The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-17
PTICE OF ASPHALT
PAVING TAKES A
JUMP
Bids Opened Yesterday Show
That Contractors Will Ad-
vance Their Figure Be.
yond the Low One That
Has Been Prevailing for
Some Time.

Asphalt paving, an article now be-
ing closely watched by many property
owners, in view of the extensive street
surfacing Improvements to be made
this year, underwent an advance of 10
cents per square yard yesterday when
bids were opened by the board of
public works for the paving of Cen
trail avenue between Robert and Ce-
Oar. streets. The price quoted was
$1.98 per square yard.
In the face of a figure of 1920 and
even greater which has prevailed for
some years, a price Of S1.85 was OBJ
tanned some months ago for the paw
Ing of Ninth street, and hope was high
that this figure would again be dupl-
Gated but it is hardly likely to again
prevail.
Two Bids for Paving Central.
For the paving of Central avenue
two bids were received yesterday by
the board, one from the Barber As
phalt Paving company, the lowest bid
der, asking $8,67S.60 for the work and
the other from the r. F. Conway COM
pany, demanding S9686. Both were
above the engineers estimate, which
was based on the former extraordinary
low price of $1.85 per square yard, but
even at the advance price the board
thought it a good bargain, and accord
Ingly awarded the contract to the Bar
Der company The engineers estimate
was $500.
Today the board will open bids for
the paving of Exchange street from
Third to Cedar street, and the story
they will tell is eagerly awaited.
Talk Of a fight between the two as
phalt companies that control the BUSH
ness in st. Paul Is general, and the
outcome, having as it does, a general
bearing on future paving operations
in the Capital City, will be watched
with interest.
The fight for the control of the paw
ing OF University avenue, one of the
biggest surfacing contracts to be pIac-
ed this year, was in evidence yester-
day, when petitions were submitted to
the board, carrying the names of more
than one-half of the property owners
along University avenue, asking that
asphalt be the material used for paw
ing.
Favor Asphalt on University.
The occasion was the hearing of the
preliminary order calling for the paw
Ing of the street, and the offices of the
I board were filled with those interest
ed Out Of possibly fifty present, only
two had the temerity to offer a remon-
STRANGE, and they stipulated that if
paving the street was decided upon,
asphalt be the material. The others
II.
Louis Nash, who was in attendance.
insisted that if the street was paved
that all water, sewer and gas connec-
ton be made with the property before
the surface was laid. He was assured
that it would be done as far as prac-
ticable.
While they agreed that any figure
under 81 square yard for asphalt
would be money in their pockets, some
of the property owners, fearful that
IN their absence the price would be
boosted, secured from. the board the
promise that when the bids were open
ed no contract would be let for week
after, or until they had been heard
from. This was Commissioner Muir
phys suggestion, and 1t was accepted.
The city engineer agreed with the
board yesterday that his estimate was
probably q trif1e low.
The asphalt firms have been busy in
terviewing the property owners since
the Improvement came up, and some
OF them claim to hold promises that
the figure will not be over 81.
Agents for a creosoted wood block
pavement were busy yesterday and
distributed a large lot of printed mat
ter pertaining to the paving. The
sandstone people are also busy, but in
view of the extremely high price asked
it has few supporters, though it is
conceded to be a better material.