The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-09
BIDS FOR HARBoR CONTRACTS.
GREENE AND GAYNOR AND n. r..
MOORE THE LOWEST BIDDERS.

the Cumberland Sound Training
waII-RIttenhOusc r.. Moore I'm
der Bids All the Contractors For
Dredging Work in the savannah
River and at Darien and Bruns-
wick, and For the Fernandina
Route.
The bids for the Savannah harbor i'm
provement contract and for the work
along the Georgia coast we're opened yes
terday.
Col. John F. Gaynor Of Fayetteville
N. Y, came here a week or so ago with
the avowed purpose Of securing the con-
tracts for constructing the breakwater at
Tybee roads, and the training wall at the
entrance to Cumberland Sound, and
to-day he and his partner Capt b. d.
Greene, leave for the north with the sat
isfaction of having been the lowest bid
ders on the works, and the chances of hav-
ing the work started on before the first
of next month.
When the bias for dredging were opened
there was a surprise, it being expected
that Mr. p. Sanford Ross, who so success
fully executed the last contract for inn
proving Savannah harbor, would be the
lowest bidder, he having large and ex-
pensive plant available for the work. Mr.
Ross bid II. 8 cent per cubic yard for dredg
ing but Mr.. Rittenhouse r. Moore, of
Mobile, the owner of the dredge Alabama,
now at work here, bid IS cents, which we'll
posted men declared is below cost price
His bid was II cents for dredging in Darien
harbor, IA cents for dredging in Bruins
.s,lr ork,A nd dTa6uinR
along the inside water route between here
and Fernandina, which left the figures Of
the Virginia Dredging Company and Mr.
Ross stranded high and dry.
While there were seven bidders for the
Savannah harbor work, there were only
three for the work at Cumberland sound,
the magnitude of the work and the diff
Guilty of executing 1t deterring many.
Greene & Gaynor were the successful bid
ders however, their bid aggregating 49,,
141. $50, closely followed by that Of Jacob
Friday g. Sons of Pittsburg,
who were only $3.50 higher,
which gave Col Gaynor a severe
shock. John L. Grim Of Philadelphia was
in the race with a bid of $2,157,5OO. 1t was
not known at once who was the success
full bidder for this work, the figures being
so close on the different items. When the
computations were finally made, Col Gay
nor and Capt. Greene felt more cheerful.
Atlantic Contracting Company (Greene &
Gaynor) bid $s35,0O0 p. Sanford Ross OF
Jersey City, 1867, 800, and John l.. Grim of
Philadelphia, 1851 900. For dredging in this
harbor Mr. Rittenhouse r. Moore of Mo
bile bid 10 cents per cubic yard; p. Sanford
Ross of Jersey City, II $40 cents; Virginia
Dredging Company of Richmond, l6 $40
cents; Savannah Dredging Company of
Savannah, 2015 cents, and the American
Dredging Company of Philadelphia, p
cents. AS will be seen, Mr.. Moore is away
below any of the others. The specihca-
tons call for the removal OF from 10000
to 600 cubic yards between the cross
tide and the sea, and 10000 cubic yards
more from various places along the in
side water route south Of this point, which
is a great undertaking for one dredge, the
Alabama, to do.
For dredging in Darien harbor, Bruins
wick harbor and along the inside water
route, five bids in all were received, as
follows: Virginia Dredging Company, $751;,
$50; p. Sanford Ross, $3l $50; American
Dredging Company Of Philadelphia, 49,
$50; Rittenhouse r. Moore, S24 300, and the
Savannah Dredging Company, SS0,225
The bids were forwarded to Gen. Will
lam P. Craighill, chief of engineers, Wash
ington, D. c., by Capt. o. M. Carter, Corps
of Engineers, with the recommendation
that contracts be entered into with the
lowest bidders.
In connection with the opening of bids
for the harbor works, every two years,
a farce comedy, author unknown, enti-
tied ITO Bid, or Not to Bid, is enacted
with varying degrees of success. This
play is usually given at the De Soto, in
the evenings, but the performers are
not averse to giving a matinee on the
Bay any afternoon. The members OF the
company usually assemble at the De
Soto a week or ten days in advance of
the day, and to each is assigned his part
one to play the capitalist, another an
owner of a quarry, another millionaire
hacker, one to beat the drum, touch off
the red fire, etc This year to a visiting
statesman was cast for the leading COM
edy role while a wealthy hacker was ex-
pected on the next train" having been
telegraphed not to fail to show up, as
the part was a desirable one, and was
being eagerly watched by a couple of Sa-
vannah men with money to burn, but
who, nevertheless, disliked the smell of
smoke. Monday night the last perform
ance was given, and at midnight the
combination disbanded, after playing an
unsuccessful and disastrous engagement.
The plot of the play is ingenious, but at
times hard to follow. 1t seems that a
band of Adventures having nothing in
particular to do but hang around the ho-
tells and make believe they have money
TO stop leaks with. knowing that some
wealthy contractors and their relations
are about to assemble in the city on bus
mess, come together and make up their
minds that the contractors are good, easy
marks and should be touched" The
contractors having obtained papers fol
bidding on the work, the bunco men dc
likewise, and send for notaries and attor.
neys, making pretensions OF filling out
their blank forms at figures ridiculously
low, taking good care to do this with q
great flourish while the gullible citizens
from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore
and other rustic villages are looking on In
great wonder and amazement. Then the
spell-binders on the night before the day
the bids are to be opened by the repre-
sentatives Of Uncle Sam, parade before
the rustics from the northern hamlets
with specifications in their hands, stroll
up and down the main corridor Of the
hotel where they are stopping and try tc
sell them a gold brick.
The play has some amusing features
and when played by a good company Is
irresistibly funny. The leading man the
past week, while not thoroughly posted
in his business, showed that he might
learn by long and continuous practice
and hard study-say fifty years or more