Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-06-25
COUNCIL GOT
A BARGAIN
Contract for Water Works Granted
to Judith Hardware Company and
Patrick Walsh.
COMPLETE BY NOVEMBER FIRST
Five Bidders Contested-Saving of
Three Thousand Dollars Effected
by the Letting.

II the contracts be signed and bonds
furnished, of which there is little
doubt, Lewistown will have water
works completed by November 1st,
the materials being furnished by the
Judith Hardware Co. and the work be-
ing done by Patrick Walsh, formerly
OF Anaconda. The total price. exclu.
siye OF pump and setting. and reser-
voir. is $25.227S6. a figure lower by
more than $4,000 than offered by any
other contractor. Such was the re.
suit of the two meetings on Saturday
and the conclusion Monday evening.
The time for opening of the bids
arrived at 4 o'clock Saturday and at
that hour Mayor Cook. Aldermen Stod.
dard, Eldridge, Laux and Symmes and
Clerk Chandler assembled at the coun.
ell chamber. Alderman Hemphill was
out of the county and Alderman
Wright had been called from the city.
Beside these there were present II.
II. King. brother OF E. w. King of
Kendall, Patrick Walsh, A. w. War;
of the Montana Hardware Co.. and
the reporters.
Six bids laid upon the table and
without objection they were opened.
The mayor started to read the first,
but 1t being found that the bidder
had placed prices upon individual
items, trenching, refilling, furnishing
of pipe, hydrants, elbows, etc, etc.
and given no gross figure, II was de-
cided no intelligent idea could be Sc.
cured by hasty reading.
The bidders were II. II. King. agree
ing to complete the work by Novem-
Der LIST. and inclosing certified check
for $1,000.
Patrick Walsh, trenching, laying
pipe and refilling trenches at 90 cents
per foot. check for 1919.
w. w. Cook 4 Son of Junction City,
Kas., work to be completed by No
vember 30th, check for $500
Montana Hardware Co. entire work
to be completed by November 1st for
$33.S75. certified check for $500.
This was the only bid which included
material, work and the completion of
the entire system.
Judith Hardware Co.. furnishing OF
certain material for SIS. 2i0. 81. deliv-
cred as called for by contractor, check
for $912.O2.
Wisconsin Supply Co. of Milwaukee,
pump only, no check.
After some debate 1t was decided
to refer the bids to the city engineer
for report at p. m.
At that hour the council again as.
sembled and the city engineer report.
ed that he had made an approximate
estimate OF the amount OF each bid
as follows:
II. r. King. S31 ,630.99.
Patrick Walsh. trenching. laying
pipe and refllling only, s6,3s755.
w. w. Cook & Son, all except ball
joints. $S1.SSs.s5.
Montana Hardware Co.. complete
system, s33,S75.
Judith Hardware Co., hydraulic
tees. ball joints, valve boxes. pump
and all work excepted. sls.72s.49.
Mr.. War; addressed the council at
length, insisting that theirs was the
only complete bid. inasmuch as they
were the only bidders offering TO oom-
plete the system for a given figure,
as called for by the advertisement for
bids, that from each other bid except
that Of II. r. King something OF vital
importance had been excepted and
Mr.. Kings bid was-like others-up-
on seperate items. the quantity or
amount OF each being left for the
contractor as well as the council to
determine. and the city engineer stat
ed in his specifications that the esti.
mates OF material, pipe. trenching,
etc, were only approximate. II Mr..
King had offered to complete the work
for s31 ,63O.99-the figure arrived at
by the engineer and not guaranteed
by the bldder-that would be the best
bid and the council should accept Il.
but in accepting any partial or indef.
mite bid the city might have a charge
for extras amounting TO thousands OF
dollars. This view met with combat
from Aldermen Stoddard and Laux
and others.
Mayor Cook brought up the matter
OF councilmen being interested in
contracts or purchases made by the
city and II was cited that two mem.
bers-Laux and Stoddard-were in.
terested In one bid submitted. Mr..
Symmes and others deplored the
raising Of this point as insistence upon
1t would deprive the city Of competi.