Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-20
BRIDGE BOTHERS.

BRIDGE BUTHERS.
The Testing of the Bridge to be Made with
Ics-Nr. Rice and HIS Insinuations Dis
cussed Pro and Con. and the Bond Sale
Explained.
The bridge commissioners held regu-
lar meeting yesterday morning at the
MAYORS office. Present, Messrs. Dawson,
Lindeke, Knapheide, and City Engineer
Sewall. In the absence of Secretary Coch-
ran MIR. Sewall filled that position.
The question of testing the bridge after
its completion was brought up.
Engineer Sewall stated that sand
had been used to test the
ST. Paul bridge, but as it would cost about
$500 and take considerable time to get the
sand, he would suggest that tie test be made
with ice. Mr.. Lindeke desired to know if
it was necessary to test the structure after
each piece used had been tested before
putting it up.
Engineer Sewall, in reply, said that it
was being done by all railroads, and was GER
tainly good idea.
The following resolution, offered by MIR.
Knapheide, was adopted: That the engineer
be instructed to cause the bridge to be tested
with weight of 1900 pounds to the lineal
foot to the satisfaction of Mr.. Allen.
The matter of anchoring the bridge to the
piers, which was brought up at previous
meeting, was then disposed of, Engineer
Sswall stating that it would require wind
pressure of fifty pounds to the square foot
to overturn the bridge.
MIR. Dawson WAS of the opinion that
wind that would move the bridge would blow
away the river itself.
Mr.. Lindeke then called attention to the
charge made by County Treasurer Rice in
regard to the business of the board being
transacted in loose, careless and irregular
manner He was friend of MIR. Rice and
felt annoyed at the charges made. If Mr..
Rice or any one knew of any ''looseness" in
any of the accounts passed by the commits
sion, they would oblige the board by making
the matter public. Mir. Liudeke
then produced a copy of the
bill which Mr.. Rice had singled
out as an example of the loose transactions
passed by the board, and proceeded to ex
plain it as follows:
When the bridge bonds were put in the
market bid was received from West & CO.,
who were acting as agents for Boston firm,
for $4,000 worth at larger premium than
was offered by the First National bank.
The Boston parties wrote to send the
bonds and they would pay for them on de-
livery, but Mr.. Rice would not consent to
this.
A personal check for the amount of the
bonds was then given by Mayor Dawson to
save the county expense, and the bonds were
sent to the Boston parties, who would not
accept them. After being returned they
were sold to MIR. Upham, of the First Ma
tional bank, which was the next highest bid
der, who had previously taken all the issue
with the exception of this lot. The bill of
S164.33 presented by Dawson & Co. was for
expenses assumed by Mayor Dawson in
sending the bonds to Boston and back, tele
graph messages, and the difference between
the amount of premiums offered by the Bos-
ton parties and that received from Mr.. Up
ham, of the First National bank.
Mr.. Lindeke stated that the Pioneer Press
in publishing a copy of the resolution al
lowing the bill had omitted the name of Mr..
Cochran, while the names of tho two Ger
mans and one Irishman who signed it had
been published. AS Mr.. Cochran's name
was with the others and he was equally re-
sponsible with the others, it must have been
purposely omitted. In his opinion 1t looked
as though the paper was trying to relieve the
only American on the board from any re-
sponsibility in the allowance of the bill. He
stated that the quarrel between Mr.. Rice and
Mr.. Davis was something he or the board
had nothing to do with, but when Mr.
Rice cast a reflection on the board
he had right, as q member, to complain.
The publication in the r. p. was such as to
infer that Dawson d Co. had not acted in q
square manner in the bond transaction.
This was doing the firm a great injustice, as
the firm had not even charged interest while
the bonds were in the bank.
In closing his remarks Mr.. Lindeke said
that he had always been on pleasant terms
with Mr.. Rice and hoped to remain 80, but
still thought the county treasurer had done
the members of the board great injustice
by his charges.
MIR. Dawson, the chairman of the board,
sided with the remarks of Mr.. Lindeke, and
after some unimportant talk the meeting ad-
iourned.