Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-26
THE PuORHOUsE BARN.

Contract for its Erection awarded, Tut
Not to the Lowest Bidder.
On Saturday morning the board Of p'm
directors held meeting to open the pro-
pOsals for the erection Of IL new county
barn on the site of the one recently 'ic
strOyed by fire. The bids were opened in
the presence of the bidders and we've :is
follows:
a. Carpenter, East Lampetcr. proposed
to erect the building for s ,G1j, "r IL" the
carpenter work for S632.
Jacob Sheath proposed to erect the
building for $4,000, or do the carpenter
work for SAT-.
Israel P. Mayors bid to erect the barn
was "a, 3s5, or $500 for the carpenter work.
I'M. Bachman. of Willow Street, pro-
posed to put up the barn for 81, l2O.
E. N. Smith, Columbia, proposed I"
build the barn for %, ,851.S7, Or to do the
carpenter work for S535.
j. A. Burger bid a, $50 for the erection
of the barn, or $3.50 for the carpenter
work.
John Evans proposed to build the barn
for $4,SG9.
Besides these bids for the entire str'ic-
ture there were number OF others bid
ding for part of the work Stau!fer ~
Sensenig. GoOdville bid $3.50 for the CAL
penter work alone ]. p. StOrmfeltz, city,
bid s409. 90 for the labor, or 81 % per day
per man. the county to board the men;
X. NJ. Morrow, city, proposed to d" the
carpenter work alone at $l.SO per day per
man without board !; Daniel A. Shiiler,
city, bid to do the carpenter work i"r
s49s. sc, or at s1.22 per day per man, the
county to board the men.
Besides these bids there were number
of others proposing to furnish lumber,
slate, hardware, &C., but it is not neccs-
sary to publish them-
| 1t is stated by persons who were present
that Mr.. Bachman's bid was not handed in
until several Of the other bids had been
opened. and that when it was offered some
of the bidders objected to its being re-
ceiyed, as it gave Mr.. Bachm.n
an opportunity to bid below those
already opened. The directors, however,
decided to open the bid, stating that they
had agreed to accept Mr.. Bachman's bid,
| even if he was little late, as he had sick
ness in his family. 1t so happened that
the bid ,cas lower than any opened up t"
that time, but soon after MIR. Smiths bid,
given above, was opened and proved to be-
| lower than Mr.. Bachman's. Mr.. Bach
| man then explained that his bid cOntem-
plated the erection Of \ cupOla, AMI y
number of other improvements not set
forth in the specifications furnished by the
architect, and that if those were elim-
mated, and the barn built according to the
specifications, the cost would 10 about
$500 less, and that his bid WOULD therefore
be the lowest.
The board of directors seemed to take
this view Of the matter and awarded tine
contract to MIR. Bachman.
The award has caused . great deal Of
dissatisfaction among builders, and some
Of the unsuccessful bidders declare MIR.
Smith as fairly entitled to the contract.
The affair has certainly " "fishy" appear
ance-first, the reception of Mr.. Bachman s
bid after some of the others had been
opened, and then giving him the contract
(although he was not the lowest bidder,
on the ground that he had bid for strnc-
ture unlike that advertised fOr-these facts
certainly look little crooked.
Mr.. Smith, the lowest bidder, is sonle-
what indignant. He is. man Of perfect
responsibility and could give ample bonds
for the erection Of dozen such barns. He
was in town this morning. and had an in-
teryiew with the directors at Mr.. Landis's
Office this afternoon but got no satisfaction,