West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-01-29
TAX PAYER" CALLS UP COUNTY
COMMISSIONER LEROY SHAW.
EDITOR ANGUS -

ter our protest against the action of
our County Commissioner in regard
to the new bridge across Greens
Run at Albright's Mil. We have
investigated the matter thoroughly,
and know what we are talking about
when we say that there his been
some mighty queer proceedings,
to say the least, in connection with
this matter. We submit the follow
ing facts to q candid public.
The big flood of last June washed
the old bridge away and tho Comfy
Court, at a meeting held soon after.
ordered a bridge built Mt once and
appointed Col. j. w. Brown and
u. F. Psll to act in conjunction
with Leroy Shaw as commissioners
to sell the contract and supervise
the work, etc. Mr.. Shaw, who Was
then q candidate for reelection,
took the whole matter in his own
hands aud made arrangements to
suit himself. A time was set for
receiving bids and awarding the
contract and several men were pres
emit to bid on it, but the general
opinion is that the contract had
been let in advance. Messrs. Guth
& Williams were awarded the job
fer 1896, which included everything
to be done, aud was enough 20 in
sure first-class job and still leave
handsome profit for the contrsc-
tors. The plans and specifications
were very specific and covered every
point. They required the new
bridge to be higher than the old
and the approaches we'll made and
good grade at either end. Aleo at
the time it was mentioned that the
dam would have to be drained, but
that this was matter for the COR
tractors, etc. Now instead Of this
work being done at oEce az it shon.d
have been, in order to accommo-
date the public, it was purposely
deferred till fall in order 20 accom-
modate Mr.. Guth. $50 bio said him
sslf), who had some other jobs ovsr
the river TO do first. 1t nusu be
remembered that Mr Guth is q
prominent and Influential citizen Of
the German Settlement. and would
be able to take considerable hand
in determining lie election or do
feat of Mr.. Sasw. What the result
was we do not mean to say, brit
everybody knows that Mr.. Shaw
made large gains and ran ahead Of
his ticket in this section. The work
was finally completed after the pub
lie had suffered long and nnneces-
sarily, and WAS very good Job,
except that the bridge is not near ss
high as the old one was and will
probably be washed out by the next
big food. All we have narrated did
not make much difference and we
would not have kicked, but when
the matter came before the last ses-
sion Of the County Court, the con-
tractors were allowed their price,
s296, and by special arrangement o.
Leroy .Sha,g s74 ertra.
Now here is where we enter a pro-
test and demand an explanation.
Mr.. PelI made a minority report to
the Court, stating that the bridge
Was not as high as it should be and
protesting against the extra, allow
ance, but Mr.. Shaw shut him off
and fixed the matter to suit himself,
and, perhaps, as per his SPECIAL and
private arrangements, without pre-
tending TO account for all the addi-
tional allowance. lie claimed that
the contractors had to pay John
Albright $40 to open the dam and
were at extra trouble in making the
fill at each end. etc. What if they
did? They knew all this when they
took the contract, and it covered all
these things. The only extra ex-
pcnse that could be legally allowed
was about So so worth Of extra tim
Der that was required. But all
these claims granted would not
cover moro than half the additional
allowance II tho Court ia to allow
what it pleases, what is the use to
contract such work and appoint
commissioners to look after IL? q
might just ~ well appoint some one
TO do the work and bring in their
bill We hope the new Court will
not start out doing this kind Of
work, and We do not believe the