The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-25
Presidential Matter Used in Filling In
Lots and Grading Streets.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH ENDANGERED
How Mills & Ambrose Make Handsome
Profits from Their Contracts.
IS THERE NO REMEDY +?


affected at what they term q reckless and crimna,
disregard Tor the health Of the city. The con-
tracts for this work very lucrative, and the
profits arc, Of course. In proportion to the cost
OF the material used The Street Cleaning
Bureau is At loss how TO dispose OF the DIRT,
ashes and garbage, and part with them, It would APP
pear, on easy terms to somo OF these contractors
From inquiries made by HERALD reporter In various
localities It Is quite evident that there Is only too
much truth in the complaints made and matter OF
a decidedly unhealthy nature IL used by OF the
contractors Tor filing In large portions OF
their contracts Tho largest OF these contracts arc
given TO Messrs. Mills Ambrose, and that
Arm seems determined TO repeat their operations in
connection with tho Harlem fats TO cndangcr the
health OF largo portion OF Harlem by the OF gar
bage and other deIeterous matter in the filling IN of
sunken lots and OF streets which arc below the re-
CURED level In December 1876 this Arm entered
into contract with tho city for the filling grad
Ing OF Eighth avenue, between l2sth street and tho
Harlem River, and the digging and curbiug OF the
sidewalk This IS really immense undertaking and
the profits be considerably increased by procuring
cheap material Tor nlling-in purposes
LUCRATIVE CONTRACT.
reference TO the contract the Office Of the con-
tract cork OF the Board OF Public Works shows that
the following prices received for tho work done
For excavatng rs cents per cubic yard; for furnish
ing tho filling, "a cents per cubic yard furnishing
and setting curb and gutter stones 65 per noal
FOOT for furnishing and laying tagging 10 cents per
square foot.
Now II will be easily seen how largely the profits
must DO increased II large portion Of the stuff used
Tor filling In were procured tree OF and tho only
outlay connected with It the price OF the labor
1t rs stated on good authority that large quantities OF
garbage and ashes have been supplied TO Messrs. Mills
L. Apnhrn nv tha Nan
used by them for Hlling-in purposes, in violation
of their contract, which binds them to
but proper material for this
purpose, aud In utter disregard OF the people
living IN the neighborhood. Messrs. Mills & Am
brose gavo security to the OF $50 900 carry
out this contract according TO agreement their Sc
curitics being Mr.. Benjamin Richardson, OF No co.
Eighth avenue, and Charles Devlin, OF No. 81 East
Fny-scvenih street. and the residents OF the neigh.
borhood complain loudly that they arc not brought
TO account by the proper authority for their
delinquency. The payments already mado to tho
firm for this contract up to tho present amoant TO
S5 70S which Is seventy per cent Of the total
due, $4,000 The Immense profits made by this Kind
of work, when done in the way above. can
be readily seen, and It is claimed by many residents OF
the locality that the city paying this price work
that will infably result the spread Of malar,a dis
during the summer months
AMBROSE REsoRMRR.
Mr.. Ambrose, IL will be remembered, IL very anxious
.relorm the whole system OF street cleaning and
It is shrewdly suspected Is also anxious to be given
the control Of the work and to sacrifice himself for
tho public good alta handsome salary. He Is a par
tcular friend Of Dr. Chandler, Of tho Health Board
who Is q particular friend OF Andrew II. Green.
and he contends that the proper party 10
take charge oi the street cleaning OF the city Is the
Board Of Health The latter body would naturally
with tho subject. 10 supcrntend thu work for them.
Mr.. Ambrose wishes TO mako street cleaning
the lono' of the department Therefore
he would have none but .native born
c,sizens Of tho United States eligible for MEMBER.
ship In his model STRENGTHENING brigade. and would
drive OUT all "loreigncrs" from the ranks. Mr.. Am
brose Is genuine reiormer and has managed en-
list the sympathies Of most of the reformcrs
in his brand now plan Tor keeping New
York's streets clean and spotless, aud he
naturally points to his record Is con-
tractor as an earnest OF the good work he
would accomplish in the office he wishes for
himself No garbage would then DO dumped in the
Bay, and Mr. Ambrose might be paid handsomely
tor relieving the street Cleaning Department Of q
burden, and providing ample occupation for the
doctors by placing the garbage whore It would do
most good" in that way.
VIEWS OF A CITIZEN on HARLEM.
In the course 0f Investigation OF tho contracts
held by Mr. Ambrose and OF the condition Of the work
OF ing IN at Harlem under his control the HERALD
reporter met prominent citizen Of Harlem who, some
years ago, followed the business Of contractor The
following conversation ensucd:-
ARE you acquainted with Mr.. Ambrose. Of the nrm
OF Mills a. Ambrose. contractors ?p
Not personally, but / know tho firm well and the
character OF their work."
"Do you regard their ailpg their portion OF the
Harlem flats prcjudcial TO the health the city
THE whole Of that work Infamous under the late
Police and Public Works COMMISSIONER and that
portion contracted Tor by Mills Ambrose was about
the worst OF the lot. l suffered In my own family
through the disease-breed'ng miasma arising
IRON the flats, having lost two children.
believe that nothing but tho providental
state OF the weather saved the city from devastating
tilnns lima .a
Of the Harlem flats nuisance. II the nlling OF tho
fats with the cry garbage had not been stopped when
would nave been depopulated.n
do you know anything OF the work now being done
by Mills 4 Ambrose IN Haricm?'i
eyes Tncy have contracts for filling 10th street
from the Hariem River 10 Fifth avenue and for filling
Eighth avenue IRON l2sth street the river. be-
leve they purchased the former contract from Mr.
Farley for 81 COO 1000 The two contracts mako
big Job, and the contractors are puzzled, doubt.
how TO get stun 10 all In wnh.n
"Do you know whether lney have used any city gar.
bsge Tor this purposeY
Eyes, believe they have used a great deal. and
have been thinking OF calling the aten.
ton OF the pubic TO the danger oil the creation OF
another Harlem flats nuisance If the use OF
garbage Is continued. When the snow went
of and the Police Commissioners found themselves
with an enormous accumulation OF ashes and
garbage and street dirt their hands, with no place
10 dump II, have heard that Ambrose offered TO take
IL all and dispose oi u u the Commissioners would pay
rejected, and he then offered 10 take at 10 cents
yard and subsequently NJ cents. Tho Police
commissioners would him nothing where.
upon Ambrose offered 10 dump for them If
they would pay for the scows This also refused,
the Commissioners conserving however, TO load Am.
broses scows Tree Of him tor the labor II he
would SEND them to the dumps loads and dispose OF
them. have heard that Ambrose did this and that
he dumped vast NUMBER oil loads OF mixed ashes and
garbage the lots no has undertaken to MI
THE INJURY To HEALTH.
.Do you believe this injurious 10 public health 2"
81 am sure IL Is. Mr. Ambrose, when spoken 10 on
the subject by some parties has insisted that tho
ground Is under water the Health Board has agreed
that II Will not be injurious the pubic health 10
garbage tor ling. Hut the truth is II the use OF such
SUN Is allowed Eighth avenue and 10Th street
Will soon become as foul pesthoie tho Harlem fats
were when the HERALD commenced its war against
them. don't know how much garbage has been u scd
this spring the Mills Il Ambrose contracts, but
have no doubt that the whole oil tho city refuse would
have gone there II II mad not been for the agitation Of
the subject by the press. !"