The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-03
QUEER DoINGS IN CHICAGO.
ELECTRIC LreH11xa AT THE Fam.
A Cosasiaatiou to Kerp Low Bidders Ost
from the Fat Consrsets.

To THE EDIToR OF The SUN-Sir: / desire
to make tho following statement: In response
to advertisements. put In q bid for the entire
candesccnt lighting plant. The bids were &c
be opened on April 2. was at the office OF the
electrical engineer at about o'clock on April
.. but was then informed that the bids would
not DO opened until 3 My business prevented
my remaining until that time About o'clock
that evening was informed by n friend that
my bid was the lowest and at 10 o'clock In the
evening q messenger came to my house. 3.44C
South Park avenue. from Mr.. Burnham. re-
aucsting that should meet Mr.. Burnham al
the grounds that night II possible. Although
had gone to bed. l got up and went to the
grounds and had conference with Mr. Burn.
ham and Mr.. Sergeant.
On presenting myself to Messrs. Burnham
and Sergeant. Mr.. Burnham told me that my
bid was the only sensible bid. They inquired
as to my ability to carry out the contract. their
inquiries relating both to my financial respon-
sibility and to my engineering ability. In re-
gard to my financial standing answered that
Mr.. Preston. Cashier Of tho Metropolitan Ma
tional Bank. would furnish me all tho money
necessary to carry out the contract, and also
furnish the necessary amount OF bonds re-
CURED. and that all the bonds would DO gilt
edged. In regard to tho engineering part.
stated that was not able to explain this mat
ter well in the English language. as
tho theoretical words. &C.. wore very hard for
me. but would engage assistants to satisfy
them rs to my ability to carry out the work to
their satisfaction. Mr.. Sergeant inquired as
to the character Of the apparatus that pro-
posed to use and OF whose manufacture It was.
answered that my figures were based on the
La Roche system. and that should use either
the alternating or direct system. or both. Mr..
Sergeant then explained to Mr.. Burnham. who
had been away for a fow minutes. that l agreed
to engage experts to work on tho plant and
that the system used would DO the In Rocho
system. and that Mr.. La Roche would come to
Chicago in few days and would show to the
officials our ability to supply the apparatus.
On Monday. tho 4th inst. l met Mr. Sergeant
at his Office in tho Rookcry. in the presence OF
Messrs McGrew and Meekrr. Mr.. McGrew
representing the La Roche Company and Mr..
Mceker tho New York Insulated Wire Com
pany. Mr.. McGrrw explained to Mr. Sergeant
that as far rs he knew the La Roche Manufac-
turing Company was such that there could be
no doubt rs. To- their ability to carry ont tho
contract. and also told Mr.. Sarge mt that. Ms
far as ho knew. AN immense amount of money
POINTS Of the Dupont Powder Mil were stock
holders in tho La Roche Company. Mr. Snr-
statement At ali; XII he wanted to Know ' was
stall the plant. &c. showed him i'm rough map a
drawn up on SUNDAY. showing how proposed
to carry out TIE work. but this map was not
coml!eted. and therefore ] promised him to
engage Mr. Arm strong rs my expert. and that
would he ready at Least, at noon Thursday to
which Mr. Sargent said WAS 'e perfecty s"tis .
fa to him. LEFT and immediately engaged
aud MonratR Mr. s"rseamt gave n me an or
der on the officials at the grounds. and | went
PVT nnd rMIncured nlan OF tho grounds nnd
my draughtsmen to work the same night. who
worked continuously until Tuesday noon. at
SroueSt down t" Mr. Armstr"ns, and 'i' f Gotk
Messrs: Armstrong and Monrath laid out the
I plans TOR tho apparatus needed to carry out
Although II meeting was appointed for We'd.
nrrns nr.yy morning; It was nostpcned until
committee. Col. Clowrey Nj sch%ah. land and Mr. III.
SnrGeant ths elsctricsi engineer The rlans
look at them. and he made nm appointment
with Mr. Armstrong to meet him in tho after;
examine the plans and see whether they we're
sufficient or not. At this meeting was nc
H1rnp Fi+ by Il" Of tho NJ
II hochc Electric Comnany. the Eddy Electric
WTTo anS the New York
S S; the contract, n sSIwab agreed 70 iar:
this thing Alright, Mr.. Lorksteadt can not only
furnish the +. EoShG system Put can furnish
M reSer of the NV
York Insulated Wire Company explained for
stated that we could use. either National.
Eddy. LII Roche. and partly, Westinghouse m
naratus. IL so re1ni,ch The minutes Of that
should clearly show all that took place be-
tween the parties have named and the com:
,mttee. ! have not yet received n. copy OF
those minutes. hut one of tho parties inter-
estei WITH nc had ,t u st"nosrppher. who took
After this meeting. on the same day. I saw
;poHut = n. wien H. told ne that he had
strong. and that he was perfectly satisfied MS
to the manner in which ! rroposed to DO the
work. IL" also informed me TINT he would not
furnish, in place Of 10000 Westinghouse lamps.
it wou!d he very hard thing for me t, do. but
l would try my best 10 satisfy him in that line
nm I"y ny "es 1t 'pI nr 1trsa
and n conversation substantially as follows
took place between US:
strmnE .l unacnstanl You ar" the low,
Ut the Wprl! : Fair. arc you not
Answer-ies: hut before talk any further
with You on this is matter ! would like to know
Yourself to me. as my practices is not to speak
TO strangers about business.
Strangrr-Weil. does the name make any
liferon, u?
Ans wer-Ycs. A have already stated. a |
great deal Of difference. as ] will not talk to
ycu NJ all If 40 not know who you are.
This seemed u make no impression Oh Etm:
he kept on tai king.
Stranger You EXPECT to mako about 500 !
OGD out of this. don't you! Well. don't You |
think you could make more, anyway. about |
fifteen or twenty Thousand dollars. by not ear
ryinE ont the contract?
Answer Who gave you the permit to talk |
this way to mo- ask you to leave my o!lice |
at once. If not. I will throw you ont.
The stranger LEFT the office. | WAS clearly |
impressed with tho idea that som" one wanted !
to i,uy me- of. Alter this affair lo't my office
and went down town and met NJ LA Koch. Of |
ut the Office 81 T." New York |
Insuntci Wire Company. Mr.. Mrrh"r being
present. and having been present ~ tho mc"t-
Ing of til" conn ittec with me- and tn. rcrra-
scntativcs of other manufacturers who wore
To furnish mo with the apparatus, 1t was i'm.
pos Sibe 10 nn1 Mr. Burnham or Mr. Sergeant |
IN their offices to enable Mr.. J Roche to Nuke
4 statement afterwards, and. therefore. Mr.
Meek eraskcd substantially the same questions
Clowrey OF me and other manufacturers
who were with me, \ written state
mrnt was made Of Mr.. ~ loches Imam
,i,h st,nliuL. and engineering responsibility |