The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-22


man, "I'll bet my hat that's what Chief
this morning. He was roaring mad with
somebody. heard him say. 'These speci-
hcations have been changed. >"
CHAPTER Nv.
The NEWS representative sought Mr..
Van keuren. WAS it in reference to the
changes made In the Grove street job
specifications you were talking to Mr..
Bouton about awhile ago?"
YES" replied Mr.. Van Keuren.
What difference will the changes
make?"
"A ID sight Of difference, as you will
see. won't talk about it now."
CHAPTER v.
THE NEWS representative approached
Chief Engineer Ruggles.
What specifications were those you
were swearing about this morning be-
cause they had been changed? Were
they the Grove street job specifications p"
The Chief Engineer hesitated twenty
seconds before he answered.
sNo, 1t was in reference to the Second
street sewer"
CHAPTER vi.
"Mr. Bouton, may l ask question
without making you mad9" asked The
NEWS representative.
II suppose So"
when Mr.. Van Keuren asked you who
changed those specifications, this morn
ing, did he refer to the Grove street job
specifications"
mo, SIR"
"Did he refer to the Second street
sewer job specifications
You asked permission to ask but one
question. cannot divulge private busi-
ness. What Mr.. Van Keuren asked me
about was not public NATTER
CHAPTER VII.
Mr.. Van Keuren was asked at the after
in cy no tyno he rod Mf
Bonton concerning the changes of the
specifications for the Grove street job.
81 am" said Mr.. Van Keuren.
''Sure it wasn't in reference to the Sec
ond street sewer jobP"
Hesitation on the part Of Mr.. Van
Keuren.
"Oh, yes, believe ii was about the. Sec
ond street sewer"
And Mr.. Van Keuren walked away as
though he was mad either with hImself
or with some one whom he was trying to
shield.
YOU MAY DRAW DEDUCTIONS =
These chapters are given for what they
are worth 1t may be the fuss was all
about the Second street sewer specifica-
tions. But, either way you look at it, it
is apparent somebody changed the speci-
fcations for some job. And it is evident
also there is something queer about the
Grove street contract, anyhow.
salt is rumored that somebody is work
ing in the interest of p. j. Condor, whose
partner, it is said, is Contractor Shannon.
II the words ''or granite" We're inserted
in the specifications 1t is plain the job is
to be done with granite. 1t will be no
ticed that Condon's figures for the graz :
ite work are S5s, ,7s7. 30, while Dorman &
Curley's figures are $44, ,756.
In reference to the 'grapite ring" it is
said q syndicate controls the sale of gran
ite blocks In this section, and thai GER
tain contractors can easily fix matters so
that no one outside the ring can procure
them. This idea Is further carried out
by the fact that the specifications re-
quired the unusual proceeding On the
part of contractor to deposit certified
check of $4,000 with City Treasurer
Terry Cleveland the day before bid
ding, leaving, SO 10 is intimated, time to
warn the ring contractors who they were
bidding against.
1t is said q certain dealer in blue stone
in this ciDy who wanted to furnish q con-
| traeGcr with material for the curbing,
brought over contractor from Brooklyn
yesterday morning. He was not allowed
| to bid because he had not deposited his
certified check.
Messrs. Dorman & Curley say they did
not know they were obliged TO bid on
granite till they reached the Street and
Water Board office yesterday morning.
THE SPECIFICATIONS LOCKED UP.
When LIE NEWS representative called
at the Office of the Street and Water
Board this norning to look at the specifi-
cations, he was informed by Chief Engi-
neer Ruggles' clerk, young Mr.. Cleve-
land, that they were locked up in the
chiefs desk and that the chief was "out
on the Hackensack with the keys in his
pocket The NEWS representative was
informed also that he was the thirteenth
person that had called to inspect them
during the morning, but no one had seen
them.
When told that there was an intima-
ton that the specifications had been
changed, the clerk remarked that all the
contractors had bid on both specifica-
tiOns