Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-01
DEGOLYER CARTEL. D.

a stccinot Statement of HIS Part ia the
Pavement Contract from the Patentee-
Garfelds Guilty Completely.
[Chicago Times.
To the Editor-The present seeming to de-
mand correction of false impressions widely
and wlckedy disseminated through
therefore desire through your indepen-
dent journal to plainly state few facts in
plain words, not as a partisan, never having
voted tor Democratic President, but for a
vindic alton of the truth of history, in justice
to all parties connected with the notorious Gar
field. DeGolyer paving contract.
Being the owner of the patent forming the
basis of the DeGolyer pavement, in April, 1872,
went to Washington for the purpose of intro
ducing the said pavement The board of pub
lie works of the District Of Columbia, after a
full investigation of the merits of this patent,
together with several others competing, called
together their advisory board, consisting OF
Gems. Meigs, Humphrey, Barnes, Babcock
and Oimsted, at whose requst appeared before
| them and fully explained my process for the
preservation of wood pavement from dry and
| wet rot. The board referred samples of pre-
pared paving blocks to competent expert for
analysis who reported against the DeGolyer
| pavement and in favor of the Seely process.
The board of public works adopting the re-
| port and recommendations, put an end to ali
| further legitimate effort in that direction.
| Soon thereafter one George e. Ohitten den, no
tOrlOus in Chicago as an INSCRIPTIONS ad-
venturer and tool of still more INSCRIPTIONS
| firm Of paving contractors appeared in Wash
| ington, claiming to have had furnished him by
| the hackers of the firm he represented 100000,
wherewith to secure 100000 yards of stree
| paving by the DeGolyer patent at 49, 30 pc
yard. ee - sA-
The congressional investigation showed that
Chittenden first negotiated with @. w Hunt
| ington, the well. known cashier of the govern
| ment.depOsit bank of Jay Cooke & Co and
chief lobbyist of the Washington improvement
ring, agreeing to divide the 100000 bonus for
! securing to his principles from the board
| 100000 yards of DeGolyer pavement No. 2
| at So. 30 per yard. Huntingtons sudden death
| put an end to negotiations in that direction.
| Chittenden at once sought Col. VIM. G.. Moore,
| business partner of Gov. Shepherd, chairman
| of the board of public works, who agreed that
| for $50, 600 he could and would procure from
the government the coverted contract.
| This agreement becoming public, Gov.
| Shepherd denounced the arrangement, and the
| morning following gave public notice of the
| dissolution of the partnership. The firm of
| Dent d Page were approached with the offer of
| $4,000 for their supposed political influence
| with the administration. Not moving as fast
| as desired, Chittenden. through 60 between,
sought further political influence, for con.
| sideration In the person of James A. Garfield,
| chairman of the committee of appropriations
| of the lower house of Congress, through whom
all appropriations must be made for the board
| of public works for the city of Washington
street improvements. Gov Sheppard testified
| before the committee investigating the crook
ed transactions that Gen. Garfield approached
him, earnestly urging him, as personal favor,
to give his friends, DeGolyer & McClelland, of
the West, 200, 009 yards DeGolyer pavement.
The governor, repairing to his private Office on
| ia f0r1
yards, and a further amount of $4,000 yards,
payment to be made as soon as Congress made
an appropriation for the same. Thus this no.
tOrlOusly bankrupt firm. without the consent
or knowledge even of any other member of the
/ bJard of public works, at the personal reqnest
of the chairman of the committee of appropri-
atoms. were permitted without either bond OF
contract, or locations of streets, to lay large
amount of worthless pavement, (avoiding the
| terms Of the patent) upon many of the princi
pal streets of Washington. How correctly
GOV. Shepherd understood the chairman OF
the appropriation committee will be shown by
the passage of the first session OF Congress
thereafter of bills st Ga1field's solicitation fol
the board of public works, amounting to a3.
$50 600, and soon thereafter federal endorse
ment of Bis, 600, GEO district 5. 65 bonds to Gov
4 er the entire extravaganza municipal improve
ments. Public Indignation being aroused by
the magnitude of the swindle being imposed
upon them, MIR. Muliett, superintendent OF
| public buildings and grounds, and eX-officit
8 member OF the board of public works. learn
ing the means and parties employed, and man
ner of giving the Illegal order without the
consent of the board, demanded
-4<that the order OF the governor be 8,
once resciuded, Shepherd protesting that the
board could not interfere, as he had given the
order at the especial solicitation Of Gen. Gar
field for his personal friends from the West
that the board could not antagonize the com.
! Of lot Tn ba
must look for means to carry forward theil
projected city improvements. While Gov.
Shepherd Indignantly spuTned q bride when
offered directly to his firm, he was by no means
the kind Of man to neglect the opportunity
to put a firm hook in the nose of the too-will
1 ing chairman of the appropriation committee
=, when voluntarily offered.
Garfield guilty completely in this disgrace.
full business becoming generally known, he
sought to break the force of the transaction by
going through his district and declaring upon
the stump and through The party press THAT
he acted as an attorney. that he wrote and FLED
an opinion with the board of public works, and
that he also appeared as counsel before the
board and made an argument upon the valid
ity of the DeGolyer pavement, and simply re-
ceived a fee for said services"
| This false statement would, il true, consigI
him TO the penitentiary. The revised statutes
of the United States provide that mo Senate,
or Representative, after his election, and dur
ing his continuance in Office, shall receive OF
agree to receive any compensation whatever
directly or indirectly, for any service renedred
to any person, in relation to any contract
claim or controversy, in which the United
States is a party, directly or indirectly inter
ested, before any department. bureau, or any
civil commission whatever. Every person of
Tending against this section shall be imprison-
ed not more than two years, and fined not more
than $40, eco, and shall be rendered forever
Ftaus Ill e
trust or profit under the government of the
United States" The Forty fourth Congress
appointed committee to investigate the
charge of corruption and bribery, preferred
against Garfield in the DeGolyeI
contract. Col. Glover, chairman, after
weeks Investigation. tie evidence be-
ing overwhelming against Garfield
summoned him before the committee, inform
ing him of the main features of the evidence
Garfield replied with flourish. ''that he had
already explained the whole matter before his
constituents; that there was really nothing
serious in the charges whatever, as explained
by him long ago; that he would in q word ex-
plain the matter; that he employed by
DeGolyer and McClelland to write an opinion
upon the merits of the DeGolyer pavement
and file the same with the board of public
works of the district, which did, and also to
go before the board and make an argument in
favor of the pavement, which I also did this
was all did, This statement is shown alb
solutely false in inception, and false in de-
tail. Col. Glover informed Gen. Garfield that
Mr.. Nickerson, the owner of the patent upon
which the DeGolyer pavement was based, was
present, and being familiar with the whole
question, he would request Mr.. Nickerson to
| examine him:
Mr.. Nickerson-Gen. Garfield, understand
| you to testify that you were employed by De
Golyer and McClelland to write an opinion up
| on the merits of the DeGolyer pavement and
file the same with the board of public works
of this district, which you did? A. Yes, SIR
@. And also to go before the board and
make an argument in favor of the pavement,
which you also did2 A. Certainly.
@. Gen. Garfield, did you file with the
| board of public works of this districts brief