Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-22
wITIIoJ u
CoNTR ACT
PROFIT.
mia for Paving Fnrnnm street About
the LnMrsf on Recnrh.


the Lowest ON Record.
Friday, when the Grant Paving COM
pany submitted it's bid OF si.44 9,iO cents per
yard for paving West Farnam street. Omaha
came very close to making the worlds
record on cheap paving. As II is there is
only one instance known in which this price
has been beaten. That was during a bitter
competition in Chicago when one bid OF
S1.39 was made.
One effect of Fridays bidding is to
thoroughly Justify the contention of City
Engineer Rosewater that much cheaper paw
ing could be secured under the new speci-
fcations than under those which were
previously in force. The price at which
Farnam street will be repaved is 20 cents
lower than any previously known in Omaha
on sheet asphaltum, and 1t affords sub
stantial announcement to the property own
ers in other districts in which new pave
ments are contemplated.
a critical examination of the bids on
asphalt shows that in spite OF the very low
price at which the contract will be let the
competition was very close. The value OF
the contract Is approXimated at $4,000 but
the difference in cost as between the bids
of the Grant Paving company and Hugh
Murphy Is only S400. Murphy was $50
cents higher on the straight bid but he was
sufficiently low on extras to bring his
aggregate bid very nearly down to the win
especially gratifying to the South sixteenth
street people, who have been very much
dlsgruntled because Hugh Murphy's bid of
Sl65 on that street was knocked ont on
account OF defective petition They have
feared that they would not get anotbsr bi5
that would be equally low, but now that
another big slice has been knocked off tho
price they are satisfied that they will GET
their street paved at figure even lower than
the ola bid. Ferdinand Streitz, who has
taken the lead in the South Sixteenth street
matter, was delighted when he heard tho
oids Friday, and yesterday he started
out bright and early with petition for
asphait. The Board of Public Works will
open bids on this street September 2 and
Hity engineer Rosewater is confident that
.he!e .he! WI. De lully as close competition as
that on Farnam street
MI Rosewater has contended that Fars,am
street would be paved at less than 81 80 hut
up to the time the bids were opened very
iew others were equally sanguine. But now
that ms prediction has proven well founded
.here Is disposition toward more activity
III other districts. Mr.. Rosewater himself
ADMITS that he does not expect that the pres
Cut prices VIII be permanently maintained
lie says: When the cost of maintenance
and OF keeping an expensive plant in opera
tion Tor that purpose is considered there
Is no proht Tor the contractor at such
hgures. Under the new specifications the
city Will be able to maintain the price of
original paving on suburban streets where
the pavements consists of eight inches of
broken stone, one and one-half inches of
asphalt binder and one and one-half inches
of asphalt at from $3.50 to $1.75 yard, but
on main streets where more expensive specl-
hcations are used present prices cannot con-
tlnue. 1t Is consequently economy for the
property owners to take advantage of the
present competition to have as many con-
tracts let as possible this year and with the
various companies offering to lay the pave
ment at cost there is no excuse for the re-
fusal of property woners to repave streets
that have become a disgrace to the city"