The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-18
LIKELY TO SUE
THE JEFFERSON
Contractor Brumbaugh
Engages Able Counsel.
HAsLOsT MUCH MONEY
So Claims the Contractor, Through
Course of Hotel Company.
REOP. MING MAY BE AFFECTED
Lengthy Litigation aay Casss Consider.
able Delay = The Alleged Vary
ing Views of Messrs. Areats
and Jeffress About Re-
buidng-Material
RE0P- MING MAY BE AFFECTED

It is exceedingly probable that 2Ir. IL
Brumbaugh. the general contractor of tho
Jefferson Hotel, will bring suit agains.
the hotel company for damages Mr.
Brumhau;h will certainly ask for heavy
damages IL the suit is brought
The declaration will likely be filed in
the next few days. Mr.. ErLmbauSh has
enga aSed Messrs. Charles v. Meredith and
Preston Cooke, attorneys, as counsel
The papers were to have been filed this
week. but Il representative OF the hotel
company sent a request to the lawyers
asking that nothing be done until ME-.
Arents, who is in New York. could bs
heard from. The reply from Mr. Arents
is expected every day. Until his lcttes
comes, matters are at Il standstiil.
This suit, if it is brought, will grow
out of two distinct complaints made by
the contractor. One. of the causes oc-
CURED early in October. y notice is all
legged to have been served on the con-
tractor. Mr.. Brumbaugh. in which hs
holds that language was used which was
calculated and did do him injury. This
language. or more specifically. sinsis
word, MIR. Brumbaugh holds, has at
fccted. or is calculated to affect, his bust
ness as a contractor seriously. The no.
tee was served. so it is learned, about
the 4th or 9Th of October, when the ho-
tel was to have been finished, according
to contract, by the first of October.
MORE COMPLEX GRIEVANCE
The other alleged cause of complaint
is more complex. The history of the
trouble is this, briefly told: The contract
Of the hotel company with Mr.. Brurl-
baugh called for the hotel to be CONT
p1etcd by October 1st. It was to be fin
ist ty-f hat r fLa r,,.,Ss
stopped by the hotoi company Itself. M
every one knows, the hotel is NOT COM
plete yet Mr.. Brumbaugh contends,
however. that he was stopped by the
hotel company There is the smell OF
litigation about this. The contractor de-
clareS. so it is learned, that the hotet
company was pulling down the charrsd
walls of the Main-Street front of the
hotel right over his head, while he was
expected to be at work, and that thtS
was kept up until just a few days before
the time limit expired. He was thus
greatly delayed, so it is understood that
he will allege. It is learned that tho
hotel company has been Withholding a
considerable portion of the money which
Mr. Brumbaugh alleges to have been
due him. This figure, it is understood,
is far up into the thousands But tho
contractor has gone on with the work on
the hotel, all going out and nothing COM
ing to him from the hotel. The result,
he claims, is that he has had to CEASE
and give UP work at other places and
concentrate all his reSources here. This
is claimed to be the reason why the work
on the St Andrews Church has beer,
delayed. The contractor Is said to hava
found that all his ready money had TO
be used to pay his men on the Jefersou.
So Mr.. Brumbaugh, If, through his at
torneys, he brings suit. will assert THAI
he has been forced to lose a. great deal
Of money and business because, as stated
above. OF having to put all his money in
the Jefferson.
NAY AFFECT REOPENING.
OF course. it cannot be estimated what
effect the expected letter from Mr..
ArentS may have on these complicated
matters. But If the suit is brought and
a lengthy litigation follows, 1t Is no telt-
ing when the --otel will he opened. Ths
rebuilding of lne remaining part of ths
structure may also be seriously affected.
There is a possibility that the opening OF
the hotel may be postponed considerably,
though this might be avoided by the
company'S giving bond.
The men OF the two sides are said to be
very determined. Mr.. BrumhauSh con-
tends that he has put his money in the
hotel and will have it out Mr. Jeffress
l. uiiuef9tood 10 DC qudiiy IEEl. COIltend-
ing that the contractor owes the COM
pany bonus of $50 day since the tirst
day OF October. And so the matter stands
Mr.. Brumbaugh is still working on the
hotel He will probably finish his work
by the last of next week. Not a great
deal has to be done now. The stain glass
of the domes has not yet come. the eleva-
tors are not yet complete. but this almost
sums I'D what has to be done Unless
undue delay is caused by the failure CT
the stain glass of ~ne dome and the eleya-
tor parts TO come. the hotel ought to be
ready to be opened within three weeks
four at the outside. Whether it will be
then Is the question.