The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-26
T1HEBOARD OF WORKS
Eureka Fire Hose Company
Repudiate Contract.
PECULIAR BUSINESS METHODS.
Apparent Contradiction With a View
to Getting Better PrIces-Divi-
sion street Grade.

Eureka Hose Company. IN winch the nc
cline TO honor the contract made recently
By Mr.. McElroy, who represented himself
10 he their agent. He seems TO have been
justified by telegram received by the
board Of public work a few days before the
contract was made. It was dated New
York and said in substance that nobody
hut McEIroy was authorized TO make quo
tations on the Pacific coast, and that any
contract made should be in his name or
that of the Eureka Hose Company. The
letter, which is fiat contradiction OF the
telegram, is as follows;
The company is in receipt this morning of
your official acceptance, dated January >, 1871,
Tor 1900 feet OF Paragon hose delivered in
seattle, Wash, at 80 cents per foot. payable IN
warrants on the fire fund of the city OF Seattle.
Yonr official acceptance IS made to conform
with the proposal made by Mr. +. b. AcElroy,
copy OF which you submit TO ms as follows:
Eve hereby propose to furnish the city of
Seattle with ten thousand feet OF our Paragon
fire hose coupled and delivered, at 20 cents per
foot, payable in warrants on the IRE fund OF the
cts OF Seattle.
1--WE can guarantee our hose TO stand hy-
dfaulic pressure of 100 pounds to the square
inch upon delivery and we also warrant the
same 10 stand the and tear OF your fire de-
paTtment for term Of five years from Date OF
delivery Respectfully submitted.
.THg EUREKA FIRE HOSE Co,
Per r. Il. McELEoY, Agent
The company decline 70 accept the proposition
as made BY Mr. McEiroy, as ne had no authority
whatever from the company To make a tender
eouchcd in any such language, nor was he au-
thorszed 10 name the terms OF payment as pro
posed therein, and unless the terms OF payment
cnn be modified and the guarantee made 10 con-
form with the guarantee established II the usual
form b. the company, which We enclose you
herewith we have no alternative but 10 refuse
70 Teecip. your order.
The enmpaIIy was unaware that the city of
Ses.tie nsd made or intended TO make any pur-
chase OF its Paragon hose until we saw an item
taken from your city new spapers OF December
10, 1880, that the contract bad been awarded to
this company al $ii0 per foot, for the 1900 feet
al Paragon fire hose.
Ne desire TO say that the fire hose business of
the company for the Pacific coast is controlled
By orr san Francisco office, and no other parties
have any right 10 tender our hose ia that terri
tory Our instructions have always been 10 our
Fan Francisco Office 10 charge ten cents per foot
more for our brands OF fire hose on the Pacific
coast than they are sold for in the East, on
count OF the increased cost of delivering the
hose and doing business there. and the price
rsmed of 81 10 per foot for our Paragon hose was
made without doubt by Mr.. McElroy to cover
the discounts your warrants, and when we
got Your telegram of December 81, we were in
total ignorance that your warrants were ut
discount, and were totally ignorant of the terms
OF payment and guarantee made by Mr.. hcElroy.
