The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-20
SAVANNAH FIRM
To BUILD HALL
WILL USE GEORGIA GRANITE.
CITY COUNCIL. LET THE CONTRACT
FOR NEW CITY HALL

Five Bids Were Opened by Mayor
Mycrs-The Savannah Contracting
Company Was the Lowest and Got
the Job. Though for a Time There
Was Some Question as to Whether
Their Bid Was s2O5,767 or $2O5,-
167-LeOnard's Guarantee Check
Has Already Been Cashed and City
Has Money.
The new City Hall is to be built by a
Savannah firm out of Georgia granite.
This was determined at a meeting of
City Council yesterday.
The Savannah Contracting Company
submitted the lowest bid and it Sc
cured the contract. The probabilities
ure that a bond will be furnished by
the company by the middle, or last of
next week. The city offices will be
moved from the old Exchange as
soon as the bond is given and ap-
proved.
Bids for the construction of the new
building were opened at noon at the
City Exchange by Mayor Herman
Myers. There were present representa-
tives of all the bidders. and also a
number of supply men. Mr.. H. w.
Witcover, the supervising architect,
was present with Mayor Myers at the
opening of the bids.
Architect Was in Doubt.
A dramatic situation developed when
the bid of the Savannah Contracting
Company was read. Until the bid of
that firm was read, the bid of Grant
wilkins of Atlanta had been the low
est on the Georgia granite specifica-
ton. Wilkins had bid S205,500 on the
Georgia granite specification. Archi-
tect Witcover, who was reading the
bids out when, he came to the last,
that of the Savannah Contracting
Company. read off the figures on spec
ification B at once. When c was
reached. however, he paused and said:
Il don't know whether this is s205. .767
or 2O5, 167."
If it had been 767 the firm was beat
en-. If it were 167, they had beaten all
other bidders. The interest was in
tense. Mr.. Witcover hesitated, and
while he waited one of the spectators
called out that it was a Z. Another
Immediately said it was a /. Nelth-
er, however. had any authority to
"A
of the Savannah Contracting Company
arose and said the bid was $205, 1877. The
Mayor took the paper from Mr.. Wit
cover and studied the figures.
Mayor Decided the Point.
'It looks like a one" said the May
or.
The figure was compared with the
figure in B. bid about which there
was no uncertainty and it was seen
that it was a one. After opening the
bids Mayor Myers announced to those
interested a special meeting of Coun-
Gil was TO be held at 4 O'Clock and
that. the contract would probably be
let by ) o'clock.
At the session of Council the alder
men were unanimous. They favored
giving the contract to the lowest bid
der on the Georgia granite. The same
firm however, was lowest on the
the meeting were Mayor My
ers, Chairman of Council Dixon. AL
dermen Davant. Grayson, Thomas,
oliver. Glatigny. McKenna, Schroeder
and Cantv.
The bids submitted were as follows.
]. H. Mckenzie & Sons of Augusta,
on Winnsboro granite, $217,9S0; on
Georgia granite, three grades, 1912. 40O,
$213. 400 and $215, 400.
Grant Wilkins of Atlanta, on Winns-
boro granite. $215,OOO; on Georgia
granite. $2o5. 500.
w. o. & C. G. Burton of st. Louis,
on Winnsboro granite, $215, 900; on
Georgia granite, $209.000
General Supply and Construction
Company of New York. on Winns-
boro granite, $215.819; on Georgia gran
ate, $214,3S3 or 5000, 1859, blue or gray.
Savannah Contracting Company, on
Winnsboro granite, $211, ,167; on Geor-
gia granite, $205,167.
Contract Was Awarded.
A special resolution of Council was
passed awarding the contract and al
lowing until Saturday, March 26, in
which to execute a bond. The bond
will be here by the middle of the week.
1t is believed. Before next Wednesday
it is thought all the offices in the City
Exchange, except the clerk of Councils,
will have been removed to police head
quarters. One more meeting of Coun-
Gil will probably be held in the old ex-
change.
At the meeting nothing was SAID Of
the check of S. S. Leonard, the con-
tractor to whom the building was first
given. He failed to give bond, 1t will
be remembered, and thereby forfeited
his contract. Leonard's bid that we
accepted was on Winnsboro granite. 1t
was for little over S209, 900. The lowest
boro stone was for a little over $211 ,00O
The city is therefore losing about ST..
300 or $1,000, to say nothing of the
delay that has taken place. This delay
will doubtless be charged against the
check, and a large amount of Leon
ards money will probably he retained
by the city, if indeed all is not :e-
tanned.
1t was learned that the check of
Leonard had already been cashed. The
city now holds no check made out by
Leonard. Almost week ago tine
check was cashed and the money turn
ed into the city treasury, though this
was not made public until yesterday.
So Leonard's money has already been
forfeited. and the only way he can get
any part of it back is by a special
resolution of Council. Under the bids
submitted the City Hall will have to
be completed by Feb. /, 1905.