The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-01-21

last evening. Car fare 81 lodging, SIS
meals, S31 Commissioners fare. Sl2: The,
had to tip the walters and the elevator boy
also, because they stood there with hands *
tended, waiting for it, The idea of th. tril
was to find out tho probable cost aud the brs
kind of dynamOs, etc None Of the mono,
was cOrruptIy spent.
Cross examined: Learned the carpcutc
trade with John =. Parton. Worked al For
Wayne and La ayettc. Ind at Cbiig,g, in, ,
planning mill where | ran muuldiug and shan
ing machines. That was in 1871.
lie could hot say how old he was when h,
finished his trade. After leaving Chicago "A,
located in POttsvlle again, and worked al
carpcntering until he went "bakmg" ON th,
F. " L. railroad, where he spent about
years until 1881. He then spent 3 wear, al
carpentcring in car shop at Wilmington
Delaware, and once more returned to Potts
vile. He then clerked at the Northwestern
hotel kept by his father-in-law. and then
started in the business of architecture.
After this searching inquiry into Mr.
| Hill's ups and downs previous to settling tb,
questions turned to the asbestos covering of
the steam pipes. Asbestos, said the witness
is an inch thick and circular in form so that
| the inside will fit over the outside of the
pipe. 1t is fastened with brass clamps.
Judge Bechtel bOwled out further questions
on this score and county bridges were taken
| up. Mr.. Hill said that architects and civil
engineers combined frequently in planning
bridges. lie had superntended the building
| of or new bridges His bill for services
| IN overlooking the moving of the Palo Alto
old iron bridge to Mt. Carbon was put under
a hot fire. lie got five per cent commission
! @ Here's bill for $50 for viewing bridges
at Schuylkill Haven, Tower City aud East
Union. Can you explain it?
! A. My car fare is included There are
| three old bridges at Schuylkill Haven. They
built new bridge at Tower City and the
Commissioners were along. This was pre-.
| liminary view.
Witness said he took the plans and sneci-
tications furnished by bridge companies and
changed them to suit. He remembered sub
| sttuting wooden floor beams for the iron
ones, and of making plans, etc, for wing
walls, abutments and approaches He had
/ not those plans with him, and WAS told ia
bring them here when he got through. The
examination was tedious, going into the
smallest details, the evident purpose being
to show that Architect Hill had been paid
for services never rendered during 1894, '95
and '96.
Witness said bill of sl,911 included the
work done on the new bridge and the old
bridges in East Union township. Hill got
| five per cent. commission on this amount and
! had no contract for it. A trip to Middleport
on July 90, 1894, that cost $40 was for in
specting bridges.
The New Philadelphia bridge was looked
]
the hmbers were rotten, and the floor in bad
condition; doesn't know what repairs were
done. he made the inspection at the request
| OF the commissioners There were no plans
nor specifications for tho repairs and no re-
ceived nothing on them.
He did not prepare plans for the new iron
bridge at New Philadelphia; he merely de.
scribed to the engineer of the Pottsvile
| Bridge Works what the bridge ought to be
like and he made the drawings The de-
scriptiOn was verbal one. He charged five
per cent. ON the total cost for experimenting.
etc. lie can make plans for iron bridges and
did so for the Ashland, Pinegrove and MabeI
bridges The later was made by the Potts
vile Bridge works.
q. Here is a bill for inspecting bridges in
Mahantouga, Barry, and other townships
How is 1t you did not put in the other town
Ships
A. That was time trip | charged accord
ing to time; can't say why l didn't put il
the other townships.
q. Why was it necessary for you to accom-
pany the Commissioners when inspectipa
these bridges?
A. Can't tell.
Attorney Ryon: want to call the atten.
tion of Court to one thing. The Commission.
er's may superintend bridges or employ som,
one to do it for them; that's been decided
Don't think the Commissioners know any
more about bridges than myself or Mr.
! Nhalen, and l wouldn't assume to inspect
them.
Judge Bechtel said these inquiries should
be confined to those intending to bring out
whether the charges were eXtravagaut oruut
The report on the condition of each bridge
visited in Barry, Mahantongo Higgins, Butler
and Ashland townships were read aud asked
about in detail. The first night they stopped
at Ashland and the second at Hep er's il
Mahautongo township A bill for $50 il
August 1854 without specifying what work
was done was explained to be part of tn,
total of five per cent ON construction OF
bridges. A $40 bill, of Sept. 1894 was ex,
planned in the same way but not 81 positively
Q. You merely went in and said you wan
$40, or $50 on account and got it,
A, Yes sir; but the county was giver
credit for it,
q. Sept, s, you put in a bill for 3 trips t,
Port Carbon.
A. That was for examining bridges.
Mr.. Hill was somewhat mixed on further
cross-examinatiOn regarding the trip to New
York, but explained that the time was st
distant that he could not remember the par
ticulars and his book was At home. lie re
sumed the witness stand this afternoon aut
was questioned about the extras on the bridg,
work, and the amount of his commission.