We notice by newspaper clipping taken from
the Seattle Telegraph, January 2. 1sgl. wherein
the Paragon brand OF ire hose is reported being
sold TO the city OF Troy, n. Y. at the sum Of IS
forwarded this information to their agents in
yoasr city malciously failed to say in their com
munieation that the city OF Troy called for hose
to he furnished without couplings, and all the
bids rendered by this company, and other com
yanies. were 80 based We have been furnished
With all the newspaper clippings showing the
proceedings OF the authorities to the purchase of
this 10000 feet of Paragon hose, and we have
noticed all the Wild statements that have been
made therein and il seems TO have been the
policy of all the parties to circumyent the
authorities in purchasing, in their opinion,
which was the hose best adapted for their
service, and 10 IN well-established fact that the
Paragon brand of ire hose. as selected. has given
better satisfaction wherever used than any other
brands of hose offered 10 You, and none OF these
brands OF hose or the manufacturers OF the same
eau point to a record for years of durability and
the fire service equal to our Paragon hose and 10
appears by the newspaper reports il was a ques-
ton with all these parties how they could pre-
hose it desired. That appeared to he
their main object we should Judge
by the newspaper reports. We beg
20 return You herewith your official order as we
shall decline 10 fill IL on the terms and condi-
tons stated therein but we will fill the order
HHd deliver our Paragon fire hose in Seattle for
the sum of 90 cents per foot net cash. or will ac-
cert your warrant payable on the fire fund of
your city that Will net US $900o net cash for the
10000 feet of fire hose, and our guarantee will
be such as the company has always made and
has never authorized any other parties u make
any different guarantees, which viii be for a
period OF thirty-siX months against all derects
ON return OF the detective lengths, and further
guarantee the said hose TO stand test pressure
oi 4ea pounds To the square inch on delivery.
We enclose you our formal contract which we
have filled up and signed. aud trust that you
VIII accept the same and return to us without
delay.
II this readjustment of terms and conditions
for furnishing the l0,0o0 feet of Paragon fire
hose Is satisfactory 10 YOU you VIII please teIe-
graph rs your approval OF the same. returning
us tho contract signed and we will proceed to
1tf4f1
Tor the unauthorized actions of Mr. +. H. McEIroy.
and were it not Tor the Newspaper reports that
We have been enabled to get Ak the proceedings
ot your board We would be IN ignorance today
ot what has taken place in reference To your
purchase OF fire hose. We trust that you will
receive this frank communication il the spirit
IA which il is sent
should You comply or no: with our request
we Wish % thank YOU for your Kindness. also 10
thiei Kellogg, as we notice by the newspaper re-
ports that be used due diligence in escertaininr
from the principal fire departments Of the eoun-
try as To the character of hose he lid recommend
and that he has the pleasure of knowing that
the officers of the IRE departments OF our prin-
ripai cities sustain him ia his recommendations
nnd We beg 10 enclose you a statistical card
showing you the quantities OF our tire hose pur-
chased by the leading cities of this country.
SIR. IIeilbron moved that the eommuni-
cation be referred TO the corporation coun-
sci to ascertain il the contract was binding
The contract was made with the san Fran
CISCO agent directly, on telegram received
from the iirm. This Was agreed to.
DIVISION STREET
Mr.. T. II. Dempsey appeared before the
hoard. stating that he had signed a
petition for grading Division street, and
as some complaint had been made that it
was not graded 70 the fun extent he and
Mr.. Mckenzie desired 10 have it done.
Mr.. II. A Mckenzie said he had been
accused % using his influence while in the
council 10 have only the west end OF the
street graded, but the reason his part had
not been done was because A new plat had
TO be made. The plat was now ready. and
they desired TO submit it aud have the
grading completed. The street will not
run IN a direct line but curve 50 as 10 de-
sccnd the hill to the lake at an accessible
grade.
The matter viii 60 before the council.
GENERAL BUSINESS
The city engineer put in contracts for
Nct'laire and Joy streets ready for bids:
ne also reported that there was no appar-
euE objection to laying SidetraCk TO their
house on Sixth street. but the matter was
laid over.
A petition WAS read from residents near
Norman and Eleventh for drainage The
superintendent of sewers had previously
reported that no sewer pipe would stand
the pressure Of the sliding hill. He re-
peated that nothing could be done except
to bulkhead the hill Superintendent
Chalk said the water pipes were being con-
stantly broken, and only last night 3 man
had to he sent there 10 make repairs. An
other attempt viii be made to remedy the
evil
The estimate for grading Stewart street
Was pat in IL is fer $3.970.tSi. but Is not
mai, as the sidewalk cannot he completed.
Health Officer Sparkling reported that he
had rented three rooms. and asked the city
a. pay haiti the rent. which was So Re-