Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-12-13
BIG DITCH
CONTRACT LET
County Bitch System No. 81
win be Conslructed for
$71,536.78.

| VaA9VOVsBVs
Olson & Sutcliff, of Minneapolis,
secured the largest share of the con-
tract for excavating the big County
Ditch No. 81 at the sale of ditchine
jobs at the court house yesterday
morning. They have agreed to move
500, ,969.l6 cubic yards at total cost
of $44, ,O66.21. Their bid on the main
ditch was 6A cents per yard, on the
jobs where this was estimated at
cents, they bid IA cents, where esti-
mated at 8 cents, they bid 812 cents
and on scraper work on Lateral ditch
No. 10 they bid l3 cents per yard on
the work to be done with scrapers.
The excavation of 39,8l7.l5 yards
was let to Phil. j. Haley at a con-
tract price Of $5,972.57, the jobs be-
ing scraper work only.
The tiling part of the ditch system
was let entirely to Henry Welzein, of
Dows, Iowa, who is to receive $2l,
10000, and who has agreed to use
hard burned clay tile.
The successful letting of the work
ut these figures was vindication Of
the estimated cost made by the engi-
neer Of the ditch. The total cost
Of construction according to the ac-
cepted bids will be $71, ,538.78. The
estimated cost was $40, ,866.17, or a
difference Of less than $500. This
leaves leeway Of over $11 100000
below the assessed cost, so that it
is likely that the assessments can be
made about fifteen per cent less than
as assessed in the order establishing
the ditch.
There was an animated scene in
the commissioners room of the
courthouse when the bids were op-
ened. Most of the seventeen bidders
were personally represented, and a
number of interested people who were
not bidders were there. Samuel Mel
son, the deputy auditor, opened the
envelopes and read the bids, while
Auditor John Feig tabulated the fig
ures on large ruled sheet.
The bids required certified check
Of ten per cent of the amount bid,
and the deputy soon had very
tempting little stack on the table be-
fore him Of these mute little evi-
dences of tied-up wealth, the total
amount not being less than $4,000.
The following notes taken during
the reading of the bids will give an
idea of how the proposals varied:
The St. James Tile Mfg. Company
bid five per cent above the engineers
estimate, for the tiling work.
The Valley Dredging Company bid
800 cents per cubic yard for the
dredge work.
The Minnesota Drainage Company
bid on the tiling at one per cent above
the engineers estimate, or lump
sum of $21, 1,809.70.
The Nimrod Victor Company bid
Is per cent above the engineers es-
innate on the tile work.
Carl C. Knutson of Mason City
Ia, bid 22,4O0 for the tile work.
And. Hendrickson bid $21, ,967 fol
the tiling.
Sorenson Bros. bid $4,000 for the
tiling.
Tracy Cement Tile Co., bid $22,-
1852 for the tiling part of the work
The Dersmoux Contracting Com
pany bid ten per cent above the es.
innate on open work and tiling.
J. B. Casey Of Colfax, Ind, bic
$49,272 for the open work and &c.,.
1890 for the tiling, but wanted al
or nothing.
! Forestal & Feyn bid in detail OF
the various parts of the job, running
from 812 to IA cents per yard.
The Ajax Dredge Co., Of Glencoe
bid ten cents per yard on Latera
No. l3 and branches. .r
W. H. ,Lawton of Newell, Ia, Of
fered to do a big share of the worl
for ia cents per yard.
| The Kankakee Tile Company O
Illinois, wanted to sell the tiling only
| F. o. B. cars at Willmar: The 6-incl
at $37 per thousand; finch at $48.
80; 9-inch at $75; l0-inch at $87
l2-inch at 1924; l4-inch at $178
16-inch at 1929 per thousand.
| After the reading of the bids Aud
itor Feig announced that the awards
of contract would be made at on
o'clock, after which the certife,
checks of the unsuccessful bidder
would be returned to the owners
Ditch diggers seem to be a goodnat
ured and cheerful lot Of people, 70