The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-06-14

& itlt'I ''' 1T 49, y - t-'>+
arc to 10 b-ilt Of heavy rock that
win make lyo feet courses.
/ have nov discovered the secret
in selling out bridges at auction. l
With sewers others attended the sale
Of this stone work. Mr.. Knight be-
gan to call for bids, and neither sta
tied or specified the kind of work to
be done, and after he had got some
bids, / thought it my duty to ask
him how the work was to be DONE
He replied that it was to be done in
a workmanlike manner, but never
described Che class of work. Now he
refers me 10 Mr.. Saunders TO find out
the secret, With the commissioners
was the secret. Did they act justly
toward the other bidders and the
| public, byconfding the kind of work
to Mr.. Saunders.
At Tomlinson's Run the Commits
sioners had specifications wrote out
describing the class of work to be
done and had them read in public,
so that all might understand and bid
Eihtell shtly and they would also
! q
know that they had to give bond for
the completion of the work in accqr-
dance with the specifications. The
remainder of the work was let out
by sealed proposals. If this course
had been pursued by Mr. Knight
and his commissioners, the people
would not been the sufferers, because
of having to do the work over and ov-
er again. But then, Mr.. knight is OPP
posed to sealed bids, but in this case
there was no secret, and every bid
der had a fair chance when the pro-
posals were opened.
The plan of selling jobs when on.
ly one bidder has the chance, all the
Others bidding on pig in sack"
is a wrong to the bidders and an in
justice to the people.
Mr.. knight says misrepresented
the work at Old Town Greek bridge.
If he will refer to my statement he
will find that the false statement is
made by him. What l stated was
that the last improvement made at
Old Town bridge was done in such a
manner that it caused the mud and
sediment to settle down between the
timbers, which will be the case eve
ry high water, and will in time fill
up the space and cause the timbers
to decay sooner than they would do
| if free circulation Of air was pass
ing between the timbers. Ii Mr..
knight will take the trouble to
climb up the piers as | did he will
find that in the center between the
timbers there is twelve inches of
mud between them. Still l misrep-
resent, / suppose.
Mr.. Knight ought to know that it
requires something more to be done
to build a bridge than good founda-
ton with large rocks two feet thick,
piled up on top of each other, to
make a job that will not fall down.
The work must be properly bound
together with good, true beds and
joints dressed and the builder debar-
red from filling the inside of the
walls with spalls so that no stone
shall be proped up with spalls in the
back part of the bed, which is fire.
Quently done by parties who work
for low prices, and who have the OPP
portunity to do so, when the COM
missioners or inspectors are notpres.
ent 1t will outwardly appear q
good job and will not be discovered
until the job falls down, therefore, |
contend that the workmen ought to
have u living price for their labor,
so that it will be an incentive to dc
their work honestly and in q sub
stantial manner,
Mr.. Knight thinks it wrong in me
to give the people ahistory on bridge
building in Mason County for TWEEN
ty years past. l contend that it
takes time to prove all things, as
time will hereafter prove more, and
in all probability at the expense of
the people! What l have done is
for the benefit of the public. have
no doubt but in time they will be
benefited by it,
Mr.. Knight says there are only
three Bridge Commissioners. have
attended two bridge lettings in this