The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-08-12
Mccarthy Company Is Slightly
the Lowest Bidder.
Must Show That California As
phaIt Is All Right.
Bids on Asphalt Are as Low as
on Brick Paving.
From Wednesdays daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
1t will soon be up to the board of
public works to decide what kind of as
phalt shall be used on the streets to be
paved. If Pitch lake asphalt from the
island of Trinidad is to be used, then
the contract must go to the Barber As
phalt company, which is the lowest bid
der on that kind of asphalt. If Calfor-
MIA asphalt is to be used, then the con-
tract must 60 to the Mccarthy Improve
ment company, which is now the lowest
bidder on all of the streets. 1t is up to
the board to determine whether the
Acme brand of California asphalt is the
equal of the Trinidad asphalt. If they
find that it is, then the Mccarthy COM
pany will get the contract, but if they
should find that it is not, then the Bar
Der company stands a good show of
landing it. Whatever the board does,
it will be criticised, of course. If it
does what it considers to be the best
thing for the property owners, it can
afford to let the other fellows kick.
The Mccarthy company revised its
previous bid, by raising slightly on Front
and jackson streets and making mark
ed cut on Broad and Lincoln streets. It's
total bid will be only slightly lower
than it was before when taken as a
whole, and it will average about Sc
lot lower than that of the Barber COM
pany. Some of the property owners
have expressed a preference for the Bar
Der company, even at slightly advane-
ed cost, rather than have the work done
with asphalt that it believed to be still
an experiment, and by company that
has never yet laid foot of asphalt
pavement.
The Acme brand of asphalt is manu-
featured in California from the resi-
dunn of petroleum that has an asphaltic
base. 1t is said to have been manufac-
tured but three years, although thus far
no fault has been found with pavements
made of it. The Mccarthy company fur
nished the formula for its pavement
with its bid yesterday, as required by
the specifications.
Among those present when the bids
were opened yesterday were A. Jacks
of Chicago, and w. S. burlington of
Galesburg, III. Mr.. Jaicks is president
of the A. Jacks company, a paving
firm of Chicago that has done large
amount of asphalt paving there and else
where. Mr.. burlington is the manufac
turer of the famous burlington repress-
ed paving brick, and is interested in
Mr.. McCarthy's bid. G. M. Carpenter
was present representing the Barber
company, and President Mccarthy of the
Mccarthy company. The Western Con-
structien company was not represented
in person.
1t was a little after three o'clock
when the bids were opened. Just as they
were about to be opened, Mr.. Carpenter
stated that among the allegations in
the Injunction suit just started was one
to the effect that the board of public
works was aiding and abetting the Bar
Der company. He would like to see the
statement proved before the bids were
opened, as these people seem to know SO
much about what is going on. He sug-
gested that the bids be handed back
to the bidders OF left with the board to
be unopened until the court has render
neys who have given their time and tax
en- such interest in trying to defraud the
Barber company out of 10000 should
be brought to time and made to prove
their statements about collision. He
made. has proposition as much for the
benefit Of the board as for the Barber
company.
President Porter said that personally
the board was ready to open the bids
now.
Mr.. Carpenter said he was ready, also,
but it was unfair to bring in such an
allegation from such a source.
President Porter said that moth
ing could be done, anyway,
but read the bids, as the
court has restrained the awarding of
the contract. If the Barber company
could stand the charges, the board
could. He had lived in Mankato thirty
five years and was not afraid of his
reputation and did not believe that the
rest of the board were, as they have liv-
ed in the city many years. He asked
whether any of the bidders had objec-
tions to opening the bids, and they re-
piled that they had not.
Engineer Thompson said that he
would like to bring those fellows to