Omaha daily bee., 1885-10-01
MIR. wooDMAN WRITES.
~ " - ~ i''' if' q
T.. +. MYERS,
Architect,
In presence of W. j. CoNNELI.

OMAHA, Sept, 80, 1855 Editor of the
BEE. In Tuesdays Bee you publish
communication from Messrs. Creighton
and Gray whicl, cannot allow TO go by
without an explanation, and in order TO
do this il will be necessary forme to state
! the facts exactly as they occurred When
was appointed member of the board
! last year the contracts were mostly let,
and the work we'll under way. Iobserved
that the city Inspector for the concrete
under the asphalt paving had a lot of
teams working for The Asphalt company
hauling material to the work ! called
Mr.. Crcighton's attention to the fact that
it was not proper to employ II man for
inspector who had teams working for the
contractor doing the work. MIR Crcigh-
| ton agreed with me, bat said Il number of
these inspectors of public works were
not the best men for the place, but that
they had their friends and it would make
! trouble if they were dismissed ] then
! told Mr.. Creighton that perhaps it was
best to let it go us il was for the balance
of the season, but when work commenced
| in the spring | should insist upon having
Il competent man for inspector of con
crete and one who was not under Ubliga-
| tions to the contractor. Mr.. Creighton
seemed to agree with mc in this matter,
and supposed the matter was settled.
When work opened up this season and
the contractors was about ready so start
in on Cummings street / suggested the
name of Major Dennis for inspector,
and Mr.. Creighton agreed with me that
| he would make good inspector just
| before the work was commenced then |
| was called to New York on business, but
I covy M. fii.nirt,n hnfor, I l,ft a 4
was agreed that Ma jor Dennis should be
| put on if the work commenced before |
returned. When everything was ready
| to commence work the old inspector who
| already had his teams working for the
contractor, requested to be reinstated,
and thereupon Mr.. Creighton and Mr.
Gray decided that they would let the
work 90 on without an inspector till re-
turned. When | returned it was about
nine O'Clock in the morning, and when |
learned that they were laying down the
concrete on Cummings street | went there
and found the work going on without
anyone being there to represent the city,
and that the stones were very large and
unfit to go into concrete. Capt Marsh
stood there at the time and | called his
attention 10 the matter and told him in
tended to hunt up Mr.. Creighton and
have the work stopped ut once. got on
the car with Capt. Marsh and went down
town and soon found Mr.. Creighton, and
Mr.. Creighton admitted the stones were
rather large and said he would see that
the work was stopped. At that time L
knew nothing about the train of stone on
the b. ~ M. track, but when j returned
to my Office Mr. Gray informed me by
telephone that Mr.. Creighton wished me
to meet them at the cars to examine the
stones. We met there and the stones
were rejected, Mr.. Gray neglects to say
that these stones were examined because
| objected to any more such stones going
in on Cummings street. Now can Mr..
Creighton give any good reason for al
lowing a block of concrete to be put
down with these large stones? And if the
council doubts my assertion in regard to
these large stones being used in my alb
sence let them tear up the work, and if
they don't find it exactly as have repre-
sented it TO be will pay for having it put
down again. Now a word in reply to
Mr.: Crcighton's letter. Mr.. Creighton
undertakes to imply to me language
that | have never used. Mr.. Creighton
says: "When Mr.. Woodman states that
he vigorously denounced the failure of
the asphalt company to comply with the
specifications, SO far as laying granite
blocks next to the street car tracks on
Sixteenth street, he seemed to overlook
the fact that the records of the
board of public works show that he not
only did not do so, but that on the con
trary he voted for and joined in recon-
mendation to the city council that the
Asphalt company be permitted to make
good their, failure repairing along said
tracks and laying a thicker strata of as-
phalt," deny that have ever used any
such language as vigorously denounced
the failure OF the Asphalt company, etc;
and | also deny that | voted for and
joined in recommendation to the city
council that the Asphalt company be per
mtted to make good their failure by re-
pairing along said tracks and laying a
thicker strata of asphalt" What did do
was this: The Asphalt company pro-
posed to repair the work as indicated
above, and | consented and recommend
ed that they might try the experiment,
but ut the same time it WAS distinctly
understood by every member of
the board that we would' not
good the failure by repairing the pave
mcnt as they proposed, and we held
them under heavy bond to put in the
stones ut any time we might require them
to do so, and the council accepted the re-
commcndation with this distinct under
standing. There has nothing been made
good and nothing will be made good till
Creighton knows perfectly well that tho
Asphalt company can be required to put
them in at any time. Mr.. Creighton also
says. During my term of service with
Mr., Woodman on the board of public |
works he never TO my knoA ledge raised
any objections TO any actions of mine |
with reference to public works, but cor
daily coincided with me in all my plans |
and opinions" | will agree with Mr.. |
Creighton that this is 50. 1t was when |
Mr.. Creighton had no plans and opinions |
and let fayorite contractors do ms they |
pleased that | found it necessary |
TO interfere. VIII Mr., Creighton admit |
being AS generous with me? When in |
sisted that the asphalt company he re
quired to procure tight boxes to be used |
on the wagons in which to bring the as
phalt mixture from the works to the
ground, as the specifications required |
VIII Mr., Creighton deny that the super
intendent Of the asphalt company utterly |
refused to provide the boxes and that !
Mr. Squres found il necessary TO take,
hold of the matter himself, and after
they were made viii Mr. Creighton deny
of referring TO them in q sneering man.
ner, calling them the Woodman wagons. |
In orderatl,at this matter May be 40
derstood. wish toslay that before the