Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-09
MR.. SCHUREMAN'S SIDE.
That Government Stone Contract
Letting Reviewed.
Why He Was Anxious to Thwart the
Cleveland stone Company in Its
Late Arsenal Dam Contract.


Mr.. d. s. Schureman. the architect,
talking on the subject of the investiga-
ton of the Cleveland Stone company g
contract for furnishing the government
with the stone for the arsenal dam and of
the entire vindication of Maj. John R.
McGinnis, acting commandant at Rock
Island arsenal, in the same connection
remarked:
Il am indicated, too. l claimed, in nv
communication to the secretary of war,
that the contract formerly awarded was
$50, 900 too high. and the then secretary
of war. Endicott. refused to confirm the
contract and had it set aside, and re adj
tised for bids. They came in over $780,
900 less than they were before, by the
parties who bid the first time. l also
claimed that certain parties would make
certain sffidavits. and the affidavits were
made as | represented. Come over into
the front room a minute until | get the
| papers in the case, then I'll show you
| something. The bid the first time by the
Berea Stone company, based on 1900
| yards, as advertised for, was $144, 9O5;
their bid the second time, on the same
basis. was $92 ,637, with a difference of
$62, 26S. These are the figures. believe
| that have been asked for. Now, in re-
| gard to my taking up this fight. Do you
| see this little booki This is the printed
document in a case entitled 'Rumbauph
& Schureman VS. E. o. Eshelby. comp
troller City of Cincinnati Thereby
hangs a tale. You will notice on page
four resolution by the new city hall
committee, to employ Rumbaugh &
Schuremsn as architects to prepare plans
and superintend the erection of a new
city hall building to be erected on the
city hall block. Also a building on
George street between Central avenue
and John street, for Police court pur.
poses, said buildings not to exceed the
sum of 100000 each. You will see by
that resolution that our firm was regu-
larry employed to make the plans for the
new city hall and the other building,
agreeing to pay us a salary Of five per
cent of the cost of the buildings, which
would have been about $4,000.
II had the plans nearly done, and was
about to offer them for acceptance when
l was visited by an agent of the Cleve-
land Stone company, who asked me what
stone l was going to use. l told him
that l would probably use principally
granite; a. least expected to use the
best material that could find He there
upon asked me to use the Cleveland
stone. | told him no. lie thereupon
offered me seven per cent commission on
all of their stone | would use. l allowed
my feelings to get the better of my judg-
ment, and answered him quite hastily:
That settles the case; | would not use
your stone now il you made a present of
it," Whereupon the agent replied that |
would never be sorry but once that did
not use their stone, and that once would
be always. replied that knew would
always ne sorry II did use their stone,
and | would take my chances of being
sorry IL did not use 1t. A short time
after that heard rumors that was 90,
ing to have trouble to have my plans &C,
cepted. As a matter of course, we won
the Job by fair and square competition,
and created some feeling among other
architects who thought they had the in
side track. paid little attention to the
rumors. as / thought il was merely case
of sour grapes" finished the plans and
presented them to the council and had
them accepted without any extraordinary
trouble. and as clincher got a voucher
OF $3.50 issued TO me on account, which
presented to E. o. Eshelby, the comp
troller. occupying the same position as
auditor, who has charge of the funds and
must give all orders on the treasury. He
refused to honor the voucher. From that
commenced my trouble. / found then
that the rumors were not without foun-
dstion. But, instead OF the trouble being
with the council, 1t was with the comps
troller- | thereupon got writ of man
damus issued against the comptroller
During the progress of the trial and sub
sequent events, | found that the Cleve-
land Stone company were the instigators
of my trouble. Shortly after getting
my writ of mandamus, and before
the case was finally settled, the fact
ion got bill passed by the house of re-
representatives. repeating the act under
wich l was appointed. without having
any damage clause in it tn provide for
the payment of any work which / had
done. As a matter OF course. | made
strenuous fight against the passage of
this bill. | found the men who were
manipulating this bill was a small faction
from Cincinnati in connection with the
Cleveland Stone company. To cut
long story short, | was finally beaten, and
bonds were issued under the new act to
build the city hall, for which the comp
troller got certain per cent for selling
the bonds, which would not have been
the case had the city hall been built un.
der the act under which ! was working;
and the Cleveland Stone company fur
nished the stone for the new CITY hall. /
was beat out OF my salary of $40, 900,
about 81 600 of which had already ex-
pended on the work, and %, 900 court
costs and lawyer fees, consequently /
had no love for the Cleveland Stone com
pany, and thereby got thoroughly ac-
quainted with their methods. When
became aware of the fact that they were
interested in the contract for the Rock
Island dam and learned what the price
was. | was sure there was something
wrong in the matter, and also that here
was a chance 10 square accounts with
the Cleveland Stone company, and !
think that they feel satisfied that /
squared the account. although as you
see. have been waiting four years for
chance"
When asked if he proposed taking any
further action in the matter, Mr.. Seizure
mans reply was:
That depends. Some people here in
Rock Island have felt 1t their duty to
hound me. and have stood in my way in
several instances, and have gone so far
as to say that they would drive me out of
town. and have interfered in my BUSH
ness. II do not succeed here will at
tribute it to this reason and will act &C
cordingly. II / should present bill to
congress for services rendered, il would
be referred to the claims committee,
among which i have several acqusin-
tances, and are quite famil with this
case, and consequently this would bring
about congressional Investigation. as
they would not pay the bill without ex.
aiming the case from beginning to end,
and there is no question but what have
a right to fee in the matter. 1t makes
no difference what my reasons were for
acting aa I did I rapdarad tho poyar,.