St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-05
AND THE CITY ENGINEER
Over the Contract for the SUI
perstructure Of Como
Bridge.
ANOTHER ROW is IMMINENT.
Contract Taken From a Wis
eonsin and Given to a
Minneapolis Firm.


at the meeting of the assembly last
night Reardon reflected upon
Rundlett's rectitude and Rundlett
resented Reardon'S remarks. 1t
was hot, so hot that Mr.. Rund1ett,
who is of a quiet and retiring dis
position and unaccuStOmed to en-
gage in acrimonious controversies
in which his motives are impugned,
did not cool off for some time after
the dispute was all over. With
Reardon it was different. He would
| not have enjoyed the meeting had
it passed off without presenting
him an opportunity to WELD his in
evitable hammer.
The row occurred during the con-
| Sideration of the resolution from the
board of aldermen awarding the
contract for constructing the SUI
perStructure of the Como avenue
bridge to the Wisconsin Bridge and
| Iron company, of Milwaukee. AS
outlined in yesterdays GLOBE, the
Gillette-He Manufacturing COM
pany, OF Minneapolis. which, ac-
eording to City Engineer Rundlett's
figures, was rated as the next low
| est bidder, contended that it's bid
was less than that of the Milwau-
kee concern by the sum of 1887,
instead of being $3.50 higher. Cop
les of tabulated statement demon
strating that the bid of the Min
neapoliS company was lower than
that of the Milwaukee firm had,
prior to the meeting, been circulated
among a few of the asSemblymen.
Consequently, as soon as the reso-
luton had been read, Mr.. John
son moved that the contract be
awarded to the Gillette-Herzog
Manufacturing company.
In support Of his motion Mr.. John
son said that he was led to believe
that the Gillette-Herzog company
was the lowest bidder by over SIS.
Where do you get those figures p"
inquired Mr.. Van Slyke.
Mr.. Johnson redeemed a trifie as
he replied: Il don't know as 1 am
called upon to state. You prove
that they are wrong if yon can"
MI. Rundlett was then requested
to explain the situation. He said
ne would do so if the clerk would
read the Herzog bid to the assem-
Oily. The bid was read, and then Mr.
Rundlett proceeded to call atten-
ton to the variance between the bid
and the specifications in the matter
OF furnishing material for the brick
sidewalks. He said:
IN drawing up these plans and
specifications, 1 tried to make them
81 uehnlte that there could be no
mistake. The specifications read
Tor wooden sidewalk complete. a price
per 1neal foot. All the bidders. ex-
cept the Herzog company, made their
plds in accordance with the sneci-
hcatlons, but the Herzog bid a nrica
per SO many feet Of lumber, board
measure. l thought that the bid
was INFORMAL, and laid it aside at
hrst. Afterwards, however. 7 fip-
urea II up on the basis of twelve
1901 lumber, and the result of NV
calculations you all know c.n
assure you L had no intention of
oolng anybody an injustice. To he
sure the specifications call for a
sidewalk IL feet and 3 inches wide
pue IL Is customary to calculate on
tweiVe-foot lumber, as it is cut in
that dimension" 49,
IN reply to Mr.. Rundlett, Mr..
Johnson said that he had been in
lolilieo that under the specifications
e could be collected per lineal
4 4oo' oy the contractor, except for
amount OF lumber actually laid.
AT THIS Juncture Hon. Timothy
10 - uoh' himself contractor of
-pe experience and versed in the
81 VI coHectlng, was asked for
AN EXPERT OPINION
upon the subject Rising from his
seat with portentous deIibaro tio,,