St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-04
SAINT PAUL MATTERS.
,ummit Avenue Paving Creates Lively
Row in the Board of Public
Works Meeting.
he County Board Cuts Down the List of
Delinquent Taxes to Let Out
Sheriff Richter.
\ Commission to Regulate Certain
I; SAG sIRdian Affafrs-- Discharged
Without Cause.
Tear1y Half a Million in Contracts
Political and Hotel Gossip
General Local.
ARACY SESSION..
Hen Call Each other Liars Over the
Summit Avenue Paving Contract.

A RACY SESSION.
Hen Call Each other Liars over the
Summit Avenue Paving Contract.
Stormy scenes characterized yesterday
afternoons meeting of the board of public
works. The trouble came about the award
ng of the contract for paving Summit ave-
aue to the Warren-Scharf Co. for S95, 500.
Just 81, 500 below the city en-
Iineer's estimate, and $1,000 over
the proposal of the Western AS
phalt company, which was rejected, and
S1O,5OO less than the bid of its competl-
tor, the Barber company, which proposed
to do the work for 100000.
w. P. Warner the bitter opponent OF the
asphalt experiment, Vice-President Nichols
of the Warren-Scharf company, w.
B. Dean Of the committee of the
Svnmit Avenue improvement associa-
ton, Ansel Oppenheim, j. A. Vince
lock. City Attorney Murray, several
alderman, and all the board, except Gen.
Becker, were present. When President
Barrett laid the matter before the board w.
P. Warner interrupted Mr.. Barrett as fol-
lows:
One moment, Mr. Chairman. Let me say
that to award the contract now to the Warren
Scharf company for 1000 more than the bid
of the Western Asphalt company, which your
honorable body rejected, would be most
1amnable fraud. 1t is common knowledge that
there would be from $4,000 to $4,000 profit
under the Western Asphalt company's bid.
Why, Mr.. Chairman, the bid of the Western
Asphalt company was high enough, yet it
was much lower than tubs one, and that COM
pany had for one of its sureties Dennis
Ryan-a man who is able to buy up the most of
st. Paul if he wants to. l believe. gentlemen,
that there has been some connivance
at the peculiar methods by which the bid of
the Western Asphalt company was refused,
80 as to allow these people to come here with
bid $4,000 or $12,0 600 higher and have it ac-
eepted. 1t is the greatest fraud ever at
tempted to be carried through, and the
gentlemen of the committee and all those Sum-
NIT avenue citizens who are endeavoring to
push the matter through, are parties to one
Of the greatest frauds in the country. Mr..
Warren has acted fraudulently. He said he
could do the work for SIG, 600; now he comes
here and bids, $500 Gentlemen, there
must have been some understanding between
this company and this board and Mr.. Dean
and other members Of the committee. 1 tell
you gentlemen, it is most damnable fraud.
STRONG LANGUAGE.
Mr.. Warner was exceedingly pert. He
did not fail to characterize Messrs. Dean,
Oppenheim and others of the Summit ave-
hue association as persons deliberately en-
gagged in conniving at fraud to make
ment. He said, further, that the whole
matter of the Western Asphalt company in
vestigation was to give another company
chance to get the work at higher bid. and
to enable certain residents of Summit ave-
nue. to have their work done by COM
pany more favorably looked upon.
Such personal remarks acted like bomb
shell. With pale face but perfectly
calm and self-possessed, Mr.. w. B. Dean
made a polished, but exceedingly caustic
reply. He said.
Mr.. Chairman: If this was the proper
place, if your honorable body would permit
it. if it was gentlemanly, I would say that
what the gentleman has just said is an out
rageous, fragrant lie, and l would go to him
and call him a liar to his face. 1 have lived
too long in ST. Paul to commence
to make my reputation now. We
have found that the Western Asphalt
company was not reliable, and while that
company treated us courteously and invited
us to visit Louisville. and entertained US
there, we ascertlined that its representations
as to the paving of Third ana Fourth streets
there were false. The larger majority
of the Summit avenue residents are in
favor of an asphalt pavement, and
we want company to do the work which is
reliable as well as responsible. Our reputa-
ton needs no defense, and the charges of
such weak assaiants will have little effect;
nevertheless, the gentleman has made his
charges too personal; his charges have been
of too broad a scope. and it is right that the
honor Of the community when challenged
should be made clear.
Ansel Oppenheim was wrathy. Goodness
was not a feature of his reply. He gave
Mr.. Warner the lie with marked impetu-
oSity.
Mr. Nichols, representing the Warren
Scharf company, declared that there had
never been any communication between
them and Mr.. Dean. or the board; that they
knew nothing about the matter until they
saw the advertisement for bids.
Mr.. Warner arose again. He was I'M
moved. The bitterness of the replies of
Messrs. Dean and Oppenhem had not ruff
fed him. Said he, by way of mildly sar-
castle apology:
the gentlemen are guilty of any intention to
De parties to fraud; they certainly are
guilty of legal fraud, but not of the moral
iniquity of a fraud.
OIL ON THE WATERS.
President Barrett then sought to calm the
troubled waters by explaining his objections
from the first, to the asphelt expert
ment, and, going over much of what
has already been published. fully ex-
planned how the Western Asphalt company
had proved itself not reliable by its repre-
ecLtdUlollS ISSdlulllS WOIk pretended TO
have been done in Louisville, and the dis
coveries to the contrary afterward made by
the gentlemen investigating.
City Attorney Murray bluntly suggested
that tho board had perfect right to reject
any bid, or accept any bid.
The question of awarding the contract
was then put, Judge Barrett explaining
that he must vote no, because he could not
see how the company could carry out its
proposition to keep the avenue in repair
ten years after the contract was completed.
The bid of the Warren-Scharf company
was then accepted by vote of to 1. The
sureties are Thomas Cochran, Jr.. and E..
e. Scribner for $23, 600.
LETS THE SH ERIFF OUT.