The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-03
GOES 70 uJTLER-RYAN GO.
CAPITOL COMMISSION AWARDS THE
CONTRACT FOR TERRACES
AND APPROACHES
LOWEST BID WAS 1855, 116.99
Meeting Yesterday at Which Bids
Were Acted Upon Was Held
Behind Closed DOOrs-Sea-
bury's Statement.

AS was quite freely predicted when one
month ago the capitol commission re-
jected all bids for the granite steps, ap-
proaches and terraces of the new build
ing, the Butler-Ryan company, which
was one of the high bidders at that
time, has now been awarded the contract
for that work.
After the rejection of the former bids,
the specifications for the work were care
fully revised by the architect, Cass Gil
bert, at the request of the board, and
every concession was made to economy
that could be without sacrifice of strength
or too great sacrifice of beauty in re-
suit Thus in many places where the
former specifications called for blocks
of a certain high finish the present ones
permit something which requires less
skilled workmanship, and where the for
mer plans provided for one large block,
the present ones permit the use of several
smaller ones, aggregating the same di-
mansions. Numerous other changes in
detail were made, but their character
was such that their effect would only
be apparent to an architect or builder.
Besides these notifications in the plans
and specifications as calling for Min
nesota granite, it was also stated that
the board would receive bids on other
kinds Of stone. In spite of the modifica-
items made in the plans and specifications,
and the fact that the former bids had
Teen rejected as being beyond all posi-
bility of consideration the diminution in
the proposals submitted yesterday was
not SO marked as to be striking. The bids
formerly rejected as too high, all of
which were for Minnesota granite and
figured on the former specifications, were
as follows: P. M. Hennessy, $273, 227; But
ler-Ryan company, 1891 ,100; Charles S.
Decks, 1892, 600.
That the members of the board were
by no means unanimous in their views
yesterday is plainly apparent from the
fact that the consideration Of the bids
alone occupied the entire afternoon and
extended we'll into the evening, it be-
ing nearly 1870 when the contract was
finally awarded and the meeting adj
Journed. What the course of discussion
was or the views expressed by the indt-
Vidual members, however, may never be
made known to the public, as the bus
mess of the meeting was transacted en-
tirely behind closed doors. After the
meeting was adjourned, the newspaper
reporters, who had waited in the hall for
several hours, were permitted to enter,
and were given the following statement
by President Claiming Seabury, and, at
his request, it was taken down verbatim.
1t is published here just as it was given
by Mr.. Seabury:
1--WE received bids for steps, approaches
and terraces, all to be of Minnesota
granite, from the following:
T. NJ. Hennessy, St. Paul ...... $26S, 1926. 90
George S. Decks & Co., st. Paul. 26S, 300. 90
George j. Grant, st. Paul ...... 262,0O0 90
Butler-Ryan company, st. Paul. 255,ll6.99
FOR GRANITE FROM OUTSIDE.
Amberg Granite company, Amberg, . 49,.
oe %1s j Grant Amberg granite S 2S3 ySS
tho hid forms TOrOJri6P6 q RIGHT
on the part of the capitol commission
ers to omit a certain portion Of the APP
proaches from the streets at the east
and west ends of the building, and all
of the bidders submitted figures with
deductions from the amounts above
named, which might be taken from the
several bids above in the event that the
board should see fit to omit the work
described.
There were a large number of other
bids for Bedford limestone, Kettle river
sandstone and Georgia marble in various
combinations with and without granite.
1T has been the. desire of the board to
use Minnesota granite II possible and,
although there was a sentiment in favor
of cheaper stones, 1t was finally decided
to award the contract to the Butler-Ryan
company on the basis of their bid of
$255, 1869, less deduction of $16,2S4. Go for
a substitution of granolithic granite in
portions of the nat surfaces Of the steps,
instead of the native granite"
This granolithic stone is made of bro-''
ken and ground pieces of the same gran
tie that will be used in the rest of the
work, and While somewhat cheaper, Is
said to be equally durable for that part
of the work where it is adopted
1T is in common use in similar work
in various parts Of the country. After
making this deduction, the net cost of
the emile work under the Butler-Ryan
companys bid is $2SS S2l.54 AS before
stated, the board has the right to omit
some work at the extreme east and west
ends of the building, amounting to $4S,
730.SS. This work will be omitted for the
present until the board has let other
contracts and ascertained more definite
ly the funds at their disposal. Therefore
the contract awarded yesterday amounts
to $50, lO1.G6.''
The board passed the monthly esti-
mates Of the Butler-Ryan company
amounting to $1,000.