St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-12-13
SEEGER WINS OUT,
Contrary to Expectations, He
Secures the Gasoline Light
ing Contract
BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE,
Aid. Murphy Adds an Irons
Clad Provision for Rigid
Performance.
BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE,
CREMATORY IDEA CREMATED.
And Bids Will Be Received for
Disposal Of Garbage on
the Present Plan.

GuC ICSC4I 1dus
Contrary to expectations, the board Of
aldermen voted unanimously last eyen4
ing to award the contract for gasoline
lighting to Robert Seeger. But the
resolution awarding the contract con-
tains provision. added by Aid. Murs
ply, which will hold MIR. Seeger to a
rigid performance of his contract in the
matter of furnishing in every instance
light equal to sixteen candle-power.
The resolution empowers the city au-
thOTitleS TO take down and test any OF
the $500 burners at any time, aud in
case the burner so tested fails to give a
sixteen candle-power light under the
same conditions as ii was when in op-
Grafton In the street, then there shall be-
deducted from the sum due the contrac-
tor the amount already earned by that
burner during the whole time it has
been III use. As Seeger offered no OBJ
Jections to this amendment, or addition
TO tile resolution, the board awarded
him the contract without q dissenting
vote. Whether Mr.. Seeger can comply
with these conditions as to siXteen-can-
ole power, at the rate of 50 cents per
lamp per month, remains to be seen,
and there are members of the board of
aldermen who propose to see, as soou
as Mr.. Seeger's lights appear in the
streets. To increase tie facility for
reporting and identifying lamps found
not burning, the city engineer will be
instructed to attach number to each
one. An ordinance will also be passed
Imposing a fine of not less than $50 or
more than 500 upon any person or per-
sons convicted Of destroying the lamps
or turning out the lights.
Once more the crematorY scheme met
with a Knockout. -Four bids for the
disposal of garbage by means of two
crematories were rejected by a vote Of Z
to 4, and the city clerk was directed to
advertise for the disposal of garbage
under the present plan.
When the board assembled nearly
every member Of the assembly was
present, anxious to see what the alder
men would do with Mr.. Seeger and Mr..
Heilbron, the two lowest bidders for the
gasoline lighting contract.
The report of Prof. Stephenson, who
made the second test of Mr.. Seeger's
burner, was read 1t stated that the
burner gave a light equal to Is $40
candle power. No other report was
made, but Aid. Markham wanted the
board to
Take Up the Matter.
Aid. Ehrmanntraut said there was
no recomm. ndation before the board TO
act upon. All the bids were then read.
and by tacit consent the subject was
discussed.
Aid. Markham dill most of the talk
ing. He called attention to the fact
that Mr.. Seeger was the lowest bidder
by over $1,000 a year, and that lie had
demonstrated by a test of other busi-
ness made by Prof. Shepardsou that he
could furnish light exceeding I6-
candle power. He took it for granted
that the council did not propose 10 ex4
pend the difference between the two
bids, amounting TO over $7.400, merely
to crafty some whim. Mr. Markham
laid stress upon the language of the
specifications. which required the bid
derS to submit burners, not a single
burner, as sample. He understood
that the burner submitted by Seeger,
showing candle power exceeding I6,
was Identical i'll pattern with the
first burner tested. MIR. Seeger had
promised to give the city a sixteen
candle power, and if the council be-
lieved he could do it, it was lis duty 10
award the contract to MIR. Seeger. In
these times it is the duty of the council
to guard against any public eXtrava-
gance. 1t had come to pass that the
city must have more light for the money
than it is getting now. In conclusion,
Aid. Markham moved that the contract
be awarded to Mr.. Seeger, and started
to hand in his resolution.
AT this juncture Aid. Murphy asked
permission TO introduce resolution
Binding the Contractor
to furnish and maintain sixteen candle
power liz ht, and providing that in case
any burner is afterwards found giving
less than sixteen candle power light
that the contractor should forfeit 10 the
city all the money earned by that burner
during the entire time it had been in
use In the streets.
Aid. Markham answered thar he ap-
proved of the amendment, and suggest
ed that 1t be added to his resolution.
Aid. Murphy consented. and the
amended resolution awarding the con.
tract for gasoline lighting 10 Seeger was
then put to vote and adopted unani-
mously, the aldermen who have op-
posed such an award believing that
Aid. Murphy's testing scheme will
make Seeger Squirm, at So cents per
lamp per month.
The garbage matter came before the
board in the shape Of bids for disposal
Of garbage by cremation. Thomas
Manning offered 10 collect, haul and
dispose of the city's garbage IN two
Dixon crematorieS 10 be built and oper-
ated at his expense, for S54, $40 during
the coming year. In case he used
Thackeray crematories his price would
be $751;
Preston and kiegher offered to sup~
ply Dixon crematOrles and DO the work
for S59, 900 or for $3.50 without speci-
Tying the kind of creamatory.
Aid. Mllham moved TO Iefer the bids
10 tie special committee on garbage.
but Aid. Markham moved to amend that
all the bids be rejected, and that the
,lty clerk be instructed to advertise for
bids for collecting and disposing of the
garbage under the present system. Aid.
Markham remarked that the garbage
question was becoming antiquated. and
hat the sentiment of The people was
against lncurring any more expenses by
investing III experiments Aid. Hare
also thought there was no use in quar-
'eling over thing the aldermen didn't
know anything about. The question
vas then put on Aid. Marknam's alrend-
nent rejecting the crematory bids and