Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-21
But Get to Quarreling Among Them
selves and Give the Intended Snap
Awsy--A Foxy Agreement.

cs0s, hSahcsy sbc S'isSh 'attS.He >ott'
pany, jamestown, N. y; Hoffman
Keefe company, Milwaukee, and the
Office Speciality company of Pi,!sburg.
These three constitute all the concerns
in the United States, making specially
Of the manufacture vault fixtures.
When the bids were opened two of
them were practically the same, while
that of Hoifman-Keefe was q trifle
lower. A committee, composed of
Judge of Probate Perkins. County
Clerk Harvey, Supervisors Looms.
Soimon and Walker, was directed
to examine the different goods
presented. In due time n re-
port was made. Judge Perkins and
County Clerk Harvey agreed, and
made q report, as did also Loomis &
Walker. Each favored different bid
ders. A motion was made by Super
visor Hogadone that the contract be
awarded to the lowest bidder, Hoff-
man-Keefe. This was lost by the fol-
lowing vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Clements, Hogadone,
Looms, Roberts, Sullivan, j. w.
Walker aud Watkins.
Nays-Benjan,in, Bergin, CoIson,
Emmons, Fehsenfeld, Frost, Gall,
Gould. uaveps, Hill, Kinney. Lodner,
Leppink, Potter, Plumb. Proctor,
Schermerhorn, Sinclair, Skeels, Smith.
Ulrich. David Walker, Z. w. Woods
worth. w. I. Wordsworth.
Supervisor Roberts moved that all
bids DC rejected and new ones adver-
tised for, but the motion was lost.
Carried for tho Feuton Company.
After considerable wrangling, joint
meetings with the bidders, talks on the
SIDE, a lunch for the wavering ones at
''Doug'p restaurant, persuasive meas
ures, etc., motion to award the con-
tract to the highest bidder, the Fenton
Metallic company, was carrie d by the
following vote:
Yeas-Clements, Emmons, Fehsen-
field, Frost. Gill. Gould. Havens, Hill,
Kinney, Ladner, Leppink. Looms.
OLeary, Potter, Plumb, Sch, rmerhorn,
Sinclair, Smith. Smits, Ulrich, David
Walker. Watkins, +. C. Woodwork,
w. +. Woed worth--23.
Nays-Beuiamin, Bergin, Colson,
Hogadone, Roberts, Skee,s, Smits, Sui
livan, ]. w. Walker-l0.
Following the action County Clerk
Harvey and the chairman of the cOun-
ty building committee, Supervisor Sol
ONION, were ordered to sign contract.
There was an invisible something
stirring the vault fixture people to their
very depths, but what 1t was none out
side could tell. The Hoffman-keefe
company after failing to convince the
board that its bid was the lowest, came
forward with the startling proposition
to furnish the vaults for $1,000 less than
the accepted bid. The board did not
entertain the offer. Then, Just as
those authorized were about to sign
the contract, petition signed by the
heaviest taxpayers in the county, was
aid upon the desk Of the county clerk,
previous 10 which n formal notice had
been served by the Hoifman-keefc
company, warning the board that the
Fenton Metallic company used in their
fixtures certain infringements upon
patents owned by the former. All this,
coming in quick succession, caused
Harvey and Solomon to hesitate.
Thompson, Temple q Mccormick. at.
torneys for the Fenton company, in.
sisted that they should sign, but they
refused to DO so.
Appealed to tho Courts.
As a last resort the supreme court
was retitioncd for mandamus to com.
pei Harvey and Solomon to sign. An
order was issned that they show cause.
The explanation was made that good
and sufficient bond hal not been fu-.
nished. When this reason was given
the supreme court ordered the Fenton
company TO pay toe costs, and the petl.
ton was Withdrawn.
Vain Quest for Fraud.
The matter rested quietly until last
Tuesday. As 10 what the board would
be forced 10 do N the premises. opin.
ions were asked for aud submitted by
the law firms of Uhl X Crane aud Nc.
Garry 4 Mcknight. In the meantime
and before this. a committee endeav.
ored to discover alleged fraud, but
were unsuccessful. The opinion pre-.
sented by Uhl 4 Crane was that il was
not necessary to sign the contract, aud
that OF McGafry & Mcknight was that
the county would be liable for damages
unless the contract was signed. The
latter opinion was adopted by the
following vote, and Harvey and
solomon were ordered to sign the con.
tract:
Yeas-Mesrs. Bergin. Clements,
Coburn. Colson. Emmons, Frost, Gould,
Havens, Hill. Kinney. Iadner. Leppink,
0'Lesry, Potter. Pinmb. Sinclair smith,
smits. sullivan. David Walker, Wat
kins. +. e. Woodworth, w. y. Wood
worth "a.
Nays Messrs. Benjamin. Fehenield,
OH. Hogadone. I.oomis. Proctor. Rob
erts. Rosenburg, schermerhorn. Skeels
ulrich, j. W. Walker, Wards.
Not voting Chairman.
When this action became known
Maynard = Chase, attorneys for the
IioFfman-keefe company. made publie
the inside workings OF scbems q
wiring froin the county q price Tor
vault iistures s3slo higher Than shs
regular selling figure. ADD arrange the
bids so that tae Hoffman keefs cota
psuy weald he Tho concern 20 Get thr
job.
e@ps ~ a.. Agreement
4 copy Of tlse aEfesssent = giver
brla~
slsasb HAFsna. Al en-. Jans 20, 1871
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