The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-08
TO LET BIG CONTRACTS
Contract Letting
For the State
Brings a Big Crowd of Bidders
to Topeka.
TIE Amount of Goods to be Purchas-
ed by the State Board is $4,000.

of 100000 during the ensuing six
months, for supplies at the various
state institutions, are being considered
today at the National hotel, by the
state board of charities and the direc-
tors of the state Soldiers home at
Dodge City.
OF this amount, 100000 is expended
by the board of charities, and $4,000 by
the Soldiers home directors.
The hotel is the busiest place in town.
The members of the board of charities
occupy the parlOrs while the Soldiers
home directors have two sample rooms
on the lower floor
The lobby is occupied by representa-
tives of the various firms in competi-
ton and the halls and stairways are
active as they move anXiOuSly between
the two rooms where the bids are being
considered.
In the rear parlor at the hotel is an
immense display of dry goods, clothing
and similar articles of merchandise.
On the basement floor are shown stacks
of baking powders, cOffees, teas, spices,
cheese, hams, side meat, beans, flour,
meal, in fact everything needed to eat
and wear by the people who are the
wards of the state.
These contracts are awarded semi
annually, in December and June. The
occasion always brings forth a large
amount of lively competition and 81
firms are represented at this time.
of charities, said today:
1.-The competition is very active and
it is my opinion that we will be able
to secure the advantages of low bid
ding and first-class goods. The firms
which are bidding are among the best
in the business and their commercial
standing insures carrying out of the
contracts which we will make"
Frank Shane, a member of the board
said:
''The bidding is such that the board
is of the opinion that we will be able
to get bedrock prices on everything We
buy. We have not had time to make
a close examination of the various bids
but from a limited observation which
has been made 1 am sure we will be
able to get lower prices than ever be-
FORE
The secretary of the board, S c.
Wheeler, assisted by the other members
makes a schedule of all bids received.
Across the top of a huge sheet of paper
appears a list of all the articles upon
which the bids are asked. Under the
names of these are columns for the
amounts bid. Down the left hand col
umn appear the names of the bidders
When bid is being considered an ex-
animation of the figures in the column
under the name of the article in ques-
tion makes it very easy to determine
the lowest price. From these figures.
following the column to the left hand
margin, is shown the name of the bid
der. This system of managing the bids
makes an immense amount of work
simple matter.
These schedules were completed this
morning and the members OF the two
boards took up the consideration of the
bids The first work was an eXamina-
tiOn of the samples shown. This aft
ernoOn the work of awarding contracts
is likely to begin, although it may not
be reached until tomorrow.
The bidders before the board of chari-
ties are as follows:
Dry Goods-Topeka Cash Dry Goods
company, Kemper & Paxton, Topeka;
Palace Clothing company, Warren NJ.
Crosby & Company, Two Ben's"
Clothing company, Usage City; Aug
ustus Thomas & company, Philadelphia;
B. Rockwell Merchandise company,
Junction City; JOhnstOn-Larimer Dry
Goods company, Wichita; Barton Bros,
Kansas City; George Inness, Lawrence;
Doggett Dry Goods company, Kansas
City; Lehman Bros, Usage City. Stew
enson Bros. & company, Philadelphia;
Crosby Bros, Topeka.
Groceries-NatiOnal Baking Powder
company, Kansas City; Quigley e Me-
lick, Atchison; ]. S SprOat, Topeka;
3. Rockwell Junction City; H. d Lee
Mercantile company, Salina; w. F. Do
Ian & company, AtchisOn; EOagland
Grocery company, Kansas City, kan;
J. w. Teasdale & company, St. Louis;
Branden & Mitchell, Kingman; Corbett
& Sons, Kansas City; Exchange Groc-
cry company, Topeka TheO. POeher,
Lawrence; Long Bros, Kansas City;
Hutchinson Wholesale Grocery COM
pany; E. NJ. Sheldon, Ottawa; Morris,
Butt & Mullin, Kansas City; National
Soap company, Leavenworth; H. J.
Heinz Kansas CITY; claude Duval,
Hutchinson; Symns Grocer company,
AtchisOn; w. w. Manspeaker, Topeka.
Drugs, paints, oils and stationery
Swift and Holiday, Topeka; Topeka
Cash Dry Goods company; Topeka Pa
per company; George Stansfeld, TOpe-
ka; Duroy, Haynes & Co, Kansas City;
Stevenson Bros. & Co, Philadelphia;
Sweet Springs Distinery company, Kan
(EifW- Woodward e Co. IaWrencP-
A. B. Whiting, Topeka.
Meats and lard-J. J. Barnes, Tope-
ka: Chas Wolff Packing company;
Swift & Co; Armour Packing Co; J. c.
Dold.
Hardware-Kemper & Paxton; Topeka
Cash Dry Goods company.
Flour. c. FOgarty, Junction City;
Bowersock Milling company. Lawrence;
w. E. Sweezy. Lyndon; Tyler & Co,
Junction c,+ City rr52o,, 3; EofkWe4. fls7oit
Kelly Bros, Leavenworth; w. w. Man
speaker, Topeka.
Bidders before the directors of the
Soldiers Home are as follows:
Drugs-W Woodward, Faxon & Co,
Kansas City; Swift & Holiday, Tope-
ka; A. ]. Arnold, Topeka; w. S. Amos,
Dodge City.
Groceries-samueI stubbs. Dodge
City; Kemper &, Paxton, Topeka; VIM.
Green & Sons, Topeka.
Dry gOods-Crosby Bros, Topeka;
kemper & Paxton, Topeka; Strange &
Somersby, Dodge City.
Shoes-Kemper & Paxton; Barton
Bros, Kansas City.
AIeats-Wolf Packing company, To-
peka.
Clothing-Ke emper & Paxton, Topeka.
The bid of Holmes & Gregory, Cot
tonwood Falls on clothing, was receiv-
ed too late for consideration.
Butter-Douglas Co Creamery.
Teas-W. 5. COrbett, Kansas City.
bid not accompanied by check, was not
considered.
Among the travelling men present are:
L. B. Potter, D. w. COwden w. ".
Johnston, J. NJ. Grosfield, Ben Hoag-