Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-21

Mr.. Kerr-Don't remember anything be-
fore the signing of the contract.
Showing the contract, Mr.. Doran said:
"Here appears to be something thrown on to
the original contract" Showing separate
leaf pasted in, and no part of the original
contract).
Mr.. Kerr, in explanation, said he remem-
bered meeting was called and consulta-
| ton had about the deafening or deadening
when it was agreed to allow 1852. The leaf
| appears to be in Mr.. Browns handwriting.
remember the meeting very we'll. There
is nothing in the minutes of the trustees,
| showing that the board made that allow
ance.
| MIR. Doran-Did you know that leaf was
| there when we were at st. Peter.
| Mr.. Kerr-I don't KIN, W, but it ought
| rightly to be there.
Mr.. Doran-Did you know of your own
knowledge if that paper was there before
, we told it to you.
! Mr.. Kerr suppose I knew it but had
| forgotten it.
The leaf spoken of is in the hand writing
of Mr.. Brown and alludes to the deadning,
allowing $462 for it. It is not signed or at
tested, and the sum total of the contract is
not changed. The curious interstitch seemed
| to be placed there as if to hide it from those
|
at all before the contract was signed.
Mr.. Doran-Here is bill of Clark and
Ray, plasterers, for $64335. There is an
item of 1,044 yards plastering at so cents
which was not as high.
Mr.. Kerr-I know we paid high in
those days. That back plastering at 4Oc,
think perhaps they had to take off the old
as well as put on the new plastering. It
was contract. I had it done on my
| own responsibility, as I was the only trus-
tee in St. Peter.
Mr.. Rice-The charge could not be for
tearing down the old plastering, for he
charges for lathing first, in separate item
MIR. Morton-If that was a contract, have
| you not the contract?
| MIR. Kerr don't know if we had writ
ten contract. He agreed to do it at so much
yard.
Mr. Morton-But you surely did not do so
much work, amounting to over 5000, with
out written contract3
Mr.. Kerr-Well, I suppose I did; I don't
know. 1t was very old building and very
cold, and there was deal of work to do on
it.
Mr.. Morton-But that makes no differ
ence to the price you paid. Did you adver-
| tise for bids?
Mr.. Kerr-No, sir, no. Ipostea myself in
prices.
Mr.. Morton-How do you reconcile the
fact of paying such extravagent prices?
Mr.. Kerr don't think SO.
To Mr.. Couplin-What would be g
fair charge for that work.
Mr.. Couplin-For back plastering zoe
yard would be good price, and furnish all
material. For three coat plastering, in
Guiding lathing and hard finish, SOC is good
price; 4Oc at that time was good round
price.
Mr.. Kerr-The Clarks and Rays were the
plasterers in our town at the time. and were
the people to 60 to.
| Mr. Morton-But the material is also
charged for in the bill.
Mr.. Kerr Cooking at the bilD-Now, then,
he charges for lumber, for lathing, aud for
lime and nails, and TO saving and for nail
ing on the laths. I suppose they had to tear
down the old. It was a very old building
| it was allowed. 1 allowed it, for there was
nobody else there; am responsible for it.
Mr.. Couplin-(by Mr.. Morton). Twenty
five cents would have been good round
price at that time for the three coat of plas-
tering if the material was supplied by the
State; for back plastering 15c would have
been big price; it could be done for Sc, or
even &c.
Mr.. Kerr-All have to say is tried to
get the work done as cheap as I could
by Mr.. Morton-I don't see any original
voucher for the payment of these men; I can
not find receipt for that 81 ,O33.1O; they
should be here.
Mr., Doran-This for $643. 35 is nothing
but memorandum and marked No. as an
original voucher. OF the payment of the
Isl O33 TO- this memorandum of $643.35 is
the only thing you have to show?
Mr.. Kerr know nothing about it except
| turned over the papers to DR.. Flagg.
Mr.. Morton--And yet you drew 5000 for
your services?
Mr.. Kerr-Yes; I was paid that amount.
Mr.. Doran-ln coming to conclusion as
to what money has been received, and how
it has been paid we should only take the
original vouchers, and here is $1,O3310 for
which you have no original receipt.
Being told that the committee
would not need his further attendance Mr..
Kerr smilingly babe the committee good day
and withdrew. Thinking afterwards of a
question he wished to ask Mr. Kerr, the
chairman subsequently put this question to
him:
What are you employed for at Rochester?
MIR. Kerr am employed by the trustees
to superintend the building and completing
of the building at Rochester and furnishing
| the same to prepare it for the reception of
patients before the cold weather sets in.
coUPLIN RETURNS.
Mr.. Couplin was then questioned upon
the Snyder & Damren's and Gage & Co.'S.
contracts. The former were supplied with
lumber by the State, and the latter found
their own; the trimmer joists were left out
by all the contractors; Gage & Co.'S. and
Bohen's would amount to 9,O4O feet of Ium
Der; in the last section 3,24O feet were left
out. If Snyder & Damren had put the
trimmer joists in, all the rest would have
done so. The only case in which the speci-
tications were carried out in the masonry
was in the north winga return, where both
the stone walls and brick lining we're carried
up together and tied at every
seventh course with brick. I never
saw large building put up in any other
way. It is the way it is used in the East,
and the way recommended by the architect.
Mr.. Sloan. There is SO much difference in
the cost that any man putting in bid figured
on this plan would never get contract
competing with those figures to put up the
| work as done by Fletcher & Co. Mr.. Sloan
| is an authority all over the country: his
| works on architecture and BUILDING are to be
found everywhere.
He was next questioned about the plaster
| ing-the difference between hard finish and
plaster finish. The difference is considera-
BILE in cost, and is better job of course.
The first return was a hard marble finish;
the price think was 16c. The contract was
hnp oh l. 80