The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-05-20
|ALL ROAD BIDS REJECTED.
Freeholders Vote to Readyertise
the Basking Ridge Road.

sis of Trap Rock-Many Bids Made For
But None Accepted-First Steps on Chat
ham state Road-Four Thousand Voted
For Road Repairs.
A number of road builders, residents
along the Basking Ridge road, county
officials and numerous other curious and
interested citizens were treated to an
amusing special session of the county
Board of Freeholders on Wednesday.
The meeting was called at the request
of the Road Committee and served as a
sequel to Mondays special meeting of
that body, when the bids for the nacad-
animation under State Aid Road act of the
Basking Ridge road from Morristown to
Van Doren's mill were oVerhauled and
thoroughly discussed.
Every member was present. Chair
man Hoagland, for the Road Committee,
reported that its members had carefully
considered all bids submitted, but could
reach no conclusion in the matter and
herefore referred the matter to the
Board. 1t was at once suggested that
the specifications for the road be read to
the members, which was done. Upon
request Of Freeholder Cook the clerk
also read the portion of the minutes OF
the last meeting Of the old Board, show
ing recommendation of that Road Com
mittee that the contract for the road be
awarded to Messrs. Bum & Daniels, the
lowest bidders, and this, Mr.. Cook de-
clared, should be adopted out of respect
to the old Road Committee. Then Free
holder Gillen asked, HAS this firm com
piled with the specifications" and was
answered by the Director, "That's for us
to discuss" About this question cen
tered the interest of the meeting, and
the subject was opened by the reading of
the following statement Of bids, showing
bidder, location of quarry and price for
road complete:
Dunn & Daniels, Baxter quarry, $751;
1854; Daniels & Stanley, Wood and
Young quarry, 16,843. 10; F. N. Taft,
Young:quarry, SIS, 1898 .55; Chapman &
Finch, Baxter quarry, $18,480.55;
Wright & Lindsey, Baxter and Water
Co. stone, 1851 .96; F. N. Taft, Wood
quarry, s19, ,669 81; F. N. Taft, Milling
ton quarry, $40, ,665. .6S; Osborne & Mar
cells, Wood quarry. sec, ,693. 90; Osborne
& Marcellis, Millington quarry, $751;
362.27; A. Munson & Co., Milburn
quarry, $21 1886 .S6; Smith & Richards,
Wood quarry, $23, ,53O.s1; Chapman &
Finch, Milburn quarry, sec, 6,845 80,
Mr.. Cook stated that the contract
should be awarded to Messrs. Bum &
Daniels, the lowest bidders, and this sug
gestion met at once with a good deal of
opposition. Chairman Hoagland said
that the firm had failed to comply with
the specifications in that the stone they
proposed to use, and of which they pro-
duced specimens, was not trap rock, add
ing, II think it very unfair to the other
bidders if we allow this sample to go in
as trap rock" At this point Freeholder
Fancher moved that all bids be rejected
and the roads be readvertised. There
upon, Freeoolder Cook made speech,
the first of a series of speeches, in which
he declared that the stone to be used by
Bum & Daniels was trap rock, pro-
nounced by experts to be as good as any
trap rock in the county. It was an in
Justice, he said, to every man who bid
on the road if the lowest bidder was not
to be recognized; the residents along the
entire length Of the road were satisfied
with the stone, and as the price was low,
| the contract should be awarded. He
moved an amendment to Mr.. Fancher's
motion-that the contract be awarded to
the firm named. The amendment was
seconded by Freeholder AFFORD.
Martin Cook, an ex-member of the
Board, and also Of its Road Committee
of last year, being granted permission,
spoke for awarding the contract to Bum
& Daniels, stating also that expert
analysis had proven the stone from the
| Wood quarry to be trap rock, as good as
other samples submitted.
Nevertheless, many of the members of
the Board failed to see the thing in this
light and several opposition speeches
were made. Major Dalrymple was
among them, and said he thought the
words ''best trap rock used in the speci-
fcations should be lived up to. Eve
don't want cheap road from Morris
town to Basking Ridge. and it costs money
to get a good road" Freeholder
TroxelI was opposed to both the original
motion and amendment. Laying the mat
ter over would neeessitate a delay Of
from four to six weeks and probably re-
suit as before, and in his opinion the con-
tract should not be awarded to the low
est bidder as the stone offered did not
comply with the specifications. The
county had had sufficient experience with
native stone. To this Mr.. Cook replied
that he had secured an analysis by an
expert, who stated that the stone was as
good trap rock as any in the county,
ssand if this stone is not trap rock then I
don't consider that we have any in Nor
ris county" Freeholder Post here in