The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-21
GRANITE BLOCK RING
Strange Allegations About
the Grove Street Paw
ing Job.
AN OLD CLEVELAND SCHEME
Bids Said to Be Opened by the
Street Board Merely to Blind
the Public.

Six firms of contractors bid for the
Grove street repavinR job at the meeting
Of the Street and Water Commissioner
this morning. They were Feeney & Cav
anagh, Thomas Harrington, Dorman 6S
Curley, Michael Muilery, Henry Byrne
and Patrick J. Condor.
The money to pay for this vast improve
ment is to come from the liquor license
fund, and by law the Commissioners are
not obliged to give out tine contract to the
lowest bidder. All the bids on this i'm
provement made months ago were thrown
out, because, the Commissioners say,
they were all too high.
This time bids were asked on both gran
ite and trap rock, and uime clause OF
800 per day was inserted in the speciflca-
tion for the speedy completion Of the job.
The figures Of the bidders have not yet
been officially footed mp, but rough esti-
mate among the contractors shows that
Dorman & Curley are nearly $16 600 lower
on the granite bid than Harrington, the
next lowest bidder, and 81, 800 low
er, also, on trap rock, tax ing the
500 day time clause into, considera-
ton. So Dorman & Curley claim; other
contractors dispute these figures. Dor
man s. Curley propose to complete the
job in 130 days; Harrington in 100 days.
This brings the former an advantage of
So, 900 in their bid over the latter.
The Board adjourned until four o'clock
this afternoon, by which time the for
tunats contractor will probably be
known.
It is pretty well settled that neither
Dorman & Curley nor Mr.. Harrington
will receive the contract. 1t is claimed
they cannon furnish the granite even if
either one Of them should be given the
contract.
1t is said there is a granite ring, and
tnat neither of these firms is sin it, Pre-
cisely what this means the reporter was
not able to ascertain; but it is shrewdly
suspected that this mornings bidding
was first class farce-that the Commis-
stoners will give out the contract to
whomsoever they please.
Dorman & Curley's figures are below
S45, 600 for the entire work.
NEWARK AVENUE
Messrs. Banks and Beach, of the Hud
son County Merchants Association ap-,
yocate the STRENGTHENING out of the New
ark avenue hill. Mr.. Banks read the speech
he made before the association at its
last meeting and the accompanying
resolutions adopted by the Association
both reported at length in THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS. This much needed improve
ment, endorsed by nearly 200 Hill mer-
chants and many others, was referred TO
the Street and Sewer Committee Mr.
Banks also asked that the new cross
being laid at the Five Corners be placed
below the curb.
ROTTEN WATER PIPE.
Mr.. Humphrey w. Carr was present in
the interest of a petition signed by HIM
self, President Allen, Of the Board of Al
dermen; the Rev. Father Seton, of st.
Joseph's Church; John A. Lewis and
others asking for a new water pipe n
Baldwin avenues. The old cement pipe
is utterly rotten and has burst several
times within the past week.
The first day of September was fixed
upon as the time for the hearing of the
request of Anna G. Van Reipen, of the
city, to vacate portions of certain streets,
including Bogert ana Lewis avenues,
Halsey, Charlotte and Catharine streets.
The request of the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company that the city vacate por-
tion of Railroad avenue, between Hen
derson and Warren streets, In considera-
ton Of an extension OF Plymouth street,
at the company's expense. was referred
to the Corporation Counsel
The Corporation Counsel was alse in
structed TO search up and secure the deeds
for the six lots purchased at Pavonia
avenue and Romaine street for school
Site % in order that the city's title thereto
may be perfectly clear. L. H. Vroom was
appointed architect for the proposed new
school building thereon, his pay to be
three and one-half per cent. of the cost Of
the same.
THAT LINDEN AVENUE JOB.
Commissioner Dugan wanted the pro-
ceedings discontinued on the Linden
avenue Improvements, and all resolutions
thereto declared null and void. Mr.
Dugan said he did this In accordance with
the wishes of a number of interested
property owners, who had held meeting
of remonstrance.
Commissioner Van Keuren objected.
He said money had been already spent
upon this improvement, and with Mr.
Dugan's consent the latter's resolution
was tabled.
Ex-Assemblyman Mclaughlin seemed
much disappointed at President Somer's
negative answer as to whether or not the
Street and Water Board was in posses
sion Of q communication from the Hud-
son County Board of Health and Vital
Statistics in reference to the horrible con-