The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-17

ouS l'ShoialN ACts tlIAt nave pcell Plulosch
for the clty's government, such rs the
Mayors veto, Counc;lmen's liabilities, etc.
Another meeting OF the committee will
probably be held before o meeting Of
Council.
PUBLIC WORKS. CONTRACTS.
Col. Campbell Replies to tho Mayor and
Makes 1t Lively. l
To The E'tor Of te LhtlIieener. .
SIE:-The Mayor calls my article pub
!ishcd in your paper 4 few days since n
venomous attack on him, and proceeds to
deliver himself OF not only as venomous
IN article US he and his lawyer secretary
were capable OF framing, but also with all
due respect 10 his office, OF IN untruthiul
one. His statement that he reported the
price Of porter's block to Council is no.
true. Council was informed OF the price
by the Board and ordered him to sign the
contracts. This price was the lowest one
the Board could obtain last spring. \
bid was received from the West Virginia
Fire Clay Association, (which fixed the
prices for NIL the fire brick made on both
sides OF tire river, except ut Porter's) and
one from John Porter, who owned two
yards outside OF the association. Two as
ISOLATION yards were visited by n member
OF the Board and their proposal was so
per thousond, and that was the lowest
price that could be obtained, except from
Porter. Why, then, did lie charge the
Board with with not asking bids from
more than two firms?
One firm wasthe association which con.
trolled almost the entire fire brick COM
munity and the other was Porter.
So far as the Board could learn at that
time, there was no other quarter to turn
to for 4 bid. The combination which con-
trolled tile prices on the Ohio side, at that
tine, has since been dissolved, and thus
opened the way to competition.
His nextassertion, that more blocks were
coming here than were contracted for, is
rs untrue rs his statement to Council that
1000, have been bought by the
street was for 100000, and the whole mum.
Der was not used on the Island where
those blocks were taken. The Mayors
spy who carried him this item-tif it was
carried to hiln)-must have been sadly
misinformed about the number OF blocks
delivered, or else he wiliully lied for apur.
pose.
The Mayor asserts that he spent only
one half day visiting the brick Yards, and
then when he was on his way to Pitts
buryh. He certainly forgets. He must
mean the first time he was there and got
the bid for the seven pound block at SIG
per thousand, which he showed TO several
members OF Council, but did not send in
with his communication to Council, con.
WINGED that that was not the bid he want
ed. He. also says that at this visit he OBJ
tanned bids from two other firms. Why
did he not submit them to Council? We're
they the $50 and SO 50 bids which he
held back, mot in malice to the Board,
but as n duty he owed the city as an OF
tieer !" This was probably about the mid.
die OF November.
The Board has in its possession a letter
from 4 gentleman, who'met the Mavor in
New Cumberland on the Sthoi December,
four days after Bowles & Goucher came
down with their bid, badly spattered with
mud, and carrying IL OF the hated blocks
in a newspaper. He asked several parties
for a bid for 100000 blocks and would
not give his name. This statement can
be verified by affidavit. On that day, the
Sth, the President OF one company with.
whom he was trying to bargain, took up
q pencil and paper and asked him his
name. He refused to give it, and walked
away. r
Unfortunately for his scheme, this gen.
tleman went TO, a person who knew the
Mayor well, and described the man who
would not give his name, "as a tall man
slightly stopped, wearing a plug hat, biz
side whiskers and big boots" and also said
that at the time he kept store in New
Cumberland, this same man sold him
candy. The gentleman to whom he wa
speaking at once recognized him from this
description, and informed his friend that
the mysterious man was our Mayor-our
jeremiah and that he knew positively
that he did not wish to buy any brick.
because he had no authority to do so.
His next statement, "that the inquiries
were not made in malice to the Board,
but as a duty he owed to the city, is
the most untruthfui one in his article. IL
there is an, officer OF this city, q member
OF Council, or any citizen, who has been
watching his course for the past two years,
who does not know him to be-so far as
he has the capacity-thc most active, bit.
ter enemy the Board has, then the Board
has been doing him injustice. He has
never. visited the Office OF the Board but
once, has not once asked a member OF the
Board Tor any information as to the doings
OF the Board, but has always lent willing
ear to the many street charges aeainstthe
Board, and when opportunity offered, car.
ried those charges to Council. He has
never signed q contract presented by the
Board Of Public Works without ~quibblinc
about it, and after it was signed, tried to
delay or obstruct the Board in its work, il
he possibly could do SO.
The contrast between his treatment OF
the Board OF Public Works and the Water
Board, has been marked and decided. |
a contract has been presented
BY the Water BOARDING. matter 70. what
.he has promptly signed it, and has
never called the attention OF Council to |
the Board not having asked for bids, nor
has he gone to Hamilton, Ohio, to see Il
he could obtain better bids in that place,
han the Water Board had. Ii anything
necessary to prove his malice, this
different treatment OF the Boards located
the same building would do so.
To put a quietus on all grumblinga about
furnishing blocks n. less prices than The
1oard has been paying, the assertion is
,ere made that no firm which has a full
knowledge OF the history Of the paving
made by Porter, will make them at
ny price. ~