, 1889-08-22
THE NEW CUSTOM HOUSE.

In the ARGUS on Sunday there appear
ed an item to the effect that the contract
for the basement and area work in the
new custom house had been awarded to
Z. w. Devoe and Company. The re-
porter who obtained the item from Mr..
Bash was not aware that Mr.. Devoe was
associated in business with c. z. Wake
man until yesterday, when the following
note was handed in for publication:
EDITOR ARGUs-Can you inform one
of your readers what object A. w. Bash
may have in knowingly emitting the
facts in relation to the notification re-
ceived by him from the department at
Washington? have in my possession
one of the many copies sent to the diff
ferent bidders informing me that c. p.
Wakeman and Co. have been awarded
the contract for the Port Townsend GUS
tom house. 1t is not necessary for me
to say why A. w. Basins bid was re-
jected, think he can, upon reflection,
give the reason.
A CONSTANT READER.
In order to get at the facts of the case,
a reporter called on Mr.. Bash, who stated
that he did not intend to have it pub
lished that the contract was awarded to
Mr.. Devoe; he thought the reporter I'M
derstood that that gentleman was of the
firm of C. P. Wakeman & Co., and it
would be so stated in the ARGUS. Mr..
Bash showed the reporter two telegrams,
of which the following are copies:
WAsHINGToN, July -, 1889.
A. w. BAsH-Carkeek & Co. proposal,
$22 800, for Port Townsend basement
and area walls accepted. Contract pa
pers will be Immediately forwarded.
JAMES II. WNDRM,
Supervising Architect.
The second was dated July 16, and adj
dressed to Mr.. Bash. 1t is as follows:
Acceptance of bid of Port Townsend
basement and area walls held in abey-
ance; take no action under telegram of
18th until further orders.
JAS. II. WNDRM,
Supervising Architect.
Mr.. Bash says he has not received any
further advice except that contained in
type written circular in which is given
the amounts of the different bids. There
are four which we give below:
NJ. J. Csrkeek & Co., S24, 80. Work
completed in five months
c. 2. Wakeman & Co, $25,927. Work
completed in 130 working days.
Oliver & Stocks, $29, 200. Work COM
pleted in six months.
L. L. Leach & Son, $3l, 800. Work
completed in six months.
At the bottom OF this circular is the
that G. z. Wakeman & Co.
have been awarded the contract.
1t will be noticed that in the bid of
Carkeek & Co., (of which firm A. w.
Bash is the company is for $24 $50,
while in the telegram above it is referred
to as $22 800. When spoken to about
the discrepancy in the amounts, Mr..
Bash stated that before he received the
notification that his firms bid was ac-
cepted, he received several kilograms
and letters from the department asking
what his firm would allow for the old
on the ground, and he wrote
the department that he would allow 81,
$50; this amount deducted from his
original bid makes the amount 500 500.
MIR. Bash expects to hear through Sena-
tor Mitchell the reasons for refusing the
bid after notifying him that it had been
accepted. When this is received we pre-
sumo he will funish it for publication.
Regarding the political feature in the
case, Mr.. Wakeman wants it distinctly
understood that he is a Republican.
though Mr.. Devoe is not. This bsing
the case at least large portion Of the
force to be employed on the new build
ing may be counted upon as beiug Re-
publicans. This is merely a supposition,
as neither Of the firm of Wakeman & Co.
volunteered any information on the sub
jeot, nor were they asked.
The bond for the faithful performance
Of the work was filed yesterday, and
agreeable to instructions the firm has
been at work since the first instant.
Material is on the ground, and the work
will be pushed rapidly to completion.
Mr. A. w. Bash has lease of the
Chucanut quarries, from which stone
was to be taken for use in the build
ing.