The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-02
BRICK MN ARE UNDERB|D
THE BARBER ASPHALT COMPANY
MAKES LOW PRICE FOR
BRICK PAYIEG
UNDER ENGINEERS ESTIMATES
Board of Public Works Is Treated
to Series OF Surprises
at Yesterdays
Session

when trusts fail out, honest people
get their dues" u new version Of an old
saw. and yet to the members Of the
board Of public works. who tackled
number OF surprises yesterday in the
opening of bids for paving, its meaning
was more than convincing.
Heretofore Fielding & Shepley and
James Forrestal. whom some aldermen
have dubbed the brick trust" have been
alone in the contest for brick paving.
with the former firm generally success
full, but the members of the board yes
terday, in opening bids for about $4,000
worth of paving, received a mild sort Of
surprise when the Barber Asphalt Paw
ing company was found competitor in
each Not alone were they bidders,
rather unheard Of proceeding, when
brick is concerned, but in every case they
were the lowest. in the majority Of in
stances being below the estimate Of the
city engineer, in some cases as much as
1900.
For the several streets to be paved
three classes Of material, asphalt. brick
and sandstone, were named, and the cut
administered by the Barber people was
Of the butcher variety. The bids opened
were as follows:
Paving with brick. Decatur street. from
from Decatur to Payne: Engineers esIl-
mate, 81 439; Fielding * Shepley, SlO. %;
James Forestal, Al4S0i Barber Asphalt
company 1854.
Eighth to Eleventh: Engineers estimate,
$l2,l53, Fielding & Shepley, Sl5,324; James
Forestal. $4,000; Barber Asphalt com
pany, $l2,15S.
Paving with asphalt. Minnesota street.
from Eleventh TO Summit avenue: Engl-
ueers estimate, $1,000; r. /. Conway
company So 294 American Contracting
company $500; Barber Asphalt company,
Paving with asphalt Jackson street,
from Ninth to Grove. Engineers estI-
mate, $SO75; r. +. Conway company,
ST O82; American Contracting company,
City railways part: r. F. Conway COM
pany, $500; American Contracting COM
pany, 1884; Barber Asphalt company
s.. 467 45.
Figured roughly. the property owners
concerned will secure asphalt paving for
81 "a per square yard or a reduction Of
% per cent over previous prices; brick
paying, 81 50 per square yard. a reduction
Of 10 Per cent over former bids. and
sandstone paving S2.34 per square yard.
or nearly 5 per cent lower than former
prices.
With the entrance Of the Conway com
pany there has been n perceptible drop
in the price Of asphalt paving, but partic-
ipatiou by the Barber company In brick
and sandstone contracts was never eX-
pected, and in consequence property own
ers are jubiiant.
That the two trusts. as some are wont
20 term the paving companies VINO mako
a speciality Of the two materials, We're
on the outs has been apparent for some
time, but that It would result in a rate
war came as a pleasurable surprise. Te
the brick and sandstone people, VINO have
had things pretty much their cwu way,
it was a sumner.
The paving indemnity resolution, which
has been a matter Of much dispute be-
tween the council. which passed II,
and the engineering department, when
refuses to enforce its provisions, does
not have any bearing on the bias opened
yesterday the specifications being drawn
before the resolution was passed. City
Engineer CIaussen says h. viii use az
much OF It as he sees fit. while some Of
the aldermen, on the other hand say they
will refuse to accept SUCH specifications
OF allow contracts On them. no matter
how low the bids If the resolution Is not
embodied in them.
For a sewer on Winnipeg and Park
avenue. w. J. Preston and John Lind
were the lowest bidders. each Offering TO
do the work for S949. All Of the bids
were taken under consideration though
in the case of the paving BIDS, the pTopO-
sitiOns of the Barber people, in view Of
their extreme IOwness, VIII he accepted.