Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-06-03
CALLS HIM QUICK
Reply of Contractors to the Mayor
in the Storm Drain
Case.
SUSPICION OF A TRAP
Ready to Patch Up the Ditch and
Settle With the Execu-
tive.
TRAP

| tating the public mind Almost as If
prepared simultaneously with the may
lor's written notification to the represen-
tatives of the contractors to complete
the work within a specified time ac-
cording to original contract under pen
atty, was delivered yesterday the re-
ply from the contractors accepting the
mayors proposition. Whether it augurS
for good or for evil, so far as the city
is concerned, the executives ultima
tum brought response peculiarly
prompt in its nature for a document
so carefully prepared.
The reply for the contractors in the
name of Matthias Schnell was deliv-
cred to the mayor early in the day,
but the mayor for some reason was
disinclined to give it out for publica-
ton yesterday. The attorneys for the
contractors, however. disregarding the
courtesy that should have been con-
coded the mayor in permitting it to
become public property through his
hands, furnished a copy TO Davenport
paper. Thus the response, which is
herein reproduced, first found its way
into print:
Text of Reply.
| Dear Sir: The notice which you, as
mayor of the city of Rock Island, serv-
ed on me on the 31st ultimo has been
carefully read and considered by me.
This notice states: Unless the said
Twenty-fourth street storm drain be
completed pursuant to the terms of
the original contract and the specifica-
tions therein named be lived up to,
chi lxrs- nc
this city, through it's executive shall
elect toward you. You will either be
ordered to remove this drain as a nui-
sance, or the same will be completed
under the direction of the city authori
ties. and put in condition suitable for
| a permanent structure at the expense
of the bondsmen. This you will do
within the next 80 days, beginning with
this 31st day of May. A. D. 1905"
| This drain was constructed in the
year 1896 under the supervision of H.
G. Paddock, the civil engineer employ
ed by the city, and also subject to the
inspection of Martin Frick, employed
by the city for that purpose. The work
was done to their approval and salts
faction at the time. When the drain
was completed it was in possession of
the city. and it has been used by the
lefty ever since-that is, for nearly nine
years. Neither the city of Rock Island
nor any officer in it's behalf has ever
Informed me, officially or otherwise, of
lany substantial defect in the drain, and
your notice is the first step taken in
this direction. The drain was storm
drain built to take care of the floods
rushing down from the hills south and
east of Twenty-fifth street in times of
heavy rain. For these years it has
done this as well as any drain could.
In addition. there has been laid upon il
"A burden it was never intended to bear.
The city in 1898 turned all the waste
water from the reservoir through it,
so that, instead of carrying the water
of occasional rains. it has had for
about seven years a constant and
steady stream flowing through it. Such
a stream will cut through solid rock in
the course of years.
Always Ready.
With these facts in mind, permit me
to say that | am now, as l always have
been. ready and willing to provide a
drain just as good in every respect as
not willing to restore any part of the
drain which has been erOded or worn
laway by the natural use and wear to
which it has been subjected by the
city. | am not willing to correct any
limperfections which may exist by rea-
son of my compliance with the express
directions and orders of the officers of
the city when the drain was built But
am willing to make the drain as good
today as il would have been had the
specifications been followed out to the
letter. | contend that | have already
done so; that the drain today is in no
respect inferior to what it would have
been had there been no deviation from
the specifications. But, Mr.. Mayor, if
you think it is not. I now ask you to
point out to me any such imperfection
that is due to a failure on the part of
the contractors to live up 10 the orr
ginal contract and specifications there
in named and I will remedy it at once,
providing the city will pay for the
drain when l shall have done so. If
we cannot agree as TO what. if any
thing, l ought to do. I am willing to
submit it to any impartial engineer or
board of engineers.
Unless the city points out out what
it wants done it is manifest that I can
take no action.
In this connection | desire to call
your attention TO the fact that the city
has had the use of this drain for all
these years without paying a cent. If
the money which it cost to build the
drain had been put in the savings bank
INSTEAD of into the drain, il would have
yielded over 5000 in interest. This
benefit the city has had in addition to
the use of the drain If the purpose is
to deal fairly with me. this fact win be
taken into consideration. II the pur-