The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-12
VOLUME XXXIu.---NUNIBEa 95.
MAYOR MILLER
Comes hack Mt "O''-Ths Brick Contract
tI4 Considered.

| JAN iols III t4lgE Ele ..
Comes Hack mt "C"-Tlis Brick Contract
f'.trH Considered. I
To he Eiitor OF he Ea,eilioHer. n
stR:-1n this mornings issue OF YOU,
, paper there appears venemous attack
upon me in an article signed &C." The
article emanates from tho Board Of Public
Works, and Is caused by my communica.
ton to Council last Tuesday night.
~" orl may say the Board, states that
signed Porter's contracts for brick nv
order OF Council. That Is true !; | was COM.
PEELED 10 do SO by Council, but before do.
Ing so | reported to Council the price nj
the brick and suggested that the I,oori
should be required to advertise for bids
before entering into such large contracts,
l then determined that l would sign no
more contracts until I should ascertain
whether the same quality and size of brick
could be bought for q less price or not.
No contracts have been presented to me
for signature since then, and | had no
occasion to look into the matter
untii recently, when I learned that more
brick were coming here than had been
contracted for. A few days afterward [
had occasion to 60 to Pittsburgh on busi-
ness, and took the opportunity to stop Off
at McCoy's Station. went to Wilson.
Stewart 4 Co., brick manufacturers at that
place, told them my name and place of
residence, showed them q sample of our
brick blocks, and asked them to make nm
otter at which they would furnish 800.
GOO to the city Of Wheeling. They rave
me their proposition in writing ut SlG per
l,0CO, delivered. Since then thew have
sold out to Bowles & Goucher, who cnme
down to Wheeling and gave mo their bid
a. $1,000 per 900 for 4 still larger brick.
The bid was addressed 10 Council ard
submitted to it. After leaving W., S. <
Co.'S place l visited three or four other
concerns near by, made the same state.
mcnts and inquiries, got bids from two of
them, and another promised to send prices |
70 me as soon as he could ascertain the
lowest rates Of freight by rail and river.
All OF the time spent In the
matter was about hali a day.
The statement that l offered tn
purchase 100000 brick, and tried to con.
ceal my name from those / called on ior
is ridiculous falsohooi. What
business tirm would deal with man who
would do so? The inquiries were made
not In malice toward the Board. but as A
duty | owed the city as an officer. The
bids were made in good faith by reliable
firms who will give bond and can furnish
All the brick the city may need at any
gwen time. haze sufficiently examined
the subject to he willing to make per.
ional guarantee that the blocks can be
obtained ct the prices named bv these
trms, which is from 81 80 to 81 co 0per
thousand less than the city has been nav
ng-unless other manufacturers shon{d
Oe prevented from furnishing the blocks
~ the lawsuits with which Dr.. Baird in
his interview in the EfgSler OF Wednesday
ieems to threaten verybody but John
toFter. How does John Porter acquire
he right to monopoIize the paving brick
business OF Wheeling?
do not insinulte or charge iraud (;
lSalnst the Board; do not know of any.
therefore sec no reason for swearing 10
he Iacts stated in my communication 10 s
council. II the Boarl wants to consider
What | said in that paper us charges against
! am nerfectly willing to be sworn {
o the statements. do, however, 6uL {
ault with them for asking but two firms '
as Dr: laird states IL Wednesdays Rag- I
Sttrl for bids when there were dozen !
,thers not invited. For this reason I want /
he rules amended so that the next Board {
VII be required to advertise for proposals
before making contracts. The ainend-
nent could not be passed in time to affect ,
:ither the present Board or myself. The
Board says that the 100000 brick bought
or EoN street could not be laid there; that .
8 surprising information without 4
reason. The brick suited very well to Law
IN the Island, where Nr. {. his real estate
hat IS benefited thereby. The property
owners along Virginia and Huron streets,
am satisfied, would have paid the 81, COD
! they had known that they would not get
ne improvementunless they subscribed
he money.
The charge that l united with the Calu-
met company in Z scheme OF revenge is
utterly false and libelous. l have no
knowledge, except that furnished by the
Board, that there is any uniriendly ieel-
ing between that company and Mr.. Porter
No such subject was mentioned between
ME and any brick manufacturers that |
saw. The abuse heaped upon me bv the
board was expected, Us I well knew their
ability in that line, and that it was their
iavorite weapon with which to prevent or
answer criticism, but the most unkind cut
Of all is the assertion that / am trying to
acquire sufficient glory to get reelected to
the. .Mayorality. have. heretofore, stated
whenever occasion called for it, that I
would not be candidate. After the ex-
perlence have had in the Office there ia
nothing that could induce me to accept
another term. But while 7 am Mayor I
will discharge the duties OF the Office as
them, and will accept the con-
sequences, even though my motives and
actions be traduced by the lout tongue or
pen OF slandcr. l have no desire to abuse
the Board for any OF its mistakes or
faults, and do freely admit that it has
lone some good work for the city.
-, ]. \. MILLER.
Wheeling, Dec. H.. !.
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