The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-05
ANXIOUS TO GET 1T DONE
The Helena District Trustees Talk
Of Finishing the High School
Themselves.
Meantime the Contractors Money
Is Held Till Ownership Is
Settled.

HaIHa Block in tho Flower Garden Addl-
tlon Bought for School Purposos-
Other Businoss.
Matters pertaining to tho new high
chool building occupied much Of the timo
Mt yesterdays meeting Of the Helena school
trustees. The board, at Its previous meet
ing, ordsred tho clerk to write to WhRlsn d.
Grant, contractors, asking what excuse they
had forinot completing tho building before
this time. The contractors answered yes
terday to the effect that while there had
beon delay. it was through NO fault of
theirs. They said that as soon as the proper
material needed in come of the interior
: woodwork arrived, large force Of mon
would be put on the building to finish it
at once. Much of Ethe delay the contract
ors laid to the inability to get the plans
and details for some of the work. Re
ferrine to the extras, they said
everything of the kind had been ordered
either by the board or its agents. These
extras, they claimed. should be paid for in
full, instead of which Ii per cent. had been
withheld, rule that applied only to the
main contract. An order was presented by
Capt. I. P. Fuller in which the high school
contractors asked the board to pay him,
out of money coming to them, the money
due him for materials furnished for the
building. A similar order in favor of Fred
Gilbert was presented. These orders Gre
atsd q great deal of discussion, during
which it was stated that the contractors
had already ordered tho board to turn over
to the Montana National bank, out
of any money due or to become
due, the sum of $4,000; also that
the board had been served with notice
that it had been garnisheed by creditors of
the contractors for more money than was
due them on estimates just now; likewise
that some liens had been filed against tho
building.
Trustee Guthrie thought under the cir
cumstances the board should employ some
good lawyer to look into the matter for
them, so that they would know just what to
do with the money that might become due
tho contractors. Otherwise the board might
get oil tangled up. He was opposed to pay
do it with safety. Trustee Miller likewise
opposed paying out any money until it was
known whether the orders, the garnish-
ments 81 the lieEs took precedence At the
same time he fsidn't see why the board
it out. He thought the people
who had money coming to them should
mako the fight themselves, and when it was
ecttled who had the first clainla, tho board
would know what to do. 1t was decided to
tako this course, aud an estimate of $22l,
due Whalen 81 Grant. was allowed, with the
understanding that the board should not
pay it TO any one until is was known who
was entitled to il. Trustee Gilpatrick re-
marked at this point that if the contractors
would hurry up and finish the high school
building they would have plenty of money
to pay off everybody. All except 15 per
cent reserve was allowed Arthur O'Brlen
Tor his plumbing ON the school, as the ma
terial has been bought and ia ready to be
put in. but can not be on account of the
state of the other work.
The question of the board taking hold of
the building and finishing it themselves
with the money still due on the contract.
was brought up by Trustee Miller. He Of
feged resolution that the building COM
mittee consult some good lawyer, who
should GO over the contract and specifca-
tions, with the view of determining the
rights of the board to go ahead and finish
the building. The lawyer and the commit
tee could determine the method of pro:e-
dure to get the matter out of the contrac-
tors hands. He thought there was enough
money on hand to finish tho work. Trus-
tee Lockey wanted to hear statpment of
what money had been paid and what was
due, as we'll as the probable cost of COM
pleting the building. The board should
know first whether they had enough money
to finish the building, and also if, after
that was done, thore would be sufficient to
satisfy what liens had or might DO filed.
The statement asked for was furnished by
tho clerk. 1t showed that the amounts due
we're HI follows: On the original contract,
$40, ,152; extra foundation, IS, 125.7S; slate
roof. $2.495; oresting, $7S5; substituting
copper for iron ON roof $i,G92 80, manhole
$75; chsnging roof plans $1,000; extra for
rock laid in cement $2,15l.72; internal
walls $46l.75; total 1858, ,628.75. Paid out on
account of original contract and for extras
$51. 1882. This left $12,5l4.43 due the
cont actors, In addition to this extras had
been ordered for which no returns were yet
made, aguregatinR not less than $4,000 and
only amounted to $4,000 it would make
about $17 800 still coming to the contrao-
tors. Superintendent of Construction
Williams estimated that it would not cost
over $4,000 to finish the building. Whether
the additional money would be enough to
clear the building of liens is something the
board could not tell without further in
quiry, SO trustee M1ller's resolution was
laid over till next meeting.
The board accepted a proposition from
dluss o. IuetcneT TO 6ell tne district half
OF block II, in the Flower Garden addition,
for S3.275, with tho understanding that the
sellers are to expend 500 in taking the city
water to tho place through the necessary
pipes. Trustee Miller said that SO long as
the board had u building fund they might
ms we'll 60 ahsnd and put up school in tho
Sixth ward. He suggested that the board
get architects to submit plans Trustee
Gilpatrick said they should have it under
stood that tho architects would have to
submit their plans with the understanding |
that the board would only pay for those |
that were accepted. He did not want to
pay $500 for another picture to hang on |
the wall. As he said this he looked at the
picture of building that hung near the
doorway, for which the board had paid the
architect $500, though the plans were not
accepted. 1t is estimated that the Sixth |
ward building will cost the district about
$4,000.
Superintendent Young reported that the
school entertainment at the opera house
had netted $l6d.59. He suggested that tho
money be turned over to the faculty of tho
high school to bo invest d in books for tho
library. Trustee Miller said he understood
the receipts from the concert were to 90
toward reimbursing tho school funds for
the salary of the music teacher. He moved
that the money be put into tho general
fund, and that all necessary articles for
the high sohoo! library be bought as other
supplies are. This was adopted. II il
Denerullr tknt tko