The Alaska citizen., 1911-02-06
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three night a week visitor to the EllistOn home. and with the two young people discussing business more frequently than anything else; for Bobby had learned to come to Agnes for counsel in everything. Just now his chief burden of con- versation was the letting of the new watcrworks contract, which, with public sentiment back of him. he had fought off until after the Stone administration had ended. Hamil- ton Ferris. an old polo antagonist of his. represented one of the com pcting firms as it's president, and Bobby had brought Ferris to din ner al the Eilistons and to call a couple of times during his stay in the city. Bobby was quite crest fallen when the opening of the bids proved Ferris to be the second low est man.
 Sorry. Ferris" said Bobby Bur hit. "I had hoped that the Keystone Construction company Soald build our new warer works
 II tried hard enough for it." re- piled the president If the Keystone, Bobby's oue-time polo opponent. There isn't much doing this year, and l figured clo.eT than anybody in my employ would dare 10 figure. In view of my estimate l cant for the life of me see how your local company underbid Us all by over a million dollars
 "It is curious admitted Bobby still much puzzled
 t'I- ig l.F 1T' s lnlily a me to whine" confessed Ferris. but I think there is a colored individual in the Woodyile somewhere
 That would be no novelty" re turned Bobby. Ever since I bought rhe Bulletin two years ago l have been gunning for Ethiopians amind the fuel. and always found them The Middle West Construction com pany. however. is new load oi kindling To me. never heard of it until it was announced this morn ing as the lowest bidder"
 Nobody ever heard of it." assert. ed Ferris It was no doubt or. ganized for the sole purpose of bid ding on this job Probably, when you delvc into the thing you will discover the fine Italian hand of your polite boss
 No" denied Bobby promptly with d reminiscent smile; Il just sue ceeded in running Sam Stone and two of his expert wire workers out of 1he country"
 If anybody here is politica boss it is Bobby" observed Agnes laughing
 I'm sorry 10 have 10 suspect youI husband" laughed Ferris. as he arose. Well. there is no use in cry ing over spilled milk; but I had hoped to bring Mrs Ferris out fol a good long visit"
 Bobby ought 10 be able 10 dc something about it." protested Az nes. Give your wife my regards MT. Ferris, and tell her she must come anyhow.'
 After Ferris and Agnes had gone Bobby sent for his managing editor
 What do you know about the Middle West Construction company
 Ben Jolter lit his pipe, folded his big. bare arms, and patted them al ternately in speculative enjoyment
 About two pages if We could use it." he returned. I've been getting reports from the entire scouting brigade for two hours. and you may now prepare for a shock. The larg est stockholders of the company arc Silas Trimmer and Frank Sharpe and the minor stockholders. almost to a man consist Of those who had their little crack at the pub lie crib under your old, time-trieG true friend Sam Stone"
 "l admit that l am properly shock ed" responded Bobby. and with gooC reason.
 Trimmer had euchered Bobby ou of the business which had been the nucleus of his fathers fortune, ant had been the means of losing Bobby an enormous sum of money in { real estate deal. Sharpe had helped Stone to trick Bobby out of a quar ter of a million dollars by selling him the Brightlight Electric company and then proceeding to wreck it.
 Tt hinges together beautifully Jolter went on. The whole water works project was a Stone scheme and Stone people even thougt Stone himself is wiped out-securt the contract. The last expiring acr of the Stone administration was to employ Ed Scales as chief en gineer until the completion of the waterworks. which may occupy eight or ten years. and the contract witt Scales is binding on the city unless he can be impeached for cause Scales was city engineer under the previous reform SpaSm, but Stone probably found him good material and kept him on. The waterworks plans were prepared under his sup ervision and he got them ready fol bidding. Now what's the answer?'
 Easy" returned Bobby. The city loses"
 Right" agreed Jolter, but how l don't see that we can do anything Scales, having prepared the plans is the logical man to see that they are carried out, and he is perfectly competent. His record is clean, SC that he owns no property, nor does any of his family although that may be because he never had 6 chance. The Middle West Construc tion company, though just incorpor ated, is financially sound, thoroughly bonded, and moreover, has put into the hands of the city ample guaran tee for it's twenty per cent. for felt as required by the terms oi the contract. There isn't thing that the Bulletin can do except tc boost local enterprise with a bit ol reservation, then lay low and wait for developments"
 T dislike to do it." objected Bob hp h,,rt t0 t,,1, oS