Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-07-07
CONTRACT
AWARDED

The contract for erecting the munic
ipal electric light plant on Saturday
night was awarded to the Rumsey
Electrical Manufacturing Company OF
Philadelphia at figures falling slight
ly below al5. .OOO
In order that the public might have
full information as to the proceed
ings while in executive session on mo.
tion of Mr.. Reifsnyder, seconded by
Mr.. Vastine. it was ordered that the
bids for Mill street paving be re read
and the contract be awarded in pub.
lilo.
The proceedings which followed Sat.
urday night showed that the first thing
done on Friday night was to look over
the samples and select kind OF brick.
Council. it appears, as u unit favored
the clay brick, rejecting the shale
brick. The first thing. therefore. to
do was to decide on one of the several
kinds OF olay samples. taking into CON
sideration prices quoted. quality, etc.
Here again Council was unanimous,
deciding upon the Reese Hammond
block made at Bolivar, Pa.
These bricks were covered by only
two Of the bids on hand those Oh ID.
j. Rogers Of this city and I. J. Leroh
and Co., OF Reading. Mr. Rogers
agreed to put down the pavement for
e2. II a cubic yard, with so cents foot
for ourbing, ON six inoh concrete
foundation. The figures i'm the bid of
/. ]. Leroh 81 Company were g. "a per
cubic yard with rs cents per foot for
ourbiuQ.
The contract for paving Mill street,
therefore, was awarded to ID. J. Rog-
ers as the lowest bidder. Both In curb
ing and paving MIR. Rogers figures
were the lowest There were five bids
In all. but it was only In the two
above named that the bricks stood the
breaking test applied. The others.
too, were higher in price.
It was nearly nine O'Clock when
Council got down to the regular work
OF the evening, which was to award
the contract for installing an electric
lighting plant.
Bids were read from four different
firms, only two Of which. however.
agreed to install the entire lighting
plant. These were Keller Pike & Com
pany and the Rumsey Electrical Man.
ufaoturing Company of Philadelphia.
the latter being represented at the
meeting by K. /. VanDoran. The Val.
ley Iron Works of Williamsport and
the Harrisburg Foundry and Machine
Company had put In vbids for furnish
Ing the engine. There wAa also bid
from John r. Walleze of this city for
erecting the pole line. The figures
named were 1897.
The Rumsey Company, which agreed
TO furnish the entire plant. including
engine. was the lowest bidder. There
was deep-rooted sentiment In Coun.
oil, however. in favor of the Harris
burg engine. which it. was understood.
was not the kind included i'm the
peoples bid.
+. W. Jackson representing the Har.
tisburg engine. was present and was
called upon for some information. He
presented number OF facts relative
70 engines In general and the Harris
burg product in particular. which
seemed to strengthen the conviction OF
the Counoilmen that the Harrisburg
engine was the one they needed.
Mr.. VanDoran seeing the drift of |
'entiment gracefully aoquiesoed and
explained that he would agree TO SUBJ |
titute the Harrisburg engine for the
,ne which he had selected. although |
he latter in his opinion and in the
opinion OF experts generally was first
lass in every respect and was quite az
,ood as any.
Mr.. Vastine moved that the contract
or putting mp and completing the
lectric light plant be awarded to the
sumsey Company Of Philadelphia at
IA. .662. 40. the engine to do the work
& IS pound pressure instead of at IS
ounds as originally bid. the borough to
q liable for an additional cost of not
YER s245 for the change. George Reif-
nyder seconded the motion.
The question was discussed at con.
iderab'- length, Chief Burgess Pur.
81 W. was present giving Council
he ,nefit OF his views. The question
a. led ON the following vote:
Yess-Davis. Reifsnyder. Vastine.
wank. Boyer. Goeser, David Gibson
nd Joseph Gibson.
Nays-Llovd and Dietrich
The two gentlemen In the minority
Kplained their position, which was
OF one of antaa0nism to municipal
ght in their opinion the vote was
and should not have been
lken until after the public election ,
as held to decide the question of | n
-easing indebtedness.
J. B. Nicholson, agent for the Bul.
'ok Electrical Co., Of Philadelphis,
as also present at the Council meet
lg and took lively interest In the 1
The public manifest keen interest In
le proceedings of Council relating to
10 two important improvements OF
light and street paving. 1t a
regarded Rs very fortunate that the v
west bidder for paving happened to
} q local contractor. Mr.. Rogers,
no holds the contract for building u
o new oulvert ON Mill street, has
rried the work through very expedi- {
ously and it is believed that he will !,
AXE good job of paving.
Council is warmly commended for
D good Judgment in the selection
paving brick or blocks. On Satur-
y morning the news reached this b
ace that Harrisburg had Just adopt N