Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-05-06
COMING TO TOWN.
Stone Men and Contractors Are
Thronging In.
NEW HOSPITAL THE ATTRACTION

Bids Close Tomorrow Afternoou and Are
to BE Opened Ffiday-Au Important
Contract - Involving Great Possible
| ities.
Rock Island is again the source OF
attraction for representatives of the
big stone corporations of the west.
The opening of the bids Friday for
the new Western Insane hospital is
the primary cause thereof. While it
is proposed to let the contract for
construction, as we'll as material,
the latter is OF all importance, and
the question as to who receives the
award is not SO much as it affects
the present contract as the future
exteo sions Of the buildings. This is
but the beginning and the stone
adopted now will be very apt to be
followed out throughout the entire
building. which Will eventually be
one of the largest and best equipped
insane hospitals in the world. Con-
sequently there is a great deal of
interest felt among stone men in the
contract. and the fight is much more
animated than it was when the Rock
Island county court house was under
consideration.
'Gibe'' In tho Van.
OF the stone men who have come
to town to land the contract, as far
as material is concerned, Ed Giber-
son is in the van. "Gibe" will be
remembered as the suave gentle
man who located the quarry ever in
Indiana from which the stone for the
Rock Island court house was taken.
He is a general in his line, and when
he goes aftsr job he does not fail
to pull any strings to landit. There
are supervisors in Rock Island who
did not know half of what there is in
life worth living for until they met
the unfailing "Gibe." Besides this
distinguished gentleman who stands
for the Consolidated Bedford COM
pany, there are in Rock Island
George c. Osborn, Of the Portage En-
try Red Sandstone company; William
Thornburgh, Of the Cleveland Stone
company-and both of these gentle
men smiled in vain on Rock Island
when the court house was under
construction. but when "Gibe" got in
his "smile" first-W. II. Baker, of
the Mussey Stone company. of Cleve-
land; W. Worthing. Of the Excelsior
Red Stone company, of Wisconsin,
and Fred Andres, of the Fred An
dres company, of Milwaukee.
As far the contrsc tors are con.
cerned all the leading local firms are
prepared to bid on the work. such as
q. J. Larkin. the Edwards & Walsh
Construction company, John Volk &
Co. William McConochie, NJ. Schnell,
Collins Bros. aud David Stephens, of
this city, and Morrison Bros. and A..
Arnold. of Davenport.
There are many well known con-
tractors from out Of town already
here, and many are coming, those
represented being the Peoria Steam
Marble works, Charles A. Moses OF
Chicago. Peter Clos & Bro, Lenich-
neck & Thwaits, and Ernst johnson
of Milwaukee.
The bids are for three buildings.
the administration, central and ward
building A. The state has 10000
appropriated for these buildings, but
of course the bids must be made in
accordance with the specifications
and the estimated cost cannot be
given until the bids are exposed.
There are 1--WE other buildings to fol-
low. such as ward buildings B and
Z, and buildings 1, and 8.
When They Will lie Opened.
The bids must all be in by 2p. m.
tomorrow. and they will be opened
at the Harper house at p. m.
Friday by Tie trustees, j. II. Eden,
W. 5. Gale and L. j. Medill. Jr. The
bids are to be submitted in the mean
time 10 I J. Medill, Jr., here or
Lewis NJ. Curry, the architect in
Chicago. The latter will come to
Rock Island Friday morning with
such proposals as have been filed with
him.
| River Rtpiets.
The Weyerhauser and Brockman
each came down with IL strings of
/ 'nrs