The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-01
LOCAL COMPANY'S BIDS
FIRM WITH BEST OIL AWARDED
ASHLAND-AvENUE CONTRACT.
Work Will Be Done for $3.50 Per Lin
cal Front FoOt-Lowest Bids
the Same.

Further investigation of the awarding of
the contract for the pavement of Ashland
avenue with wooden blocks, from Twenty
third to Twenty-eighth street, TO the Hoos-
Ter Construction Company, of Indianapolis,
shows that. contrary to statements pub
lished several days ago. the indianapolis
firm did not get the contract on the highest
bid.
1t was thought at first that the j. X.
Cooper Company, of Terre Haute, sub
mitted lower bids for creoline blocks than
any of the bids of the local concern. The
board would have been justified In award
ing the contract to the Hoosier Construc-
ton Company, even If its bid had been
higher than that Of the Cooper company,
for City Chemist Moffatt's tests of the oils
submitted by both companies shows that
creoline is not as good for paving block
purposes as kreodone oil, which Is to be
used by the local company.
KREODONE OIL THE BEST.
The cheapest quality of kreodone oil sub
mitted with the bids of the Hoosier Con-
struction Company is superior to the best
quality of creoline oil submitted with the
bids Of the Terre Haute company, accord
ing to the report of City Chemist Moffatt's
tests, which he has sent to the Board of
Works in careful detail. The lowest bids of
each company were exactly the same. For
the B quality Of kreodone oil and the COM
bination cement curb and gutter the Hoos-
Ter Construction Company bid A.96 per
lineal front foot. The Cooper company s
lowest bid for creoline oil and the combina-
ton cement curb and gutter was also 81. 80
per lineal front foot.
The Hoosier Construction Company got
the contract at $3.50 per lineal front foot,
for best quality kreodne oil and cement
curb. This company'S highest bid was
$5.52, which was for the highest quality
local company submitted three sets of bids
lone for the best quality kreodone oil, one
for the A, or second best quality, Of kreo-
dine oil. and one for the 3. or third best
quality of kreodone oil. And the b kreodone
oil is better for block paving uses than the
best quality of the creoline oil submitted
chemists report to the Board Of Works
| says. Mr.. Moffatt sent supplementary
report to the board with the technical re-
port on his examination of the oils
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT.
'In the supplemental report" DR.. Moi
| fatt says, 81 called attention to the fact
that the oil submitted and marked creoline
was, in the sense of our specifications
| adulterated, because it contained either
resin or some resin derivative in large pro-
| portions, and this conferred on ii drying
properties. all of which showed it to be in
consistent with creosote.
| 81 also pointed out that this oil, wher
| mixed with per cent. Of slack lime II
| water, set to a stiff mass, characteristic
| resin oil. None of the other oils submitted
| did that. / also pointed out in references
| to the treated blocks submitted with thu
| oils that the block submitted by the Cooper
| people was treated with oil different from
| that in the bottle. / have no reason L
believe that the block was treated will
anything but creosote oil. as the oil In tbs
block was wholly devoid of drying proper
| ties"
DIR. Moffatt received $40 for making tn,
| tests of the kreodone and creoline oils, and
| he says that he will give anyone 500 If Il
can be shown him that his tests were In
4 correct.