New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-18
PRICE THREE CENTS.
ALL EAGER FOR A START.
RAPID TRANSIT CONTRACTOR
GETTING HIS BONDS READY
SAYS HE WILL NOT OPERATE THE
ROAD. BUT WILL sUBLET THAT
PART OF HIS CONTRACT TO
EXPERIENCED MEN. *

The secretary Of the Board OF Rapid Transis
Commissioners served formaI notice upon John
B. Mcdonald yesterday that his bid OF $50 OOO.-
900 for the construction OF the underground rail-
way had been accepted. Hence the period OF ten
days. within which the contractor must furnish
his bonds and securities has already begun TO
run. Mr.. Mcdonald may qualify to-day-he
says he has his bonds all resdy-but he may de-
eide to avail himself OF the time allowance and
spend It in making hts sub-contracts. in order
TO insure there being no hitch about an actual
beginning Of the work within thirty days OF
signing the main contract. At the time he put
in his bid Mr.. Mcdonald told the Commissioners
that Mr.. Freedmars guarantee company, the
Platt guarantee company and the American
Surety Company would furnish his bonds and
these We're satisfactory to the Board. AS ex-
planned in The Tribune yesterday Mr. Mcdonald
must give one bond for $3.OOO.OOO to insure con-
strUction and equipment. another bond OF ST.
100000 to insure operation OF the road and also
deposit $1O000GO in cash or marketable securf-
ties. As soon as he informs President Orr that
his bonds are ready special meeting OF the
Board will be called to pass upon them and au-
thorize the signing Of the contract.
MDONALD READY TO BEGIN
When Mr.. Mcdonald was seen yesterday at
his downtown Office, No 100 Broadway. he was
in sangutne mood He said he did not intend
u.
would sublet that part Of his contract TO some
experienced railroad men. not yet decided upon
Representatives Of the Metropolitan and the
Thiro Avenue companies said they did not want
it. Rumor contradicts them both. Mr. McDon-
aid SAID. among other things:
. I viii begin work the tunnel within ten or
that will be signed IS at the discretion Of the Boari
OF Rapid Transit Commissioners. l am ready to
qualify at any tme-almost at a moments notice
Ny bonds are all ready and can be offered at once
ness So soon as can viii get get to wo2k' ri and will
ming do not Know wbre ursl fb & {ne read Is run
T art VIII De taken. While there may be a first
at forty different places at once The work Win be
subleI to as many contractors can be handled.
large o small. individually If a man can oniy
not more than few hundred feet and can do the
work he will receive as much consideration the
man who can contract for several miles The OBJ
tect is to get the work done quickly It be
zone Vel & me [oaI ] WI & oe running within t9Iee
will aim TO have the different sections completed
section and finishing that before going TO another
work when It is fairly started do not know now
how will dispose of the dirt that is excavated- II
any point where I get the most money for H.
BY the terms OF The contract an the exS7vated % ma
for filing in uarshland and sunken lots. and much
walls though / hope we shall not have too much
blasting TO do. Among my suo-contractors will 2e
for me on the Jerome Park Reservoir and on the
!
the least with the progress OF the work on the
WILL NOT OPERATE THE ROAD.
It is not my intention TO operate the road after it
is built. There plenty of experienced railroad
cred that point yet and cannot tell now whom
will sGblet that part OF my contract In SO IaT as
l may take partner two, but that has not been
build the first section of the road than al the
others No sub-contractS have been leI as ye5
have understanding with the METROPOLITAN SI Hai-
road other railroad. or with IanI1any tali, ,
oTsanzaflo1. oHs aI mao More than hall Of the viii
be expended for labor and | calculate mat a2G9t y
borers and mechanics in this city but politics VIII
There will be no interruption TO traffic. no streets
will be closed. and the convenience Of the people
will be considered all the time the Work Is IN PrOs
PRESIDENT ORR LOOKS AHEAD
Alexander E. Orr. president OF the Commission.
was almost jubilant yesterday over the situa-
ton. but he is still looking ahead He said;
Lam as pleased as can be. SO soon as the con.
tractor shall put up his bonds for the fuhment OF
naries accomplished the president or tne boaI9
will direct him 70 proceed with al dispatch; ana
viii see that he does so | do not know %heTe rene ne
Will begih tme woaA- & - s,IInys ne faster Jhs
work will proceed and the better the Board viii
i IT ~ W., in No, Interfering with the trafc one OF
the provisions OF the contract IS that trarc must
not be nterfered with. y viii; Of course be i'm,
Viii see 10 it that there is as little interference as
possible The hrst consideration - that WORK oe
done quickly. Mr.. Mcdonald appears TO be as
anxious we are that the road shall be nnisned
Board he said he could have the cars running inside
OF three years hope he WILL -
this city? AsSUTedy not II Will be good so Iar as
goes. But this is growing CITY, ana IIe q-ssSS-
ROAD = IiLIJ -L 1C IL not go, mean mat the Rapid
Transit Commission will rest from It's laoors. s AZ
dtinai raDid transit we Shall be obliged consider
n if he makes his case good and show that the
Na hon tied i
shall some day see tunnel running under lower
10 have the tunnel under there oeIore puttlns u
thought II would injure their values Before this
tunnel has been running very Io1g you VIII see
with a petition for tunnel under broadway: But.
we have nothing 70 consider now but the best and
quickest way 10 do the JOB we now nave on our
hands we are just entering on tunnel age
LETTER FROM MR.. WHITNEY.
Before the bids were opened Mr.. Orr received
the following letter from w c. Whitney;
No sal Fifth-ave.
New-York. January 16. 1900.
out Offering to YOU and your associates my sincere
tulatiOns upon the nna success Of your long
labor II IS apparent you nave responsible and
capable parties bidding, and the work viii neces-
sarly be cOnplei3d Ihe MetropohIan company
work no matter which bid YOU accept. and will
Loyalty stand by your efforts IN every way Yours
p ST should say perhaps that the company
hid The credit OF undertaking this great work be-
longs 10 others but we viii aid them in all ways
MR. PARsoNs's PREDICTION.
William Barclay Parsons. the chief engineer
of the Commission dashed the hopes OF some
people TO the ground yesterday when he said
that the completion of the underground road
would by no means mean the extinction Of the
strap hanger" He said;
All the portions Of this road that will be exposed