Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-09
BULLDOzED BUTLER.

BULLDOZED BUTLER.
Breeze in the Board of Public Works.
d Contractor Butler Charges Engineer
Sewall With Bulldozing Him--BluR
Street Widening Observation-Disclosures.
The board of public works met in regular
session, yesterday, at 10 o'clock M.
Present: AL the members and Clerk Cor
man.
COMMUNICATIONS, PETITIONS, ETC.
John Butler, contractor for the Ninth
street sewer, complained that the city engi-
neer had charged him with S26 for engi-
neering and $3.50 for water. He declined
to take his final estimate for this reason.
He believed the chargean extortion. Owing
to Mr. Sewall's absence the matter was tenn
porarily passed.
WEST ST. PAUL.
The East John street bridging and grad
ing was next taken up.
Mr.. Timme explained the matter,
and stated an adjustment of the
whole difficulty would be made by
lowering the assessment on the lots abutting
on Greenwood avenue. Next to Livingston
avenue, the city engineer had numbered the
lots wrong, and the assessment had fallen on
the wrong lots; the record could be rectifed,
and the assessment be made right in accord
ance with the record as altered.
Further, the assessment would be lessened
on blocks 20 and 10, next to Greenwood
avenue, and be equalized by being placed on
the lots in blocks 20 and IA, on or beyond
Livingston avenue.
Messrs. Connolly, Fertig and others e1-
pressed willingness to abide by such an
arrangement. They said they only claimed
and urged a just equalizing of the assess
ment.
THE CITY ENGINEER AND CONTRACTOR DIS
Mr.. Sewall having come in, Mr.. Butler
was called upon to renew his protest in the
Ninth street sewer affair. Mr.. Sewall stated
that in the specifications set forth that if the
work was not done on time, the city should
do it, and the cost of same should be charged
against the contract. This was done in this
case.
Mr.. Butler commended the work was done
on time, but if any delay occurred in the
work, it was solely due to Sewall's interfer-
ence. He had a written order from the city
engineer to suspend work, and in conse-
qnence he discharged a part of his force.
Mr.. Sewall had no recollection of such an
order. If any such order was issued, it was
to prevent dismantling the street too much.
Mr.. Butler mentioned that he had not in
terfered with the traffic in the street at ALL
Mr.. Becker wanted to know what the
water charge of $3.50 was for.
Mr.. Sewall answered it was to test the
catch basin, and this was usually charged to
the contractor. The catch basins were not
in order, and consequently the work wasn't
accepted.
Mr.. Butler was emphatic in declaring he
had been been bulldozed out of his money.
President Rice called Mr.. Butler to order,
and informed him the facts in the case were
all that were wanted.
Mr.. Becker suggested that Mr.. Butler pro-
duce the order for suspension of work.
Mr.. Butler hadn't it on hand, but at home.
MIR. Sewall looked over his letter book,
but could find no record of such order
Mr.. Butler was instructed to sabnit 'sthe
order at the next regular meeting of the
board, and the matter was passed.
The street inspector of the First district
submitted his weekly report: Amount dis
bursed $143.25. Placed on file.
Total expense for Second district, $1O5.75;
placed on file.
MERCHANTS HOTEL ALLEY.
The clerk was instructed to obtain an ab-
stract of the property owners, preparatory to
opening an alley back of the Merchants no.
tel, and also an alley back of the Fire and
Marine block, on Third street.
JACKSON STREET CATCH BASIN.
Mr.. Becker invited City Engineer Sewall's
attention to the complaints made about the
removal Of the iron lids on the catch basins,
and substituting wooden coverings. It
was also stated that the iron COW
ers cost $50 piece, and were
thrown aside as useless. Why?
Mr.. Sewall explained that the wooden COW
erings were put in to correspond with the
wooden sidewalks. They were safe and an
swered every purpose. The iron ones had
cost originally about $15 each. Who or
dered them, or why, the engineer couldn't
tell. He, the engineer, believed the new ar
rangement was the correct and best plan.
BLUFF STREET IMPROVEMENT.
The board having visited the ground on
Bluff street, as heretofore reported in the
GLOBE, took up the consideration of widen
ing and opening that street from Martin to
Robert street. The board determined as
just and equitable that from Martin to
Cedar street a strip of thirty feet on the
north side would be taken to make the street
sixty feet wide, and the same would be as
sessed on the property holders on the south
side, as the north side property holders had
already given strip of thirty feet. From
Cedar to Robert strip of thirty feet would
be taken from the south side and be as
sessed against the property holders for the
same reason that the north side owners had
already donated thirty-foot strip. The
removal of house between Wabashaw and
Cedar streets would be assessed against the
whole street. The clerk was instructed to
make all details of the necessary assessment
for the widening and opening as decided
upon.
Adjourned.
DELIRIUM TRE1IENS.
The Trouble With the Hero of the Recent
Mad Leap from the Bridge