The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-12
LeayenwOrth Contractor For
feits Topeka Contracts.
JH. Stanton Was Lowest BID"
der for Paving.
LOOKED ON THE WINE.
Was Not Able to File Necessary
Check.
PrOpOsitiOn for New Parkhurst-
Davis Building.
LOOKED ON THE WINE,

Drunk, disorderly and fined ten dol
lars-failed to send right kind OF
check-ousted from the list of bid
ders-disgraced in front of the city
council-this is the lively record that
one paving contractor has made since
his short stay in Topeka. j. h stan
ton of Leavenworth, who mace the
lowest bid on Topeka paving, leaves
the city today followed by storm OF
criticism-and without contract OF
any kind, although he was the IoWest
bidder. The committee on publc
utilities after working all day decided
last night that Stanton should not
have the paving contract and the city
. council agreed.
pany-or rather the next lowest bid
der on the contracts-is R. G. Gilhl-
Ian of Fort Scott. He was awarded
the contract for a majority of the
paving last night and before he could
settle back in his chair and pat him
self on the back, General ]. w. f.
Hughes rose and turning to the spec
tators in the galleries where the Fort
Scott contractor was seated he de-
Iivered one of the biggest jolts in the
history of the council chamber-and
it was a hard one because there have
been many happenings in that his
toric old council chamber in the last
few months. General Hughes said in
part:
'I, as one, want to go on record as
being radically against allowing TINS
man Gilfillan to secure any paving
contracts in this city. I have had
many family dealings with him which
have given me good insight into his
character 1 have seen some of the
stuff he has furnished and 1T was rot
ten to the core. We as a city can not
bind this GiIhlTan too close-because
he is slippery and will give the city
the burnt end if possible. Why didn't
he submit a good sample of his brick
because he did not have it and be-
cause he is not going to have it. I am
in favor of cutting him out of the bid
ding list"
The words spoken by te general
caused quite a sensation in the coun-
Gil and Alderman Jordan explained to
Mr.. Hughes that the city was ac-
customed to such actions and it was
customary for every piece of pave
ment to be thoroughly inspected be-
fore it was, accepted by the city.
Mayor Green explained to the general
that there need be no fear as a con-
tractor can not furnish material that
the city does not want. Thus the
matter dropped while the friends of
the contractor in the gallery were
holding him fast to his seat to prevent
any violence.
The Successful Bidders.
But after a fight lasting three hours
in which time the three grades of
pavement was explained at least
twenty times, the city finally allowed
lAAC SOAAbAoSbS ~ NAAC 4OlAO"AAS SO41-
tractors:
r. G. GilfIlan-Ffrst and second
grade paving.
John Ritchie-Resurfacin
Folk & Luttijohn-Curba and gutter.
r. G. GiIfllan-Rolling and grading.
This contract includes the thirty
five blocks of paving as published in
the State Journal last night and is
but half of the pavement for the COM
ing year.
The victory for the men who have
been fighting for GOOD paving in To-
peka was comp Councilmen Jor-
dan and Tandy ve been working
night and day with the city engineer
trying to push through the council the
new modern methods of paving. Mr.
Jordan said last night that the old
small brick and sand filler pavement
was the kind used by nothing but
country towns these days. He told of
the back step that would be taken by
this city if she adopted the old line of
pavement that used to be laid ten and
fifteen years ago. Mr.. Tandy also made
several little to the point remarks
about the old style pavement compared
with the new-and the effect of the
words of these two gentlemen together
with the approval of the city engineer
and the mayor was responsible for the
fine class of pavement that the city will
have this year. Beginning in 1909 To-
peka can put it down in history that