The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-09

Inc county commissioners held a pro-
tracted meeting yesterday afternoon at
which good deal of business was
transacted including the awarding of
the contract for election booths to be
used at the approaching election. The
proceedings were characterized by the
continual Swapping and snarling of
the commissioners at each other from
start to finish and their bearing to-
wards each other in their deliberations
strikes one unacquainted with their
nodus operandd as both unseenly and
ngentlemanly. In the main Roberts
and Christopherson voted together and
both snaried at Geddes at intervals
when they were not swapping All each
other, and Geddes returned their
growls with interest
ELECTION BOOTHS.
The subject which occupied the larg-
est share of the attention of the board
was the question of letting the con-
tract for furnishing election booths
suitable for conducting the election on
the Australian ballot system.
The contract had previously been
awarded to the Buffalo Steel f1ouse on
condition that that company give a
Of the latter being sued for damages
for infringing a patent said TO be held
by others, Tor using the booths furnish
ed by the Buffalo Steel House. The
company refused to furnish the bond
on the ground that the patent was
theirs beyond question and that such a
bond was unnecessary.
George d. Barnard & Co., the firm
which declared that the booths offered
by the Buffalo Steel House, were an
infringement of their patent, sub
mitted an offer to furnish metal booths
delivered in Salt Lake at $3.50 each for
originals and $500 each for anneXes
and take county warrants at their face
value in payment.
Judge Judd appeared on behalf of
Barnard TO subSlantiate their claim to
the patents. The judge declared that
the other booths offered were infringe
ments of the patents held by Barnard
and if the commissioners bought any
of those others they laid themselves
open for actions for damages.
Messers. Dykes & Nissen and George
L. Belts were represented at the meet
ing and urged the adoption of their
booth, which had the merit of being
home product and coming cheap, So
each. for originals and $3.50 for an
nexesl These booths are made of
canvas and wood. The others offered
were of sheet iron.
Commissioner Roberts moved that
the negotiations with the Buffalo Steel
House company be declared off, the
company having failed to respond with
the indemnity bond asked for by the
board.
The resolution was adopted.
Roberts then moved that the con-
tract for booths be awarded to Dykes
& Nissen for forty-four originals and
125 annexes and 10 George l.
Belts for fourty-four originals and 125
annexes on conditions as per proposal
and models and that each firm be re-
quired to file an indemnity bond OF
s., 500 to protect the county in case Of
suits for infringement of patent.
Geddes moved that Barnard be
awarded the contract for fifty-two
originals and 156 anneXes for use in the
city alone and that the county members
do as they please in regard to the
precincts outside of the city.
Roberts modon was carried, Geddes
voting no, and the contracts ordered
drawn up and signed when Messrs.
Dykes & Nissen and G. L. Belts shall
have filed the bond as mentioned.
Geddes opposed the awarding of the
contract to these gentlemen bitterly,
declaring than ii was a great mistake,
as the booths furnished by them would
the county would have damage suits
en- its hands for infringement of
patents.
WILL PLAT AND SURVEY THE
ROADS.
The road committee and county sur
veyor reported recommending that the
roads in road district No. Ii be plated
and surveyed and that monuments be
although the roads had been used for
many years they had never been
plated.
Geddes opposed this on the ground
that the county was in no condition to
stand the expense, and that the board
had already spent far too much money
on the roads.
Roberts favored adopting the recon-
mendation, and Geddes again protest
ed. saving that ne didn't care if every
road in the county was bloekedl; he
wouldn't vote to spend another nickel
in the way recommended by the COM
mit.ee.
The report was, however, finally
adopted
REFERRED TO CITY COUNCIL.
Road Supervisor Sutherland OF dis
trict No called the boards attention
to the unsafe condition of a bridge
over the Jordan and Salt Lake canal
near Seventeenth South street. The
clerk of the board was ordered to COM
municate with the city council in the
matter.
WILL GIVE NO OPTION.
The following in regard TO county
bonds was received:
= note you are TO sell $3.50, GOO refund
ing bonds on Sept. 4. The market is
so thoroughly demoralized that l do
not make an offer but shall be pleased
10 act as your financial agent for the
sale of your bonds. My commission
would be moderate-say, $500 if l am
at the expense of sale, or less
amount if you will pay the expenses,
or l will take an option on your bonds
at a reasonable price for a definite
time. Yours truly,
IS. A. KEAN, Chicago"
Filed. and the clerk instructed to
write that no option will be given.
FROM THE SANITARY INSPECTOR.
Sanitary Inspector Greenewald went
after the city council recently about
stagnant pools of water being allowed
to remain en- some streets, and yes
terday he directed his attention to the
county commissioners, having discoV
cred that some of the toilette rooms
in the city and county building are in