, 1877-04-05
THE COURTHOUSE.
More Trouble for Stone.Con.
tractor Walker.
IIe Is Compelled to Stop Until
Sexton Gets Ready

An Enormous Bill Contemplated for Myth
ical Extras"
The trouble Ii the construction OF the new
Court-ilouse may be said to have fairly CON-
nleneed when Walker set the first stone on the
baacnent atory some weeks ago, and ftncs It's
commencement has been multiplying every lay.
The tronb1e With Walker has been scarcity OF
money, whtc1, has made him peesish and his cn-
ployes sulky, and With II all he has managed to
get At foggcfheajs With not few whose dis
pleasure no can Ill allora to incur. lie tried to
bridge over hts financial troubles BY invoking
the I'D OF the County Treasury, but IN this he
was not over successful, for tho County Board
bas 10 far failed both to amend Ills contract and
TO stlrance him anr money. He had been work.
Ing large force Of then alt the winter At
Lemont, had spent ! great deal Of. money
and added considerable to his load Of debt. and
falling In getting his contract 10 amended - 10
allow him 10 drnv money on quarry cstimases,
the next best thing be could do was 10 strain
point and do what Was in his limited power 10
push the work Of settling stone as the only way
ont Of his financial Ittess This ho has been
doing, but more from necessity than pleasure,
little conscious, apparently, that IN striving to
remove tho financial barrier, he was laying up
wrati aXainst hinsclf and paving the why for
much unpfcaaantness With the other contractora
on the work. In hts tnlustry, however, In rails
Ing dcrricks a1,d stonc-setting, he has had m
eye to tho future, aud, for the time forgetting
that others had any rights he waa bound to re-
.pect, tas looked ionging'y forward to the time
when condition might ariso Of which ha might
take advantage, and on which he could reason
ably baso a claim for damages ag alnst brother
contractor, or for "extfas ''-the contractors
great boob
AGAINST TIE COUNTY.
Yesterday q focus may be said to haye been
reached bv NJ. Walker for tho immediate pres
rescue. both IN his financial outlook and in bis
quarrel with the other contractors-An objective
point IN hs coveted damages. which ba. opened
ancw his question Of extras" In tue fore
work on settling tho second course OF stone I'M
til The contractor for the masonry was ready to
keep pace With him in his progress, and back up
the work that ho Ind already done, antl, as tho
He obeycd, however, with some misg!vinR as TO
the effect Upon him, cotlscious thxt delaying
tho work meant tbs postpon!rg Of the time
when be could DO eAl1 anything. and, at the
him and tho swc1ltug uf tho amount that would
sooner OF later roll into his pockets. uc was
inclined tu look upon the sttunt.on pfacllly not
wlsllssandiug, and lost no time In giving tho
necessary notice to the architect that le should
claim dai:7sgea, ETC. This uoticewns transmitted
to tho Joint Committee on Public Buildings and
noon, and, comparing It Will, letter in hand
from the contractor for masonry, stating that bc
until about tho tn;tdie OF 1[ay. lie situation 1t
once became dubious and q subject for serious
consideration. Tho architect WA present and
ava valid CHIN ior dams damages, M or would have Il
further DELAYED: and Sexton, tbc masonry
contractor, was present also to dispute the
ground inch By iuch. and to maintain that tho
asacrt tint he woslli not n,ovs IN lis contract
uutil Ills convenience WIS suited, and to defy
hoih Walker and the county to striyc TO wiring
damages from him.
MgHr WAS HITCH.
Tho architect lad supposed that Sexton would
yIrld, and that tAn two contractors would
hnrmunIzc. and that the Court-TIuusc work
waul,l nut ho impeaeil, hut he waa soon satisfied
early couir1,cnced was In q fair way to continue
through tho eutlrs work, This convic.
tion was strengthened, too, by Sex-
TONS general uercanoy, Tor in thc course
of tho conversation upoo tic subject 10
Walker would be naasle to ask for mercy, al,d ~
anxious 10 cTinxp rum pairing him damages FOR
heing delayed. Thus The matter ended, and
Walker, though he will doubtless l'nvo the
baAs for q Just claim for damages, Is left in an
exceedingly bad boat, for whatever chance hc
Ind for Cutting money GU the work IS practically
tut Oft for several weeks to comc. unless his
contract Is aRAtn lost sight Ut. lie hopes for
for thu tlma being
In tho Comm!ttes's further consideration Of
the Cnurt-uouse question, the ,nnttcr Of Walk
er's claim for "extsaa," "h!cl. he PROPOSES to
r4,nttH
to use some hcavlcr stoue than haul bee,l
contemplated, was brought up. When bids were
tnyttad Tor the stone work, It will be remember
cd, the architect llructed attention to tho TACT
been tnauc ]ntu three pieces In the specifications,
! tic object bc,,,r to make tho competition al