Rock Island Argus., 1894-03-20
SIDE TALK.
Bids on the Twenty-iirst
Street Sewer,
CAUSES A LENGTHY DISCUSSION

NosfhHeld Bros. Awarded the Contract
City Engineer Darling Rounded In and
Severely Handled-Eoss on Parliament.
| ary EuIcs-A Rash Break.
Calm seemed to be the reioninc
element ut the council meeting last
evening, at the outset, but n storm
was brewing and at last the cloud
burst. 1t was when the bids for the
lWentv-iirst street sewer were
opened. There were three bids. one
from Eoseniield Bros, one from
Davis Co.. and one from Contractor
killeen. of Davenport. The latter
bid was away up, Davis Co. bid in 4
lump. instead of ..by the foot rs
specified in the plans. and Roseniield
Bros. called for GS cents per
lincal foot.
Alter any amount of discussion.
the plans and specifications were
read in order to inform the counciI
just what they were called for, and
1t was found that they called for 4
sewer 1000 feet in length. And
then did the city fathers 90 to work
to fird out who was the lower of the
two bidders, Rosen!ield Bros. or
Davis Go. Meantime A. j. Rosen-
field asked permission to address the
council, and it was given him. In Il
few words he told that the plans and
profile differed regarding the lenrtb
OF the sewer, the former giving the
length at 900 feet, and the latter at
1873.
Darling is Roasted.
And forthwith the council jumped
on Engineer Darling for the discrcp.
ancy. in anything but a manner
aifcctionately apprcciative of his
name. The aldermen accused him
of negligence on several occasions.
and 1t was intimatcd that if he did
not improve he should be asked to
resign.
The profile was sent for, and a re-
cess OF five minutes taken to look IN
the affair and find out who were
really the lowest bidders. On reas-
sembling. Aid. Evans spoke in favor
OF Rosenlield Bros. bid, as did Aid.
Foss. The contract was at lenrth
a. i
then found that Engineer Darling
just lost $500 to the. Twenty first
street property holders by the mis-
take.
Aid. Eoss moved that q contract be
entered into between the city and
Rosenfield Bros but an amendment
was offered that if possible some ar
rangement be made by which the
property holders would not he out
about $500 on account OF Darling's
error. The discussion on this mo-
tion was lengthy in the extreme. 1t
seemed an imposition to try and cut
RoSenileld on his price. on account
OF break made by the city engineer.
Foss, in order TO smooth matters up.
wanted to make substitute on his
own motion. but the mayor did not
think it proper. Mr.. Foss arose
and with all possible oratory
he could command, he quoted
Roberts and Gushing on parliament
tary law. The mayor, however,
held that he was right; that Mr.. Foss
could not make a substitute for the
amendment he had accepted. At
last, Aid. Albert Eureka Nelson
arose, pulled his forelock, and came
TO the rescue of his brother alderman
from the Seventh, and made the sub
stitute.
The Official BALLOT.
The question OF publishing the
official ballot arose at this point.
Aid. Nelson, as chairman of the
printing committee. moved that his
committee and the city clerk enter
into negotiations with the newspa-
pers for the publication of the official
ballot. Some one asked if the judges
OF the election were not supposed to
do that, and some discussion fol-
lowed, during which Alderman-at-
large Walter johnson arose and vol
unteered some information. but was
corrected by City Clerk Huesing.
and the council finally submitted the
matter to Aid. Nelson as he had de-