Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-11
i PECK O TROUBLE.
CONTRACTOR DEAN GETS INTO LIVELY
COMPANY.
Supervisor Ross squelches Him and Then
District Attorney Bruner
Takes a Hand.


demonstrate with the Board of Supervisors
when he picked on yesterday.
1t appears that on Tuesday last Mr.. Dean
was among those who bid for the proposed
repairing work on the Twelfth-street
bridge, and his was much the lowest bid.
r. W. Parker was the next lowest bidder,
and Dean was surprised when he learned
that the Committee ON Contracts awarded
the work to Parker. The committee stated
at the time that Deans bid had been re-
jected because it did not specify what kind
of lumber he intended using.
Mr.. Dean dropped into the Supervisors
chamber yesterday while the Board was in
session, and when favorable opportunity
arrived asked permission to say a few
words.
He had not proceeded far when Chair
man Ross awoke to the fact that the con-
tractor was making protest against the
manner in which he had been treated with
regard to his bid.
Immediately Mr.. Ross cut the speaker
off with sharp remark to the effect that
the contract had been let, and he did not
want to hear any more about it.
well" said Mr.. Dean, II just want to
make formal protest against"
you needn't mind now" broke in the
Chairman, with a wave of his hand. IF
you have anything to say about it say it in
Court, not here"
But" insisted the contractor, "can't a
citizen enter protest here? l came here
under advice from my attorney"
Mr.. Ross didn't care anything about it,
and turning his back upon Mr.. Dean, or
dered the clerk to read communication
that had just come in.
Mr.. Dean bit his lip and took his seat,
looking daggers at the irate Chairman.
The regular business of the Board was
resumed, and continued uninterrupted for
about quarter of an hour.
Then District Attorney Bruner came in,
and Mr.. Dean got into more trouble.
The county's legal champion snorted
when he caught sight of the contractor,
and began saying something like, II want
you to say what you've got to say right
here"
Mr.. Dean looked bothered.
AS soon as he could, Mr.. Bruner ad-
dressed the Board. 1t was about bridge
not the Twelfth.street bridge, though, but
the one ordered built by the Supervisors at
Hicksville couple of months ago. He
reminded the Board that the contract had
been let to E. E. Barry of Elk Grove, and
that he (the District Attorney had drawn
up the specifications for that bridge By
dictation from the Board. Recently, said
Mr.. Bruner, some of the Supervisors had
visited the bridge, and appeared to be sur
prised to learn that Barry was driving the
piles for the bridge twenty feet apart.
Upon examining the specifications they
found paragraph had been interlineated
setting forth that the supports should not
be more than twenty feet apart.
This interlineation," continued Mr..
Bruner, was found to be in my hand
writing, and now understand that have
been charged by Mr.. Dean, here, with hav.
ing made that change illegally. and that
he proposed calling the attention of the
next Grand Jury to it. l have been given
to understand that he has made statements
here derogatory to me, and l want matters
righted." Mr.. Bruner then asked the vari-
Gus members of the Board if they did not
recollect that that interlineation was made
by him at their request, and that they ap-
proved of the specifications after he had
read them to him.
Supervisor Bates said he remembered
that Mr.. Bruner was writing; that several
others were sitting around him, and that
they were talking about the contract. But
he didn't recollect any of the details.
Mr.. Tebbets, however, remembered it all,
and Clerk Hamilton's recollection was
very clear on the subject. Chairman Ross
thought he remembered, too, that Mr..
BIuner had read the specifications to the
Board before they were adopted.
1t then behooved Mr.. Dean to say some.
thing. He denied that he had charged Mr..
Bruner with doing anything wrong. He
had only said that one of the Supervisors
had told him that Mr.. Bruner had admitted
having acted illegally in the matter.
Mr.. Bruner declared that he had never
Mr.. Dean apologized, and Mr.. Bruner
melted. They shook hands, and the Board
took recess in honor of the happy event.