Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-05-17
SIXTH Street GRADE
HISTORY OF An EXCUSABLE BUT
ANNOYING MISTAKE.
Re SidenfS inCOnvs but sc.
cure Low Price from Contractor.
Contract was Taken Low TO use
Material on Heron Street But Vas
Found Unfit.

If the city authorities had taken
the public into their confidence in
the matter of the Sixth street i'm
provement delay. the council and
contractor would have escaped much
criticism from the provoked residents
Of that thoroughfare. The Herald.
Judging from the bare record of that
Improvement, did not hesitate TO
condemn the council for extending
the time of the contractor. nor does
that record show any good reason for
the exemption of Mr.. Peterson from
the terms of his contract.
But. as the case has been explained
by a councilman. the matter appears
in a totally different light. and the
provoking delay due to an unforeseen
circumstance that grew out of an
effort on the part of the authorities
TO get the street excavated at a
nominal cost TO the property owners.
a fact that for some unknown rea-
son has not been made public.
As this councilman explains. the
situation on Sixth street is in this
way: When Andrew Peterson took
the contract 10 fill Heron street. he
inquired OF Engineer Ewart if the
city had a street that required ex-
cayation, saving that he would do
the work az 2 nominal figure in or
der 10 get the earth for the Heron
street Fill. The engineer suggested
Sixth street. and after Mr. Peterson
looked it over. and the engineer ex-
pressed the opinion that the earth
do for the Heron street fill,
he offered 10 do the excavation for
10 cents per yard
The contract was awarded him at
this price. and he arranged to haul
the material over the trolley line
to Heron street He had taken out
bu, z small quantity Of earth when
the rains set in. and Engineer Ewart
found the earth totally unfit for a
fill under a pavement, and ordered
Mr.. Peterson 10 place no more of 1t
on Heron street. While the latter
had q tacit agreement that he was to
use this earth on Heron street, his
contract did not so specify: he had
taken the Sixth street job at a
-uinous price If he could not 50 use
the earth. given a bond for $500
for the completion of the job, and
found himself up against it hard.
He told the committee that, un-
der the circumstances, he would
make money by FORGETTING his bond
and throwing up the job. but that
be did not wish TO DO so, as it would
operate against him in the future bid
ling for city work. and that be
would finish the Job. az loss OF be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000. but, sug-
Zes,ed that. as the opinion o. the city
engineer as 20 the quality OF the ma
HG4 -A---
sculIy, II was as little as the city
.ould 90 20 allow him 10 post pone
the work until after the heavy rains
To this the committee. with The coz
sent Of the council agreed, and there
the matter remained
Tke residents CT sixth street have
been seriously Inconvenience. it is
true, still they got the grading OF
the street done several thousand dol
ars cheaper through the mistake il
the character OF the soil. & mistake
that il 10 way reflects OF the engi-
1eer. as i was impossible 10 asceF-
tain lis Stiffness until rhs rains BE-
gan, and he certainly acted wisely il
70 p=rmi- irs use Is basis
for brick paving OF Heron street.