The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-28

n
eniry. The man who can answer that
question viii receive 81 II the following
promise 10 kept:
Ell viii pap s7s reward fnv The des~esson Of shs
ssa IL uss On sss FRAT e. g. e ~s -
par additional reward OF 80 for sha nsraes
81 the parsons VAC iDstlxs ted shs act
"EpvIs HAIL wAsxRR,
'Lity Fnxiness."
Hundreds Of people gathered along TIE
route Of the Front street sewer 20 watch
the men pulling down abont fifty fee. Of
newly constructed sever. Prominent eth
gems and officials from the mayor down
rushed to the scene, only TO be met With
the pnxxIing emery, who Gu. the stick 90
The sewer had TO be torn down and the
brick thrown up on the street because IL
Was found 20 be out of line. The rnaaons
blame the foreman, the foreman blames
the city engineer. and the city engineer
throws the blame on the man .~ho cut
the stick" Ths taxpayers must foot the
bill.
On Friday night Alderman Miller dis
eovsred that the laborers on IN. sewer en-
eavation near Columbia street were filing
In earth. He wanted To know whv. He
was told that II hsd been dag too deep and
had To be ievelsd up again. He mentioned
the matter yesterday morning TO some
body who told the board Of works who told
the city engineer who told surveyor 90 90
down and ascertain the cause Every
morning while r. Fl. Thomson was city
engineer, he took the ordinary. usual pre-
caution Of having . surveyor check up the
alignment Of the ne~iy-Iaid brick work
IL never occurred 20 City Engineer War.
ner. who writes learned papers for engi-
neering societies, 10 think of this routine
precaution. and no check has been had
sincs he took Office. When the diserep-
ancy was told him IL was suggested that
survey be made. and he accordingly sent
down a man who ascertained that the
water line OF the sewer Was nine and one
half inches too high.
AZ regular Intervals beam is placed
across the excavation. ieveied TO a sur
veyed height. below which the grade of
the sewer 10 determined. The measure
ment il from the edge of the cross beam
20 the water line OF the sewer-that 10. the
inside Of the brick work. When the fore
man was told OF the error he claimed that
somebody had cut the stick" used for
measuring. This was found to be two and
half inches short. but the great b.under
was In measuring from the edge of the
beam to the level Of the excavated earth
instead OF TO the water line. A the brick
OF tho sewer IL seven inches thicx this
made the sewer Just nine and haifinches
too high. There was nothing 20 be done
but to tear out the entire sewer for dis
tance Of fifty feet and do the work all over
again A large force Was engaged all day
uudoing this expensive mistake. Now
large force will be employed doing the
work over again. The laborer does the me-
chanicA work. For the purpose Of seeing
that the work Is properly done the city
hires forsmen aud city engineer.
Nobody justiiies the cutting OF the stick
or the nib bling on the end. or whatever
was done. IL 1t Was done. bat everybody is
laughing ct the city engineer and the
board OF public works. who can have all
the elaborate plans and expensive work
frustrated by . little incident which in
rather too common, but IL usually pro-
vided against by the simple rule OF
checking" such work A. it progresses.
The blunder il just what might be ex-
rerted from incompetency. The duties of
foreman OF sewer construction call for ex-
perience. and the expensive error is only
what lie sure to follow from the class of
political heelers who have been put on the
roll solely for the purpose of paying for
work at ward meetings and primaries
Among the men employed on the sewer
IL III. G. Nissen, who some time ago charged
that he gave Comm issiousr Cochran $500
for his influence in securing him appoint.
ment as street commissioner. Another in
William ii. Beck, who was Formerly in the
real estate business and until lately was
bartender Ia Third street saloon These
two are the chief officers of the Scandina-
Wan Democratic Club which IL said To
have passed resolutions eondemning
Mayor Ronald and DR.. J. s kioebcr for
preierriag charges against the board of
works. which has given them Jobs on the
sewer. Another foreman Is J. Cawnon
also formerly in the real estate business.
lie il sstd 20 be very useful in handling
what lac calls Democrats Niger. -
Vel another is Tom Hood. who also kent
saloon and Was prior TO that bull
rnnehss" on Admiralty bay. Jimmy
Campbell Is. or was. foreman. He is hes,
remembered in connection with some
trouble about somebody voting twice AT an
election. oae more foreman is =. Mai
lory, who kept lodg ing house. lieisa
hrotheF-in-isw of NJ. J. Cook, a member of
the house OF delegates Cook made him.
scli very obnoxious to the board of work,
by inadvertently giving away the story
about the rotten brick. bat since the ar.
pctntmens of his brother-in-law he has
kept mum"
fseander Miller recently discovered a
gang of four hFicklAyars at work on the
sewer. Each man receives s. dav. Their
operations we're presided over by a gentle.
man foreman who patrols the sewer wbey.
they arc at work. himself smok lng nina
He receives ST. day. IL costs. therefor,
ever - Per cent Of the sors fer a fore
man. IL is not difficult IN firare IN What
the cost OF the sewer viii be az that rate
All these matters we're discusses, hv Ia.
great crowds which gathered between
Columhis stree, and Yesler avenue all aav
yesterday. Some az the watchers who
ray taxes, we're indignant. others were
amused. bet AL ilbei the unhappy labor
srs, Nhc were tho Iesss calpGhle. GA every
side the question Vas saantirelv asked
"Who Gus the stick -
One divertsng incident az n. esv v.x
the appearance ~ fe&nder M,tler. a 10 Ia.
tncurred the snuity Of the eitv hall eros,u
By hss discovery ~ the SAwHast fannta-
ton on Commercial street amt the btar-
3srsas on Froas street lie learned ,hA.
WeIfe had threatened 20 lick h.ru. A" ana
be made himself conspicuous. inviting thc
attention Of anybody who cared 60 know
Il that he Was Oh the spos ready for TIE
licking
IL was stated yesterday TIA. aaya- go-
rsld had ins'igasea the fling Of supple