Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-18
THE CHIEFS DEBATE.
Messrs. DigelOw and Brown Differ
About Awarding a Big Contract.
FORBES IMPROVEMENT DELAYED
A Very Lively Session of the Board Of
Awards Yesterday.
MANY CONTRACTS LET BY THE BOARD

There was another squabble in the Board
of Awards yesterday afternoon. The OPEN
ing of bids occupied nearly an hour, and
just as everything was well finished up,
Chief E. M. Bigelow said:
"Mr. Chairman, move that the bids for
street improvements be let to the lowest bid
ders, as follows: For paving Forbes street,
from Boyd to Brady streets, with asphalt,
to the Warren Scharf Asphalt Pavement
Company, at s3 % per square yard;
for grading Keystone street, from Fifty
fourth to Fifty-ffth streets, John Pirt, at
4611 cents per cubic yard, and from Stanton
avenue to Fifty-second street, to X. Brack-
en-, at 81 40; for paving Dresden alley from
Fifty-second to McCandless streets to Booth
g. Finn, and from Stanton avenue to Fifty
second street to X. Bracken; for paving,
grading and curbing Allen street to Utt
Bros, at 81 6S per square yard, with irregu-
lar block stone; for paving with asphalt No,
2, at So 40 per square yard, to Booth & Finn,
the following streets and alleys: State alley
Scott alley, Church alley, slocum's alley,
Corday alley, Strawberry alley. Larkin's
alley, Mawhinney street for $40 feet south
from Forbes street, and South Twenty-eighth
street from Carson to Jane streets, the price
per yard for the last two mentioned being
So 30 and So 10 respectively"
THE TROUBLE BEGINS.
Mr.. j. o. Brown-I second that motion,
but reserve the right to vote mo" as to the
II
Mr.. Bigelow-Then withdraw my mo-
ton.
Mr.. Brown-Well, understand that the
advertisement for the Forbes street contract
called for No. asphalt pavement. Is that
not so, Mr.. Bigelow?
Mr.. Bigelow-Yes, sir. it is.
Mr.. Brown-Well, can't vote that way.
Mr.. Bigelow (rising)-I will state that in
regard to my Withdrawing my motion do
it simply because know the vote will be
two ior and two against it. and there is no
use in wasting time with it.
Mr.. Elliott-Oh, hold on there, you have
no right to anticipate how L am going TO
vote. You haven't any absolute informa-
tiOn as to how anybody will vote except
yourself.
Mr.. Bigelow-Well, you'll see am right.
Mr.. Brown then suggested that as they
could not agree to the Forbes street matter
that the contracts for all the streets but that
one be voted on, but Mr.. Bigelow refused to
allow this, but afterward renewed his mo-
tion to award all the contracts to the lowest
bidders.
Mr.. Brown-I second the motion with the
same reservation as before. ---
Mayor McCallin then repeated the mo-
tion and called for the ayes and nays.
Mr.. Brown was first called and answered:
"Aye, to all except Forbes street."
Mr.. Bigelow answered mo"
Mr.. Elliott-Why, you are voting against
your own motion, Mr.. Bigelowl'
Mr. Bigelow-No, 1 am not He has split
my motion, which he has no right to do,
and voted mo" on his amendment
A TRUCE ATTEMPTED.
Mr.. Elliott-Oh, that's all wrong; we are
voting on the contracts now, and there's no
amendment before us.
Mr.. Brown with emphasis)-I seconded
the motion with the reservation to vote ''no"
on that portion of it, and had right to
vote that way.
Mr.. Bigelow equally emphatic)-Wel
1 object to doing business that way.
Mayor McCallin-Well, gentlemen, rather
than get into a wrangle or quarrel about
this matter, We can take up the streets
separately. There are a large number of
contracts here that should be let at once.
think they could be let separately in a few
minutes, if Mr.. Bigelow will withdraw his
motion.
Mr.. Bigelow-Well, withdraw my mo-
ton. Anything to have peace in the
family.
Mr. Brown also withdrew his second to
the motion, and the Mayor was about to put
the motion to let the contracts separately,
II. IL
that after two members had voted a motion
could not be withdrawn. Mayor McCallin
raped for Mr.. Elliott to sit down.
Mr.. Elliott-Well, YOU can't do it.
Mayor McCallin-I'm in the chair, sir,
and 1 rule that you can.
Mr.. Elliott. (laughing)-Well, all right,
il you rule that way, let 'er go.
THE WOUND REoPENED.
The Mayor then called for the Forbes
street contract.
Mr.. Bigelow-L move that the contract
for paving Forbes street be awarded to the
Warren-Scharf Company, they being the
lowest bidders.
Mr.. Brown-I second the motion with the
reserved privilege to vote mo"
On the call of the roll Messrs. Brown and
Elliott voted no, and Messrs Bigelow and
McCallin aye.
Mr.. Bigelow (excitedly) y)-There, I told
you how it would be, two and two. What
becomes of that contract now, Mayor? Does
it die?
Mayor McCallin-I guess it will have to
go. can't help it, 1 have done all 1
could.
Mr.. Brown-I move that the contracts for
all the other streets be let to the lowest bid
ders, as read off by the Chief of the Depart
ment of Public Works.
This motion was seconded bv Mr.. Elliott
and unanimously agreed to. The contracts
for sewers were then let as follows:
Sewers on Brooks, Bates, Zulema and
North streets to M. Gallagher, ON Penn and
Braddock avenues to e. j. McIlwaine, on
Harcum's alley to p. O'Donnell. on Fox
street to NJ. Golden, on Miller street to OFT
Bros, on Twenty-second street to E. j. Nc
Ilwaine, on WallIngford street to Mr..
Rodd.
Mr.. Brown then moved to award the con-
tract for altering and repairing the Eleventh
ward patrol stable to B. f. Anderson &
Bros, the lowest bidders, at 81, 1858. The
motion was seconded by Mr.. Elliott When
it came Mr.. Bigelow's turn to vote he said:
'Mr. Chairman, don't see why should
vote aye on the gentleman's motion; but as
the Chief of the Department of Public Safe
ty has gone over these bids, understands
the work, knows what he wants, and, there
fore, knows what he's going to do, 1 will
give him credit for knowing that much and
vote aye, though I must take his word for
it that it is right. L can't tell"
No one made any reply, and the motion
was adopted. The contract for altering and
repairing the Twelfth ward station house
was then awarded to B. T. Anderson & Co.,
also, at 1888. There were three bidders
for the new Thirty-sixth ward police station,
but they each bid over $4,000 on the con-
tract. Mr.. Brown moved that inasmuch as
the appropriation ordinance only allowed
ST., 900 for the work, and as all the bids
were above that figure, that all the bids be
rejected and, that the contract be readver-
tised, which was agreed to.
THE AFTER EXPLANATIONS.
Mr.. Bigelow explained the reason of his
difference with Messrs. Brown and Elliott by
saying that the Warren-Scharf Company
had put in bid of $3 % per square yard for
a No. asphalt pavement on Forbes street,
while Booth & Finn had bid So 40 for No.