, 1877-12-23
MICHIGAN AVENUE.
Examining Into That Gravel Con-
tract---Queer Develop
nents.
ennerintendent Wilson's DEALINGS with
Contractors---Asking for a
Horse.
Testimony as to the Poor Quality Of
tic Grayelft-Partiality Shown
Ray E. whitney.


tng into the workings OF the Department Of
Pnblic Works. There were present Aid. Gil
bert, Cary, Tully, mud McAulcy.
GEORGE JOHNSON,
contractor, was the first witness: Have fur
nisbcd Joliet gravel to tho city. Have noticed
TINT on Michigan avenue. It Is Joliet gravel.
Should think it was very poor. 1t WAS taken
out Of pit that has good many sand-drifts in
it. Saw carloads OF sand put on the street.
Some strip and clay was put into the holes al
trrwards. There Is better gravel In tho pit than
that. | had lease OF that pit once. More
sand WAS used on Michigan avenue than clay.
It WAS the poorest job I ever saw for q
man of any practical experience to do.
After 4 block had been down three :, or
four DAYS there wero big holes in the street,
and they were filled up. I have driven over the
street Saw eeycn or eight carloads. About
half Of It was good for nothing. When I fur
nisled gravel, Wilson vas particular. he
wanted it about the size Of birds cgg. He
would not have taken such stuff as that used
on Michigan avenue from me. Ray j. Whitney
md man named Adams first opened the pit
in Joliet about eight years ago. They gave it
I'D four OF five years ago. Eight yards can be
rot on car. Have got nine yards On. In wet
weather ten yards put on at Joliet would come
through ali right; but in dry weather
on,y about seven and a half would arrive
not over eight, anyhow. The rest would shake
OF. Those cdfs saw wouldn't average over
eight Yards. shipped over J, 900 cars year to
the ctr, and never had them average ten yards.
Had a conversation with Moses ThayeT. Re
said, IA friend Of mine has got control of the
streets of the South Side,-Gcorge Houghton,
and if any gravel is uscd on it you shall have
show on it-'' That was carly LAST spring.
After the Michigan contract was let l
saw him again, and he said aid 1;g the city
Yards OF gravel; that there we're four par
lies interested, and they expected to
make s. car. He said Houghton was ono:
Charley Evcrts another, and a man named
Rcidel. I told him didn't see where aug such
Thaycr about the nit. and be said lie could get
Houehton in with hin. They rot hold OF the
p! aS9at the time the c9ntra:: ,s was LOST sxsl
knew % Eyerts to have ANYTHING to do with gray
RI. Hc used to be i conductor. lie told me
aft or he cot the contract that he didn't know
ANYTHING about gravel. 4 saw Thaycr the other
day, and spoke 10 him about our conversation.
wilson IS 80 q GOOD ju,ige Of gravel Do not
know Of Reidel or Hourhton having ANYTHING
~ a. vii, fhc rrayci. know about aii the
grarel men. What induced me TO examine the
cars vas that Thaycr had told me they were
eono to oet ten Yards On car, and thought
would 20 down aud see what was on cur. It
would cost to loud good gravel about $3.50
caT fhe roralty was So cents, and the freight
81. that would be about $1.50 yard to land It
here /.
Boo6EEEpYR JOHNSON
WIS recalled, and trstl1ed as to the purchase Of
,roodcn t1nrt;s as follows: 1872, RAY & Whit
neTs - 80 e. 7s53 Y729:;7; 1S14, S25554;1}G sc:
1s?55 Kay Il Whitner. 81, ,45oN. j. B. Smith,
slE}37. 1916. Raw u whitney. $57O.17, j. B.
SmIth s231t lS7;.. Raw IL Whitney, s5,261.-
a. !. r smith, s53C.7l.. Total, Ray & Whit
nv ' - soi 81 o5j,'S1: + r. Smith. s97o.G3. In 1875
thc i5cnart,ncnt CONTRACTED with l. E. Aurhaus
for a., n11 feet. more or less, of oak at S1s so,
and with C. Ruiz S Co for 1 l,1l3eo ,s, M feet tot Of
tracts @ IN 1s7;. 81; over $1,000 was spent ior it
that rear. on account OF the financial einbarrass-
mcnts, 4 sufficient amount of humber
is never advertised for in spy one
vcar.-Seucrally in the neishborhood
81 tyo-tlifds. This year SO, ,;Gu feet Of
hr1n]oc|z were used. It cost S3,G+f.aS.. Only
nhn,,t -. nOJ feet Of pine was used. Know rev:
blocks were put on West Washington street
his wear. Only $50 was paid By the property
owners for paving onc-half Of Randolph street
from CLARK to LaSallc- I don't know that Was
for that nurrosc. [ understood it was for
o1,,t"r n front of the Sherman House.
en,1a nj rail from, the clrb-wal TO the railroad
+-an1- = c1,ttcr. IaI the $50. and Mr. Wilson
+nId M, ~ t1cnosit it. II the ucoplc pay for au
1rnnrnvamcnt. ourht to know OF it. Hou.h-
4on:s nov.rn1ls for the year, and those for labor
~ tI;ch;nan avenue, were submitted |
tIha +.,a1 n1onunt received from private parties
m ocrount ri MICHIGAN Avenue was S36aa5. All
~ - u,as noid m: eSccpt* S35. Hall 8 mile OF
pra;r;n a-cn,,e wos renayed by private sutscrip
t,nr The whole amount was charged to the
so,,+, n;y3e;on rcnair fund. Yfc books do not
shnt.. h,,r ,n,,ch each imnroycmcnt cost The
nu" uerc i1,mncd. wouldn't swear that
+ha 'na,, wro WORKED nm Michigan avenue were
not, mid tvice-oncc out OF the private fund and
acain hy the city. [ paid them of, and those
erha ra;,a m secrncd to me about tue same as
thn ie Seal, vel 31rfnrc. There arc no dates on
49, St;.n;no1, avennc nay-roIIs. Hounhto,,
tno,r vas 10 nav oil, and wien I
~ oa,;n~ lie has four teams.
n.os,e lie 9,v, ti,no and swears 10 it. [Wit-
wee as e,7;t1rd }o; ri papers, which the Com
n1;ttcr tn.,t c,ree oil The cost to the city for
in,srn,inr Michigan and praific avenues was
,l,nut 81 fea( over and above the subscriptions.
+ rc,.or Gn.w Of a street to be crayeled right
thrm,rh before without a special assessmcnt
W;;sor is The resnousib:c man for tho distrbN-
t;,n ~ Tie strcct-rcpair appropriation. Tie
War,r donsn,t 1ook into details I haye to take
WT;isn,ss .rnrd on hills. He would huyc power
n ra;ect Ind ,rrayel. etc.
Z, RouEET srEwAHT,
euor,,. Am = contractor. Have been one for
rwunttof,e wears in Chicago I pave streets,
w. 1,end rrnycl. and know the different quail
i,;as ~ IL atc.snure and Joliet arc mainly
t*4e5 ~ 'o- ,s. W..1 r. :, o,,r-a. n rotc 1t,ri.