The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-02
BRICK MEN ARE UNDERB|D
THE BARBER ASPHALT COMPANY
MAKES Low PRICE FOR
BRICK PAVING
UNDER ENGINEERS ESTIMATES
Board of Public Works Is Treated
to u 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 a competitor in
each. Not alone were they bidders,
rather unheard of proceeding, when
brick is concerned, but in eTr"ry case they
were the lowest, in the majority Of in
stances being below me estimate OF the
city engineer. in some cases as much as
81, 800. '-
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
Bedford to Beaumont, and Beaumont
from Decatur to Payne: Engineers eStl-
mate, 81 ,439; Fielding s. Shepley SIC, 2e8;
James Forestal. 81, $50; Barber Asphalt
company, S9,Si4.
Paving with sandstone, Minnesota, from
Eighth to Eleventh: Engineers estimate,
$l2 1873, Fielding & Shepley SlS,324; James
Forestal, 1920; Barber Asphalt com
Paving with asphalt. Minnesota street.
from Eleventh to Summit avenue: Engi-
neer's estimate. $500; r. Z. CONWAY
| company, Sc, 294; American contracting
company, S.. 1862; Barber Asphalt company,
Paving with asphalt, Jackson street,
from Ninth to Grove Engineers estl-
mate, $S,0T5; r. r. Conway company,
$7,OS2; American Contracting company,
| Sc. $50; Barber Asphalt company, $6,l2698
City railways part: r. r. Conway COM
pany S. 800 American Contracting COM
IS, 467, As.
Figured roughly. the property owners
concerned will secure asphalt paving for
! 81 "a per square yard. or a reduction Of
| Is per cent over previous prices; brick
| paying, 81 so per square yard, a reduction
| Of 10 Ger cent over former bids. and
sandstone paving, S2.34 per square yard.
or nearly per cent lower than former
| prices.
| With the entrance Of the Conway com
! pany there has been a perceptible drop
| in the price of asphalt paving, but partlc-
! ipation 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
| TO 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 rate
war came as a pleasurable surprise re
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,
I and the engineering department, when
! refuses to enforce its provisions. does
| not have any bearing on tho bids opened
/ yesterday, the specifications being drawn
/ before the resolution was passed. city
| Engineer ClaUssen SAYS ne will 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
| or 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-
| their extreme lowness, Will he accepted.