Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-11-05
BIDS FOR THE POST-OEFICE
A Wilmington Firm is Among
the Lowest.
PROPOSED CHANGE IN MATERIAL
Brandywine Granite for the
Entire Building.
Bids for Erecting the superstructure of
the Now Federal Building Opened in
Washington observation-disclosures of A..
S. Reed g. Brother Of this City--A'
Granite Building Likely to DO Erected.

of the new Federal building at Ninth
and Shipley streets, this city, were
opened in Washington, Monday after
noon at the office of the supervising
ARCH set of the treasury department
The only local bidders were A. S.
Reed & Brother of this city, who built
the foundation of the proposed new
structure. In addition to their regular
bids for building to be constructed of
dressed stone as far as the second story
and then walls of brick with stone
trimmings, as provided for in the exist
ing specifications, Messrs. Reed &
Brother also submitted proposals for
building to be constructed entirely of
stone, from top to bottom. These bids
were as follows:
For rock-face granite, S1S3, 900; rock-face
blue marble, s149,9O0; blue marble,
dressed, S157, 900.
The other bids, for building of cut
stone to the second floor and the balance
brick with stone trimmings, the kind of
stone to be used being specified in each
instance, were as follows:
A. S. Reed g. Bro, of this city, Indiana
Ohio sand stone, S145,33S. The work to be
finished in two years The bidders pro-
posed TO have the building under roof in
one year, but asked for another year for
the completion of the tower.
L. L. Leach d Sons. Chicago ILL.,, blue
marble, $l47, 1894; Vermont marble, $780,
$50; Indiana limo stone, s129, 169; Ohio
sand stone, Sl32, 159. The building to be
finished i'll two years.
Harry Schenck. Erie, Pa, granite, S192,-
600; marble. S1s6,600 Indiana lime stone,
S155, $50; Ohio sand stone, Sl35,440 The
building to be finished in 20 months.
w. E. Speir. Washington, d. c., granite,
Sl83, 1888; blue marble, S153,0S3; Vermont
marble S17o, SSS; Indiana lime stone, s140-
63i; Ohio sand stone, Sl45, lS3 The work
to be finished in two years.
Il. b. Stowe Connecticut, brown stone,
Sl26,000. The work to be finished in one
year.
The bids were held under advisement
until the character of the stone to be
used in the building is determined.
WORKING FOR NATIVE GRANITE.
George H. Hollis, superintendent of
construction of the new building, who
was present in Washington while the
bids were opened, returned to Whining
ton in the evening. He had an interview
with Senators Gray and Higgins Monday
night relative to the proposed adoption
Of Brandywine granite as the stone to
be used for the construction OF the entire
outside of the building, from top to bot
tom. Both senators are heartily in
favor of the change. So, also, are ex-
Secretary of State Bayard, ex-Congress-
man Lore, and nearly all the leading
builders and contractors of the city.
Senators Grayand Higgins will urge the
supervising architect " the treasury
department to make ne change, and II
is altogether probable that their recon.
mendations will be adopted.
In support Of The change it is urged
that building of Brandywine granite
will be more imposing and substantial
and much handsomer in every way than
one constructed of any other stone. In
addition is urged the substantial benefit
that the adoption of this stone will re-
suit in distributing 100000 or $40, 900 in
this locality, for work and material
which amount will go elsewhere if an
other kind of stone shall be adopted.
The lowest bid for granite building
is $4,000, and it is said that by chang
ing some of the fancy carved work in
the front, which was designed when
soft stone was in contemplation and is
not advisable in hard granite, pro.
nounced reduction can be made in thi:
bid. However, this is not material
consideration. There is still an unex.
pended appropriation of 100000 fol
Wilmington's new Federal building
and all the bids submitted Monday are
well within the limit
The blue marble, for which the con.
tractors submitted bids, is quarricd In
| Pennsylvania, near Norrlstown. The
United States mint in Philadelphia /:
built of this stone. The limestone
sandstone and brownstone are familiar
types of building material in this city
Senators Gray and Higgins will go Il
Washington at an early date to confel
with the supervising architect of tbs
treasury department, and the probable
tiles now are that Wilmington's new
Federal building will be constructed o.
Brandywine granite.