Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-08
STONE DEAL
IS JOBBERY
so DECLARES STATE MINERAL.
oolsT AUBURY
CALIFORNIA SANDSTONE WITH
OUT AN EQUAL
state Says obstinacy of Government
Architect Means Only Taking
Care of the Con-
tractors

In the opinion of State Mineraloglst
Aubury the Los Angeles postoffice is
| to be built of inferior material, and
| he renews his opposition to the substi
tuition of any other sandstone for that
| produced In California. In a statement
| just issued Mr.. Aubury alludes to the
criticism of the government superVis-
| ing architect because of the intention
to use Wyoming sandstone, and he de-
| clares that the changed intention of
| that official to use Arizona sandstone,
| but under no circumstances California
stone is jobbery and should meet with
united protest. In his statement Mr..
! Aubury says:
1T is very near the time for Los
Angeles to awaken to the fact that she
| is being 'jobbed in the matter of the
material which it has been given out
will be used In the construction of your
new court house and postof1ce. A long
| time since / pointed out to the citizens
of Los Angeles that the government,
i through various hooks and crooks, was
endeavoring to furnish the city of Los
Angeles with the most inferior ma
| terial, which was to enter into the con-
struction of that building. The last
time 1 mentioned this matter the gov
| eminent architect had specified Wyom-
| ing sandstone as being the material
selected for construction. 1 was given
to understand that both Senator Flint
| and Representative McLachlan had in
dorsed the specifications, which called
for this sandstone. While 1 could not
understand why those gentlemen should
| forget that we had the most superior
sandstone to be found In the world here
| in California 1 was willing to believe
| that some mistake had been made, and
| 1 wired to Senator Flint. l was in
| formed that 1t was a matter OF bids.
Later 1 opened correspondence with
| different California quarrymen and dis
| covered that not in a single instance
| had they been asked to submit bid.
| then took the matter up with all of our
representatives in Washington, and also
with Senators Perkins and Flint. The
| matter was also taken up with Gov
ernor Pardee, who Immediately took an
active interest, and he presented 1t all
| along the line in Washington, from the
president down. All that we could hear
was that 1t was a matter of bids, so
again got busy and asked for bids
| from our California quarrymen.
| found that the Colusa sandstone, which
is produced by two different COM
panies, would be furnished for $4,000
less than what the Wyoming sandstone
| would be supplied for. The Colusa
sandstone has no equal in the world
for sandstone. The Wyoming stone
will almost crumble in the hand, yet
and the government would foist upon
the city of Los Angeles.
The California Bid
when 1 passed this up to the gov
eminent architect, with the bid of $780,
900 less, he turned it down, saying that
the stone was too dark. 1t is wonder
full how the eyesight of some people is
affected, yet the Colusa sandstone has
not to my knowledge affected the eye
sight of San Franciscans.
Among the buildings in San Fran
cisco constructed of this stone are the
Ferry building, built by the state;
James L. Flood Kohl building, and st.
Francis hotel. These buildings are Sc
lected from many others as they are all
we'll known to most Californians. With
the exception of the Ferry building,
which was not burned, they all passed
through the earthquake and fire, and
the stone was practically uninjured
80 far as the sandstone was con-
cerned, what more practical evidence
of the superiority of this stone could
be wanted than that just mentioned.
1T also suggested to the government
that Sespe canyon ventura county,
stone be used. This stone is of a red
dish color and is extremely durable.
The stone was used in the construction
of the Chronicle and other buildings in
San Francisco and also withstood both
earthquake and fire.
| 1.-THE quarries are near to Los An
geles and the stone could be trans
ported cheaply. If the appropriation
was sufficient the Riverside granite, a
beautiful and durable granite, could be
used, or fine granite could be obtained
from the Santee quarry in San Diego
| county.
POSSIBLY through the continued ham
mering to use California material in
| StaI Al.n ssNaf
architect concluded that he had better
not attempt to press the rotten Wyom-
ing stone on the people of Los Angeles,
| but he has gone us one better and has
now decided that in no event will Cali
| fornia material be used and has sub
stituted Arizona sandstone. Why was
| this done? Any intelligent quarryman
or stone worker can answer the ques-
tion-it was in the interest of the con-
tractors. They are not to blame for
| trying to make as much off their con-
| tracts as they can. Possibly the gov
eminent has exacted so much from
them that they could not realize a
profit if a durable stone was used. l
am charitable enough to give them the
benefit of the doubt, but the fact of the
matter Is that Wyoming and Arizona
sandstone are very easily cut and can
be worked up much cheaper than
| Colusa or Sespe canyon stone. The
more QuraD Die q stone Is In6 ndrueT IL Is
to cut, and this is where the Ethiopian
| in the woodpile bobs up,
Arizona Stone inferior
"The Arizona sandstone is soft, easily
cut and of a reddish color. While I
will admit it's color is not Objectionable
| it Is not a durable stone. Buildings in
| San Francisco constructed of this stone
were ruined by the fire and crumbled
like so much sugar. Some buildings
which I examined shortly after the
earthquake and before the fire reached
them showed that the Arizona sand
stone was not earthquake proof by any
means.
Are the people content to take any
class of material which may be showed
upon them, so that a few contractors
can even up on their contracts? Bet
ter, in my opinion, that you construct
your postoffice out of adobe. which
originally entered into the construction
of the buildings of Los Angeles, than
to have inferior sandstones which are
uuarried in other states and territori-
tories and the money paid for the work
go to develop others resources while
our own remain dormant for lack of
proper support.
IT have in the above statement placed
this matter before your people. l have
endeaVored to obtain square deal for
them. If they have CALIFORNIA; in
terest at heart this matter should be
so placed before your senator and rep
nd 7fcfa l~ol hi