The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-12-13
SUNDAY TELEGRAMS.
Efforts TO Secure Sailors aud Soa'
dierS' Home.
Contractors Ring-HoW They WORK
Their Game.
Other Interesting Sunday Telegrams'
SAILORS AND SOLDIERS HOME.

SAILORS AND SOLDIERS HOME
ERIE. PA, Dec. 9-Twelve years ago the
state of Pennsylvania ERECTED at an expense
of slso 600, large brick structure IN the
eastern part OF the city, to be known as the
marine hospital building. 1t was about
half completed when, from various causes,
work was suspended, and 1t has romance
unfinished to the present lime. Lately
Hon John L. WEIGH. in behalf OF tne
rand army of the republic, and Hon. M.
Rra;nard congressman in this oistrlct, IN
terested themselves in the matter OF getting
the buildipg transferred to the government,
With the prOyiso that it be mpleted for
soldiers, and sailors home. AT ite last ses,
sion the legislature Of Pennsylvanla passed
an act so cediDgit, ana aooing III suui tu!a
Ak 600 for the purpose OF putting the puiia,
inc in repair. The state bill codes all
r;eht and title to the government, ana Con-
orsssman Brsinard will shortly introduce
Eli inyo the house at Washington to accept
the building and sppropristing sum SUI
ficient to put 1t in shape tor the nome, ~
stands on beautiful GROUND, mgr ana oyer
1oaL;ng Lake Erie. It 10 claimed that while
everv nrOyisiDn has been made fo- soldiers
Of the Iate war. none whateVer has Deen
,nada for the sailors OF whom now large
mher are in INDECENT, but deserving cir
cumstapces throughout the country. IL -
confidently believed that the general gov
ernmeut will accept the properly ior tne
nurpose named, as large NUMBER I'D DOM
bonses are known to favor IL. Senator Lo'
csp' of Illinois will introduce the Dill IN
the senate and Congressman Brainaro IN
CONTRACTORS RING.
New York, Dec. 9,-The tribune says
careful investigation of department. RECORDS
gbose methods are similar to those OF the
canal ring, which was broken up eight
wears ago hut no effort as vet has been
made 10 break up the corrupt combination,
which is defrauding the taxpayers OF new
York The sy stem OF unbalanced olos, py
which the public treasury suffers heavily,
hss urown TO startling proportions in the
nuhiic work, under the very eye OF Conn
risaioper Thompson, misleading estimates
Of the work TO be done,
are a rule, rather than an excep,,
tion in that department, and certain favored
contractors succeed In obtaining secret IN
formation a. to the real hatule Vi sne mofA
which these misleading estimates cover
They are thus enabled 10 put in unbsl-
sncea bids at figures which result In large
~ains IN them and seriouslossee TO the city.
ffhe extraordinary nature OF these BIDS
NAV be imagined, when II Is known that
the department Of public works Is now
paying on q contract, still IN ,oice, al tne
exactly the same kind OF excavation, that
honest contractors are driven out OF the
field nv the ring men, who put IN unoal-
anced bids These outrageous snees con,
tracts OF which the public works department
is full result in vacation assessment,
on an extensive scale, throwing tne VINCE p
burden Of the expenditure on the city. Nv
Valuation Of assessmep resulting from u csc
sbuses. the municipal treasury has suffered
a. Inc extent Of millions OF dollars in the
last few wears, The method is absolutely
simple; street opening on sewer for exam
DE, will require excavation, so mucn 10
rock and 30 much n earth, the engineer
and bids ae invited. The outside
contractor makes a straightforward bid,
sIlovinp him fair profit; the inside con-
tractor makes a bid considerably higher
in one and very much lower In the other
resulting in a lower average he thus gets
the contract and then II very mysterl9usly
turns out that Of the work on which be
made the unreasonsbly light bid is far
more than the engineers deception est
mates and the contractors secret know
iedoe IL the real facts Of the work together
and the unbalanced bid becomes thor
oueh piro burg cry, as II the city treasury
had been pried open with Jimmy. Inc
IN which the city was swindleo, the
folloWing being a fair illustration: BIDS were
invited ior regulating sid grading Ninety
fifth steel. from Tenth avenue TO the nv
erside drive, and setting The curbs'ores
and 1aeg1ne Of the sidewalks theron The
denartmept called Tor bids on llg50 cubic
wards Of earth excavation and n 30 cubic
Yards Of rock excavation. J. Brady bid ~
rer cubic ward TOR earth excavation and
1usrter of cent per cubic yard on rock
ercsvstion. his aggregate being tl6,656, be
ine the lowest received contract. The
amount Of rock IL 20 small and the earth
excavation % great II h estimated he VIII
receive s1i2Ooo
WtsHrrgTor. Dec e.-Senstor ingalls,
viii soou INTRODUCES q bill providing thst
snv nsrpon Who enclsses an area Of public
lsnd 70 which b. hss no little, stall be he-
be 10 q fue Of 800 per osy, IRON time Of
such enclosure h msiDtained, and that any
person who obstructs The pssssRs OF hnnthsri
over or thrnugh the public oomsini snsli
Tor ever ofIsnse pay the sEErieysd person
f5Do. slso. the bill authorizing the re-sur-
vsv Of townships erToDeouslT surFtTeo,
or in uhich the monumeou maElng
boundaries hHvs been oblitersted
or removed; also n..Ie
p-crising for the annsxation q one o. ne
Esnsns lsDd disfricts. sno for 1noicn pur-
,n...- 10 districf Kansss. unnamed erees
lying hstrssr Ksnsss and the lDo.sn tsrll-
tory. and sufboriring o,mplsi,on q ne
ps-,-..r-,stf-. Corvsrss, Of Obio, prspsr-
- b1I wl.ich viii b introc uced o-mor-
~ Il prsfisls. providing for The restors-
- - 80 80 rrrm n 80 F|rT. WrrIa.