Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-04-27
STEAL NO. 5.
Another Favorite Gets a Grab
at the Pie.
worthless State House Walks And
Drives Cost Four Times what They
should.
From the Advocate and News.

the construction OF the State house
drives and walks. 1t involved one con-
tract in which Fellows & Vansant did
not appear, but the State Jared as
poorly as it did in any of the other
contracts, just the same. The success
full contractors managed to make it
cost the State good big pile of mon
ey for n poor job of work.
In the beginning State Architect ].
G. Holland submitted an estimate to
the Executive Council showing that
the cost of this work would be So, 158.-
25. This estimate was made April Z,
1896, and was not, apparently, any
more accurate than the estimate of
the expense of the preliminary Safe
house work which was to have been
done by day labor. 1t would seem that
after Il years experience he would
have learned that ordinary estimates
would not be of any value, in figuring
on jobs to be done by contractors who
were favored by the State administra-
tion.
MIR. Hollands estimate was as fol-
lows:
Total cubic yards of ballast
5000, at $1.25 per cubic
yard ............. .$3 $500
Total cubic yards of top dress
ing 1871, at $l.25 per yard 1926. IS
Total. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 10, 158.2
This included the cost of the mate
rial and the cost of laying it. The
ballast referred to was broken stone.
What it cost the State is shown in the
order of the Executive Council record
cd i'll its record book on page 4S2 and
dated April 80, 1896, as follows:
"rhe architect was instructed to
purchase of the County Commission
ers of Shawnee county all the broken
stone required in the walks and drives
1n the State house grounds at 65 cents
per cubic yard delivered in such guam
titles and at such times as may be re-
quired."
The State paid for ballast and labor
the sum of $4,s12.87, which was $3.50.
81 more than Mr.. Hollands estimate
for this part of the work. The vouch-
ers showing the payments above re-
ferTed to are too numerous to permit
the printing even of a list of the part
les who drew the money. They have
all been carefully checked and exam
ined by the investigating committee
and the report shows that s. ,912. .87
was the amount allowed and paid for
this purpose.
Among these vouchers are Il number,
amounting in all to 81 1,853.90, which
were paid by George M. Seward, who
was then the Assistant State Treas
nrer. He took them because the State
house fund was exhausted at the time
they were presented and they were
held to prevent them from being
Afterwards, when the fund was re-
plenished by the receipt of tax money
he presented them and they were paid.
An excess of $3.50. 81 over the archi-
tect's estimate was comparatively
easy thing compared with the con-
tracts of putting on the top dressing.
This contract was made July 9, 1896,
with the Kansas City Bank Gravel
Company without previous advertis-
ing for bids. 1t was for $4,000 and
provided that "the wearing surface
(top dressing) shall consist of bank
gravel and crushed boulders as taken
from the Kansas City Bank Gravel
Co.'s bank, the same to consist of fine
and coarse particles as they come from
the company's crusher. This shall be
laid on the above described base (the
ba1last) in a layer when finished, to be
at least four inches in thickness, this
work to be rolled, then sprinkled we'll
and rerolled, upon which shall be
placed another coat sufficient to make
finished surface"
twas provided that the work should
begin August 10, 1896, and be finished
by October 10 of the same year.
The following remarkable clause is
the last one in the contract:
at IS further agreed between the
parties, that if at the time said work
is completed, or at the time any esti-
mate as above stated is made, there is
not money in the State house fund,
sufficient to pay for the work, that
party of the second part (the Kansas
City Bank Gravel Co.. is to accept
vouchers for the same, to be paid not
later than January 18th, 1897, same
not to bear interest"
The Executive Council was evident
ly getting restless with deficiencies
due to entravagance staring them in
the face Perhaps Mr.. Seward had
ali invested that he could stand and
wanted to have his warrants stamped
ssNot paid for want of funds" in order
that he might secure the interest
which is paid under such circum-
stances. At any rate, the Executive
Council was guarding against such a
contingency.
An example of the loose methods OF
the Executive Council is shown in the