Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-07-15

the Chief Justice responded there was
none IN the world. He proceeded with
the case until the Sth dsv
OF June, when for the first time
| heard anything about it. This was
two days before the adjournment OF
Congress On that day MIR. Parsons csme
10 me aud said ne had an important case;
he had worked good while on il, nut was
called away. tie must leave He did not
want 10 lose his Zee in twas likely TO
lose II unless the work WAS completed
tie must go at any rate. He asked me if
| would argue the case for him; if
would examine into the merits OF this
pavement and make statement Of II be-
tore the Board, | said; IL will do il if |,
on examination, hud the patent what il
purports 10 be-the best wood pavement
patent there is; but | can't do il until
after Congress adjourns.n Congress sd.
Journed two days later.
The papers were sent TO me of patents
modelled specimens, and documents show.
lug where the pavemen!s had been used
The Investigation of the patents and the
chemical analysis representing all the
elements OF the pavement was = labnrious
task, aud / worked a, it rs faithfully AS
anything | ever worked at. | aid il in
open daylight have never been able to
understand how anybody has seen any.
thing In that on which to base AN attack
on me say am TO day intellectually
incapable OF understanding the track of
mans mind who sees IN this any ground
Tor attacking me. | made the argument
There were two patents concerned in that
pavement itself; there were some forty
different wood pavements proposed; anu
to carefully and analyucslly examine all
the relative merits OF those was no small
work. Mr. Parsons was To get a fee
provided he WAS successful, and not
any II he was not successful and
hence the sum offered was large-a
contingent fee, as every lawyer knows
Now, | under stand that ii is said by
some OF these gentlemen that that WAS In
some way or other connected with the
United States Treasury. Howg That
pavement was TO be paid for by the City
OF Washington; one.third ut II assessed
directly on the property. holders, and paid
just as You pay for y pavement here In
Warren; and he rest has TO be paid by
the City of Washington in money that IS
borrowed, ana for which the citizens are
ultimately 10 be taxed to pay. Blu, was
Chairman Of the Committee on Appro.
priaIlons, you say, and the House of Rip
resenta.lves appropriated money for the
District OF Columbia, HOWE Whenever
payemen. on any given street is laid IN
front of The United States Postuilice, or
the Patent Ollice, or Treasury, the Gov
eminent of the United States, AS "A mere
matter Of decent justice, pays Its proper
proportion In front OF its own buildings
as any other property holder would do
and that WAS all. Whatever was the legit
innate, proper share of the United States
10 pay II paid. Now, does anybody see
in what possible way that fact made il in
any way improper for me 20 practice my
profession in location where | WAS not
needed IN the public seivlceY But some
one says, "The pavement WAS had one
II was a swindle" VINO told you that
Why, a man that went to Washington To
testify, and that had different pavement
of his own, he was glad to say that the
Do Gnlyor pavement was u bad one.
Now | want you 10 understand, fellow
citizens, the 1876 miles o, pavement in the
city OF Washington, tfty.three miles OF II
only are wooden pavement, and of the
tfty-three miles of wooden pavement Land
in Washington there were 10000 square
yards of it only OF the De Golyer pave
ment, There are 1905, 600 lquare yards OF
wooden pavement laid IN Washington,
and 10000 of i, only WAS OF this patent.
There are ten or twelve different kinds of
wooden psvements in Washington, and
only one twelfth OF this is of this kind,
and the price OF this pavement WAS fixed
by Board OF Engineers before Mr. Par
sons or had word TO say on the sub
ject. 1t was only a question which OF
the two or three or ten pavements Will
you adopt, ant | am here to-day 10 affirm
that II is the hest wood pavement that was
ever laid. Now, | do not belize much
In wood pavemente as compared with
concrete or GONE other forms OF pave.
ments, and this Board OF Engineers rec
commended concrete in preference to
wood. But, what were the facts? There
were thirty-two different streets in Wash
ihg'Jn, along which the people petltloned
10 have wooden pavement. They pre-.
ferred wood pavement. II was cheaper
than the asphaltum. They wanted wood
pavement, aud the American people gen.
eraily believe in wood pavement, and the
question WAS, If the people want the wood
pavement and are determined to have 1t,
which pavement shall we give them, the
best or not the best
Now, | have before me here, what
had when / made the argument, cortifi.
Gates from Chicago, st. Louis, San Fran.
cisco, and oil the other cities where the
pavement was laid, that it stood better
than any wood pavement that had ever
been laid, and ia the report Of the Com.
mttee OF Investigation in Washington a
letter WAS received from the Board OF
Public Works Of Chicago, dated Oct. 81,
1874, in these words. "Since 1865 there
have been laid here in Chicago 10000
square yards OF De Goyvr pavement, anu