The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-12
LAND ASPHALT FOR
MULBERRY STREET
Common Council Gives the Columbia
Company the Contract.
COL UMBIA COMPANY'S CONTRACT
1t Wasn't Settled. Though, Until
Period That Bordcrcd on Nio-
Icncc--Mr. Sweeney Demands Inn
mediate Apology and Mr.. Flanaghnn
Threatens Personal satisfaction.

In a two-hour session of common
council that was productive of no end
of talk and red fire the contract for
laying a land asphalt pavement on
Mulberry street was last night award
cd to the Columbia Construction COM
pany of Syracuse. one of the Incl
dents of the debate was Mr. Seaman.s
intimaton that undue influence had
been eXerted by the bidders on .itch
lake asphalt, Mr.. Sweeney demanded
an apology, and Mr.. Flanagan had
something to say on the quiet about
making Mr. Seamans' inslnuation q
personal matter, but the latter arose
to the emergency and poured oil ON
the troubled waters.
The award of the contract will not be
complete until councils action is en-
dorsed by the select branch.
Not until the final action on .he
contract did the crowd of spectators
leave the building. Long before the
meeting Chairman Keller was busily
occupied in trying to get the members
Of the pavements committee into the
committee room of the city clerks
office. but did not succeed until a few
moments before o'clock. Rut little
time was then consumed i'm agreeing
upon u report favoring the Columbia
cOmpanys bid.
When Chairman Grier called the
meeting to order all the members were
present except MIR. McGrail, of the
Twentieth, and he appeared before the
pavement business was settled He
has been i'll and took no part in the
deliberations of the committee of
which he is a member.
THE REPORT PRESENTED.
Chairman Keller. of the COMMITTEES.
presented to the clerk batch of pa
perS when the order OF business inClud-
ing the reports of committees was
reached. The documents contained
the bids, petitions of the property
owners that the bid Of the Columbia
company be accepted, the report of the
committee and a SUPPLEMENTARY repair
guarantee by the Columbia company.
The bids for pavement per square
yard We're: Dunn Bros. $254; Barber
Asphalt Paving company, $2.52; Au-
gust Robinson, $2.43 and $2.lO; Column
bia Construction company, $1.95. The
latter'S bid and the lower bid of Au-
gust Robinson We're for land asphalt:
the others We're for the pitch lake ma
terial. Accompanying the report was
the Columbia company's guarantee
that after it's five-year bond shall have
expired it will repair and maintain the
pavement for not more than cents
per square yard.
The report was signed by Chairman
Keller Mr.. Noone Mr.. Wenzel and
Mr.. Gordon, and recommended that an
award be made to the Columbia COM
pany.
y motion to adopt the report opened
debate which lasted over half an
hour, during which time Mr. FLANAGAN
alone participated as an advocate of
pitch lake asphalt. He laid particular
stress upon nearly fifty letters writ
ten by city officials from abroad, near
ly all of whom advocated lake asphalt.
Mr. ZeidlerS insurer was that The
property owners petition was to award
the contract on a land asphalt basis
and as they We're the people directly
interested, it was hardly the councils
prerogatiVe to waste time in useless
debate.
Mr.. Keller then gained recognition
and in an extended speech gave what
was comprehensive resume of the
arguments Of the land contingent. He
said:
1t was the committees first purpose to
satisfy itself that the Columbian Con-
struction company, of Syracuse which
submitted the lowest bid was a respon-
| sible concern, whether it could fulfill its
contract We found that among its prom
| inent members are John Warner, quoted
| in Dunn's directory at $l,00OGOO: II. S. Hol-
| den, coal agent of the Delaware, Lacku-
| wanna and Western road, and rated at
from 100000 to Sl,oOo'OOO; W. b. Kirk, Ed
| win JOY, Judson Smith, W. =. Cannon
and others, all well-to-do, responsible ana
well-known men of Syracuse
As to the company's ability, it is Willing
| TO FURNISH trust company or individual
bonds as councils may elect II has a
| fully equipped plant. including an asphu}t
refinery at Jones Point, ON the Hudson.
READ SEVERAL LETTERS.
Mr.. Keller then paused to read let
ters commencing the asphalt laid by
The company and its predecessors CSy-
lacuse improvement company in Syra-
| cuse since 1892, the letters being from
Mayor Mcclure eX-MayOr Jacob Amos,
| city Engineer r. r. Stewart and ex-
city Engineer Henry c. Allen. Mr
| Keller COutinued
We hnd that of the kind of asphalt
| guaranteed for Mulberry street there hus
| been laid in Syracuse S,l2O SQUARE yards,
| in Toronto GS,27l, in Omaha 95G22 i'm Troy
| 1887, In Cincinnati 1895, In Dayton 5S.N2S
| Now | want to show that even though
| the company is irresponsible and IL is
| round necessary to tear up the asphalt
| from one end Of the street to the other
| pitch lake asphalt could be substitute!
ana there would be financial gain in
! stead of loss. There are 2O.7OO square
| yards of pavement to be laid at is cents
| per square yard below the lowest bid for
| lake asphalt, n total difference of Sg.93i:
| SIG feet of circular curb at reduction
| of $3O2.32, $500 feet OF straight curb al
| reduction of S3,S37.3l ANA old usuhult to
| be relIld at an estimated reduction of Sl5U
| That makes grand total saving OF Sl3-
| 535G3 Add Ia that sum the $1,000 guar
| antee bond ana you have $23, ,5}5 G3 or more
| than enough to relay lake asphalt over
| the old concrete If such should be neccs-
| sary.
Bearing in mind the company's written
| guarantee TO repair the pavement after
| the 5-year bond shall expire. for cents
| per square yard think there is no reason
| 10 doubt either financial responsibility,
| ability or cost,
Mr., Flanagan interrupted and asked
if Mr.. Keller was certain that land as
| phalt was permissible according to the
words Of the ordinance and its ac-
company specifications, Mr. Keller
| said:
There's no question about it. It is re-
quired Of bidders To furnish samples and
| analysis and they can bid on any kind
| of asphalt. That reminds me of the
talked-of difference in purity between the
! two varieties Nearly all authorities
agree that 1t is only about per cent.
| What does that indicatc2 According 10