The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-24
JUNKETS And BRICK
FONDNESS FOR BOTH OF
THEM
SOME NEW PAVING HISTORY


Property owners on Rice street be-
tween College and University avenues,
or at least a score of them. are much
aroused over the action of the board Of
public works in advertising for bids for
the paving of the street with brick. A
! petition signed by owners representing
about 1900 feet of frontage between Col
lege and University avenues. was. pre-
| scented to the board, asking that the
street between these points be paved
with asphalt instead of brick The board
took the petition under consideration,
and then went on and concluded the ar
engagements for paving the street with
| brick. Bids for the work of paving the
street from College avenue to Front
street were opened Friday, and the con-
tract will be awarded at the first regular
meeting after Jan. 1.
The property owners who favored as
phalt between College and University
avenues claim that the board took snap
Judgment on them, and they were given
no chance to make objection to brick
pavement. Andrew Marks, who owns
lots on Rice street south of University
avenue, in speaking of the matter yes
terday, said:
Myself ard about twenty other own
ers are and have been in favor of as
phalt being laid on the street south of
University avenue We did not care what
kind Of pavement was laid from Univer-
slty avenue to Front street, but we were
and are Of the opinion that the board
OF public works should pay some atten-
ton to the wishes of the property own
ers In the kind of pavement to be laid.
The board has taken snap judgment, and
the first thing we knew Of the matter
ar l.. ~.
official paper asking for bids for paving
the street with brick. The petition,
which was signed by the owners favor
ing asphalt, was presented to the board,
but the members of that body were a
unit In favor of brick. Members of the
board, accompanied by member of the
city council and others interested I'm the
laying of brick pavements visited some
of the signers to the asphalt petition and
intimated that If" there was any objection
to the laying Of a brick pavement the
street would not be paved in three years
This threat had the desired effect. and
rather than have the paving of the street
delayed for that time enough of the owns
ers who favored asphalt changed over
and ordered their names placed on the
petition for brick, paving. This action.
however, was not taken until a day or
SO before. the bids for paving the street
with prick were opened by the board of
public works. 1 understand the contract
has not been let by the board of public
works, and i do not know that those on
posed to a brick pavement south of Uni
Versity can prevent brick being laid. but
an effort will be made to hold up the
award OF the contract when it comes to
the council for approval"
The action of the board of public works
In Its efforts to secure the laying of brick
on the streets has been the subject of
more or less criticism by property owners
and this has not been confined to the
owners on Rice street alone During the
past three months the members of the
board have been given a couple Of "iun-
kets' by the owners or agents of brick
manufacturing plants at GalesburR Ill
and Des Moines, 10. One Of these 'J,in-
kets' Included trip to Chicago, and the
inspection of brick paving In that CITY
as well as the inspection Of other attrac-
lions. The members of the board were
entertained at one of the f1rst-class no.
tets While IN Chicago and the ST. Paul
agent of the Galesburg. brick company, as
we'll as one of the members of the St
Paul firm Of contractors, who have been
lucky enough to get all the brick paving
contracts this season, happened in the
Windy City about the time that the mem
bers of the board Of public works were
inspecting the paving and other things
It is a matter of opinion whether or not
these ''junkets' of the board had anything
to do with the laying of brick pavements
in st. Paul. But property owners Will
think, and some of them will say what
they think These latter include some
Of the men who have favored asphalt In
front of their property, but who have
had to be satisfied with brick as selected
by the board.
The desire for brick pavements on all
streets OF the city, whether the property
owners favor 1t or not, is not confined ex-
clusively to the members of the board
Of public works Other city officials are
of the same opinion. Comptroller McCar-
dy started the ball rolling on this sub
Ject soma months ago, when In q lengthy
communication to the conference commit
tee he declared that no more asphalt
pavement should be laid in the city, and
that in the future only brick be used. City
Engineer Claussen Is also an outspoken
champion of brick paving, and a ma jority
of the counctlmen also have the brick
fever.
There has been more or less talk
about combine among the contractors
in the brick paving business, even though
this is denied by Louis E. Shepley, of the
firm of Fielding & Shepley, who have
done all of the work of brick paving
which has been let by the board of public
works this year.
'fIt sts all nonsense, this talk about a
combine among the contractors" said
Mr.. ShepIey yesterday. "Of course the
withdrawal Of the bid of ]. II. Killmar,
Of Minneapolis, on Friday, looked queer
to an outsider, but 1t was purely a bust
ness proposition with Mr.. Killmar He
had made a bid without knowing at Just
what price he could get the brick from
the manufacturers. Just before the bids
were opened he received a telegram from
the brick men, and as 1t did not agree
with his figures and he stood to lose some
money he withdrew his bid He did moth
ing more than any other business man
would have done under the circum-
stances. My firm wanted to- get the con-
tract, for it was for good piece of
work, and I figured very closely on the
job. I saw the railroad people and was
in constant communication with the brick
manufacturers and consequently knew
just what 1 could do
The explanation of Mr.. Shepley as to
the withdrawal of the bids handed In by
Mr.. Killmar, of Minneapolis, differs from
the explanation of President Pottgfeser
In conversation yesterday Mr. Pottgfeser
said he had no knowledge Of the reason
Mr.. KflImar had for withdrawing his
| bid, further than what the Minneapolis
contractor stated at the meeting of the
board
Friday evening"" said Mr.. Pottgieser,
''Mr. KiIlmar informed me, in the pres
enee of several gentlemen right here In
the saloon, that his bids for the paving
of Rice street and Broadway were higher
than any of the other bids which were
| opened
President Pottgieser was of the opinion
that the figures submitted by the several
contractors showed plainly that there
was no combine among the contractors.