Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-05-24
Another Installmrnt Of the Testimony
Offered Before the High school
investigator.
SENSATIONAL CHARGES MA (
A Saving Of $4,000 Mad by Changing
Stone Worss IT, HlivarE 9 rem
Work.

mlttee appointed by The .rnrLi ""@lt'
appears below.
George Louchars, being sw,'I, a ate,
he had been Il stone mason for S'Aieeu
years and was a member Of the arm Of
Mckenzie a. Leuchars. Had d cOuver.
sation with Mr.. White about June lG,
1893, while driving with him out to u
quarry to show HIM the green stone cf
Comcr's quarry. lie asked me what I
thought Of his plans. | replied they
were good, but too big for tho money
appropriated. He said it might be SO,
but there was quite a lot OF extras, as
to be put to bedrock, there would be lots
of carving and other stone work. and if
Mckay got the contract we should do
this work. He said if Mckay got this
building it would be carried on the
same as the Helena high school build
ing, which was to be built for $4,000
but cost between 100000 and 100000.
If we don't get very big figures on the
building we will get it out of extras. lie
said he would reduce the thickness OF
the walls above the first story to eigh-
teen inches from two feet and would
change some of the courses to rock face.
| asked him how it would be if the board
should appoint another man superin-
tendent. lie said there was no fear. He
had a majority of the board where he
wanted them and they could not afford
to go back on him. Dan Mckay said
to myself and partner in response
to a demand for money that
he had paid $500 10 the
school board to get Whites plans adopted
and not to be bothering him for money.
We would get it out OF tho some work.
| understood that he gave the money to
White to pay to the school board, or
members of the board, as II bride.
Can't remember any conversation in
which Prentiss' name was used, Was
not present on that occasion, | think.
When We examined the plans to put our
bid in, the corners, ~festoons, pi!asters,
chimnrys and tower were stone 10 places
now specified as galvanized iron, There
is no doubt about it. | should estimate
the changes in these respects FROM atone
to galvanized iron would be 4 saving to
the contractor of about $1,000.
EDwARD CANARy'S TESTIMONY.
Edward j, Canary, a practical stone
mason, testified that he figured On the
plans at the time they advertised bids in
Whites Office. The plans now before
the committee are not the same as Luose
| figured On. They have changed from
stone to brick work inside on the cross
walls. The cornices, h%artlsans, Chin
neys, underneath the clock, pilasters
all were to be stone, now galvanized
iron. Mr.. White called my attention to
this at the time | figured, SO | remember
it distinctly. He also told me the foot
ings were all to be through stone. He
never SAID anything TO me about extra
work. The cement was to be two t. one
Portland cement. White did not say to
me whether imported or American Port
land. Saw some of the footings put
IN. At that place there were no footipes
at all, just piled in. This WAS IN the
middle of the building on the cross
walls. They started in with pretty good
work or the outside walls.
WILLIAM YoUNG's TESTIMONY.
William Young, a stonemason for over
thirty years, duly sworn, testified as fol-
lows: | figured on the plaLs for the CEN
trail high school building at Whites Of
flee in 1899. These plans are not the
same. These are the differences: The
columns or pilasters under the clock
we're to be stone the first course, the sill
course was to run clear through the wall,
the jambs on the windows were to run
clear through. l worked on the build,
ing five days myself and | finished one
of the pillars in the basement. | know
for certain there was not a header in all
the pillar ! worked on. Every second
stone should have gone through the wall
all through the building. When l fig
ured on the building the cornice was
copper, all the rest was stone, the bar
tisans we're to be stone, the chimneys
likewise. The rock now being used on
building is not as good by a long ways as
that in the Conner quarry. The present
rock 10 softer, very poor compared with
the green rock. In conversation with
White | said the building could not be
got up for the money appropriated. lie
said that is the way we get up most of
the plans, to look good, and we always
expect to get some extras, and the extras
would let the contractor out even. Nc.
Kay asked me to figure on the job. This
was the day after the work was let tc
Bean & Co. This was the same time Leu
cb are & Mckenzie figured. Then
found Mckay had let the stone work
the day before, and / would not make
him any bid on it. My figures came tt
about $4,000 or 5000 for the rocl
ready to 60 into the building. While
was around the building ] saw yellow
cement going into the mortar, not Port
land, which is blue cement. One tim,
| went over the walls, where stone hat
been laid a week, and the cement al
crumbled up in my hand. 1t shoult
have been hard. Carlson and Erickson
were there. They laughed and said 81
those school trustees can stand it WI
can stand it." | saw them mixing CO
ment. They put in one barrel wher'
eight should have been put in. Leuchar
d Mckenzie told me they did not hav'
any money at all to put up with thei
bid to the school board, and that McKa,
Bros. didn't have any either.
q. g. MINTER's TESTIMONY.
g.. q. Minter, metal worker, testifet
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