Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1904-09-26
WILL FIGHT
City Will Not Allow a Firm Of
Contractors Hold Up City I'm
prOvement Because Of a
Past Grievance Without
aStrugg|e--M Of
FreehOIders Favorable

After an agreement had been prao-
tically reached to allow the Board of
Water Commissioners to lay the new
main on Bridge street, South Am
boy, on condition that this city give
bond to cover any possible damage
to the road being built by Rue s.
Fountain, and that this city pay that
firm an amount equal to the five per
cent. retained by the county until q
year has elapsed from the completion
of the contract, Mr.. James Fountain,
of that firm, brother of Director AS.
bury fountain, of the Board of Free.
holders, upset all the calculations and
came ont fatty with his ultimatum
that his firm would only consent to
the laying Of thu main upon the pay
ment by this city Of 90, 500.
The meeting between the Water
Commissioners and the freeholders
took place this morning at the scene
of the work, on Bridge street, the
Sayreville approach to the bridge.
The circumstances surrounding this
latest county CITY tangle were stated
to be as follows: Rue & Fountain
have the contract for cutting
through to the bridge; for macadamiz-
ing width of eighteen feet In the
middle; for filling in at the sides:
for putting up plank gutter at the
side to support the road. and for putt
ing in iron rods to add stability to
the plank in at the side. The entire
work will be completed within about
two weeks, but until December 1, 1905,
the bond of the contractors, Rue &
Fountain, still stands, to cover the
entire amount of the contract price
from the county, and in addition, five
psr cent. of the price is to be retained
until the expiration of the year from
the date of the acceptance OF the road
from the county, which will be about
December 1, 1905. Until that date
Rue & Fountain are in control CT
the road, as far as any tearing-up is
concerned.
The Water Commissioner offered
to release Rue g. Fountain from that
clause Of their contract by paving over
the five per cent. to be otherwise re-
tanned until December 1, 1905. For
this consideration, this commissioners
were to be allowed to lay section OF
the new twenty -four.inch supply
main, at the extreme western side Ct
the road, about sixteen or eighteen
feet from the edge.of the eighteen foot
strip of macadam in the center of the
road. The county has grant of a
ditch of sixty feet from Mrs. Fouratt,
who lives at the ond of the new. made
street. The pipe would be ut the very
edge of this sixty feet. The freeholders
and Water Comm issioners had even
gone 30 far as to determine just
where the pipe should be lald and the
nine freeholders present had even
passed motion permitting the re-
lease of Rue & Fountain from the
hindersome clause in Htheir contract,
as far as the county was concerned,
upon the giving by this city of $40,
600 bond, to cover possible damage. 1t
was then that James Fountain came
out with his statement: 81 mean to
stand by my contract, and l refuse
to consent to the laying of the watel
main on this street unless our firm
receives $25. .O00." Ho absolutely re.
fused to take the five per cent. fol
which he will otherwise be obliged tt
wait for more than year, even upor
the giving by this city of bonds fol
10000.
The local freeholders were present,
and freely combatted their fellow
(fgo,,finased IA, 4,0os .