changed
10 one and half inches there being average mum
Der of twenty letters each stone. The aggregate
saved to the contractor at two cents each stonea
very low estimate-amounts to 81, 960
The specification called for square Mr.
Paricks bid included the cost OF boxing at eight cents
for each box, making in the aggregate ON the stones
for the known $11, $40.
1t was required that each stone should be perfect
measuring three feet by ten inches This requirement
was so modified that esixth of the stones might be
clipped and broken at the bottom This would make
difference in the value OF at least ten cents stone on
the general average or in the aggregate $l4, 800.
The calls for the letters be third inch
| deep, and modified TO one-quarter OF an inch,
which per stone would amount TO $l4 500
These changes, will be demonstrated by adding the
various sums saved to the contractors on account of
! them amount total OF $91 $50. nice little
Tor contractors and officials to play for These figures
apply only the 10 be placed the graves OF
The blocks Tor the unknown were estimated TO re-
quire four figures each These figures were to have
they accepted with figures and half inches
In length This difference secured to the contractor
else Interested in the contract four cents
on each block. a total of 81, 100 The figures
have been cut to depth of half inch. But this re-
quirement modified to make II one quarter Of an
inch. This lessened the cost by two cents on each
block, making AN aggregate OF sos BY allowing
the to be rounded, which is advantageous to
the stone cutters the saving in boxing amounts to
81, 240 One-sixth OF the whole number might be
broken at the bottom, lesscning the general cost by
$S AGO. making total of the advantage secured by the
modification the blocks TO set the graves OF
unknown defenders OF the country, s2OSoo
1t will be seen by adding these two sums together
that the amount made through these notifications
foots up the large sum OF $ll2 $50 When II Is
frs. class work. the stones rubbed square
at the top and in all respects TO be finished according
thsreabou,s below the bid on which the contract
awarded, draw pretty clear inference the
nature or the whole unsavory and scandalous trans
action by which the government paid $2l5 $50 more
than necessary.
In 1874 Mr. Bridges, of Keokuk, the intimate friend
of Secretary Belknap, TO whom the contract
awarded, opened communication with Mr.. Patrick
regard his furnishing headstones Mr. Patrick pro-
ccsded TO Kcokuk to confer with Mr. Bridges Some
propositions were made, and Mr. Bridges partly
accepted one but said he would have TO Washing
ton and see about It. He promised 70 communicate with
Ar Patrick that place But Mr. Patrick heard no
ON the Monday after the Saturday in September,
1873, when the bids were opened At Washington, Mr.
Patrick being there, MI Jones, one OF the bidders,
came to him and said
ado you want to make some money out OF this ?"
Mr.. Patrick replied Certainly do"
| ''well" said Mr. Jones, "your bid is not accepted
yet II is the lowest but it has not yet been acted
on. You withdraw your bid, come in next. few
thousand dollars will satisfy me, and you make the
stones as have no quarry. But will have to draw
! the money and you must pay me monthly salary for
attending TO the business" Mr. Patrick declined to do
so. Mr. Sage also TO Mr.. Patrick and sought to
make terms with him. He wanted job, he said, and
would 20 out TO MT Patrick's quarry and attend to
business there for him.
Al that time Mr.. Patrick was in Washington attend
ing the business connected with his bid He carried
letters TO Secretary Belknap with whom he was not
acquainted Calling on General sherman he procured
from him a card OF Introduction to the Secretary This
he presented, and talked with him about the bid
General Beknap told him that his abors we're all for
nothing; that the appropriation sufficient that
he had talked with the marble workers and that the
stones could not be made for 81, 600, 000
Mr. Patrick told the Secretary that he would like to
undertake the job and do IL up nicely for much less
sum than 81 600 000 The day Mr. Patrick called
on General Belknap again He asked the Secretary if
he had decided about the bids. He replied that he had
not He said he believed he would refer the whole
matter TO General Ingalls, Mr. Patrick asked him
when he could call again. The Secretary said the lat
time specified, when he was informed that decision
had been reached. Mr. Patrick told him that his bid
the synopsis that such the TACT but the bid
too low and no could not do IL for the money. Mr.
Patrick said that he ready to give good and sui-
cenI bond TO perform the work according TO the speci
ncaton the amount OF his bid rhe Secretary then
told Mr. Patrick that he had a sick child and must
leave II would be about three weeks before he would
return, when Mr.. Patrick could him again and they
would hx the matter up
Mr.. Patrick came home to St Louis and waited till
he heard Of the Sccretary's return to Washington.
Sometime in October, 1873 Mr. Patrick again to
Washington. Mr. Sage met him at the train and In
formed him that the contract had been awarded He
called Secretary Belknsp, and that functionary IN
formed him that the families OF deceased soldiers de.
sired that these memorials should be the best to he
had for the money; that the stone which he Patrc)
consequently he could give him the contract SO
ended Mr.. Patrick's experience In dealing with the