Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-03-09
They MADE 4 CONTACT.
Pan-Ameracan Commission - enc Cause
Of Contractors LOS mg several
Thousand Dollars.

Parkershurg, March LIT has Just
become known that Caldwell n Drake
OF this city, the contractors who are
building the court house here. the
state capital annex, a university
building at Morgantown and havs
under way considerable state work
are out OF pocket several thousands of
dollars by reason of the failure of the
Legislature TO appropriate money for
a state building and exhibit at the
Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo.
From what information that can be
secured it appears that the commits
sioners, five in number, who were ap-
pointed by Governor Atkinson ON his
own responsibility before the Legis-
lature took any action, proceeded to
adopt plans for a West Virginia build.
ing. Harrison Albright's drawings
were accepted and the contract
for the erection of the building
awarded to Caldwell & Drake.
That the contract was let will be the
news to the people of the state for
that has not heretofore been ANNOUNCE
ed in the press. There was no adver-
tising for bids, no competition at all,
it is said, nor was the transaction
heralded with any great public dis
play. In fact it was thought to keep
that matter secret till after the Leg
islature appropriated the fifty thous-
and dollars that the commissioners
asked for. In the meantime, Calwell
& Drake, feeling assured that every
thing would be all right, proceeded
to order material, considerable of il
from the mills in this city. They
purchased, it is said, on very good
authority, ~, 900 worth of material,
part of which was shipped to the site
of the proposed West Virginia build
ing at Buffalo.
Then came the meeting of the Leg.
islature and the bill of the commits.
%sioners asking for $50, 900. The states,
men were in an economical frame o1
mind and they knocked ont the bill
Then it developed that the Cover
nor had borrowed $40, 600 from one d
the state funds for the purpose of de.
fraying the expenses Of the commits.
sion and getting it started on Its
work, the Governor, of course, believ.
ing that the Legislature would make
a liberal appropriation for the project,
from which the fund lending the
aforesaid SO, 900 could be reimburs.
ed. When the original bill Of $50, 00t
was dealt a fatal blow the friends OF
the scheme came back with the anon
shaved down to $25. 900. 1t looked
like that would go through, but there
was a hitch somewhere and ii failed
to live. Then the Governor sent q
special message about the matter &c
the Legislature and that body appro,
pritaed just enough money TO REIN
burse the fund from which the Cover
nor had borrowed for the commission
er's use. That put the Governor
square, paid the perdiem and Other
junketing expenses of the commissior
but it left Caldwell q Drake out il
the cold several thousand dollars e
the bad, with a lot of material on
their hands that they could not use
at all. They proceeded to cancel or.
ders just as quick as they could Il
save themselves more loss.
1t is not apparent that they can hole
anybody responsible, as the contract,
it is said, was given ont contrary t
the law governing the awarding o
contracts for state work.
Hon. Stewart w. Walker, of Mar
tinsburg, and Edwin Eugene Smith
of this city, are two we'll known
members Of the commission.
ROOSEVELT AT CHURCH.