Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-05-04
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Letting the Contracts.

| tors for the erection of the new county
insane asylum. The members present
were Clark. Ryland, Robbins, Grimm
and HER; absent Hubbell. The COM
mittee were in continuous session from
Wednesday afternoon until Friday after
noon, when the contract was finally let
to Messrs. Menges and Liefeldt of Prai-
RE du Chen. During this time they
went over the plans and specifications
in the most careful manner to the end
that no after changes should be made
involving large bill for extras when
the building was completed.
A brief description of the proposed
asylum was given recently in The
HERALD but as several changes have
been made detailed account is again
given. The site chosen is just north of
the present poor house, the distance be-
tween the two buildings being eighty-five
feet. The front of the asylum win stand
on a line with the west line of the poor
house. The asylum itself is forty four
by one hundred and eight feet and two
stories and basement in height. The
foundation to be of stone and the super
structure of brick. The basement
story is eight feet and ten inches in the
clear, the first story ten feet and ten
inches and the second eleven feet. The
building will be covered with slate
roof with galvanized iron cornice.
The front CT inter of the basement floor
is occupied by hall with corridors
extending from it in either direction and
running the length of the building. In
mediately in the rear of the hall is the
kitchen, separated by pantries from the
two dining rooms which occupy the rear
portion of the basement story. To the
right, as one enters the hall, is large
! laundry beyond which comes fuel room
two others being found on the left of the
hall. Above the hall on the first floor
is reception hall separating the male
and female wards, which occupy the
north and south sides of the building
respectively. The corridors, as stated
in q form er description, will be used as
sitting rooms, from which open the dor
mitories. These are similar in each
ward and consist of one large dormi-
tory extending along the back of the
building 10 by 1928, two smaller ones on
the front II by 26l and II by II and
two strong rooms which join on the
large dormitory in the rear. The
second floor is repetition of the floor
below with the exception that bath
room occupies the place of one of the
strong rooms and the small room over
the yestibule at the end of the corridor
| is used Us an attendants room.
1t was not until Friday that the Com
mittee had finished its work on the speci-
tications and was prepared to receive
bids. But two firms were represented.
Messrs. Menges and Liefeldt, of Prairie
du Chen and BROKER and Barnes of
Lancaster and Cassville. The bid of
the first named firm was S16,75S. OF
the second $40, 100. The bid of Menges
and Liefeldt being the lowest, the con-
tract was awarded to that firm by the
committee this afterward being reduced
by some changes to SIG, 400. The price
is somewhat above the original estimated
cost of the building. This is due to the
rise in the price of material and labor
consequent upon the large amount of
building which is going on in every
quarter this spring Had the contract
been let two months ago the contract
price could have been bettered several
thousand dollars But as it was the
wish of the constituents of the majority
of the committee that nothing should be
done until the decision of the state legis-
lature should be known they alone are
responsible for the increased expendi-
ture and will undoubtedly accept the
responsibility.
HERALD representative interviewed
Mr.. Mengis upon the announcement of
the award of the contrast. This gentle
man stated that work would be at once
commenced on the asylum and pushed
as rapidly rs the weather would per-
nit.
when do you expect to have the
building completed?"
by the first of December if the wea-
Their is good, by the first of January any
way"
Mr.. Menges left Friday afternoon to
return the present week and commence
preparations for breaking ground.
1t is expected now that the brick for
the building will be manufactured on
the ground good clay bed being dis
covered but short distance away.
Boarding houses for the force of men to
be employcdupon the work will doubt
less be erected near by saving the daily
trip back and forth.
The contract for warming and ventil-
ating the building. when erected, was
/ let to the Ruttan Manufacturing Co. of
Chicago, the superintendent of which
Mr.. $. ID. Fisher, being present at the
meeting of the committee The heat
ing apparatus will consist of two No. Z
Ruttan furnaces the contract price be-
ing SLID. This company have given
universal satisfaction wherever their
system has been tried and this will I'M
doubtedly be the case in the present in
stance When completed the new asy-
lum viii have a capacity for sixty-one
patients and be one of the most com
plete structures of the kind in the state.
ALVEY runaway occurred Tuesday
morning, by means of which Mr.. OFT
Stevens is out extensive repairs to a
carriage, besides having horse badly
cut The opening scene occurred Just
the other side of the poor house and
was started by the breaking OF the
swivel on patent neck-yoke. This let
the pole of the carriage drop to the
ground breaking it of a few feet back
from the end. The occupants of the