The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-04-06
GOT UNDER BRIDGE
COMpANY'S SKIN
CONCRETE PEopLeTAKE EXCEPTION
TO OUR SUGGESTION
WILL REPAIR THE OLD BRIDGE
Council Decides Not TO Make A Large
Outlay on A Bridge at the Present
Time.

In our report OF the bids submitted
last week by tho several bridge COM
panies for the construction OF a bridge
across the Paint river at the power
plant we gave the suggestion of one of
the county road commissioners that
the city, IL il wants 10 be dead sure
that IL is getting what II pays for. have
plans and estimates OF its own made
out and that bidders be asked 10 submit
their figures on those specifications
rather than upon their own specitca-
tions. This view coincided with our
own and seems TO Ue the one held by
most OF our taxpayers but the Illinois
Bridge Co. thinks differently.
The remarks concerning specifica.
tions were aimed mainly at the steel
bridge fellows but its seems to have
been case OF scrambled eggs tor there
was concrete man mixed in the affair
and the suggestion got under his shell
as.may be judged from the following
letter
Hon. Mayor.and City Council.
Crystal Falls Mich
Gentlemen
Our attention has been called 10 a
slanderous article that appears--on the
front page OF Yellow journal, pub
lshed at Crystal Falls. under the cog
nomen Of THE Diamond Drill, dated
March 3Oth, 1912. in regard 10 the bids
/ an thFYaff hxgf, -, . ~.
of your bridge over Paint River near
the Power Plant.
Ordinarily we should pay no atten-
ton to this kind Of an attack, but as
we are strangers in Your community
we desire 20 put ourselves right with
the members Of your honorable BODY
and with the decent citizens OF Your
community.
Our proposal for your work is based
ON plans submitted by us. which were
prepared tor this location by Mr..
Daniel 3 Lutep OF indianapolis. In
diana.
More concrete BRIDGES have been
successfully constructed on plans made
by Mr.. Luten. than all other engineers
in The United States combined. and
we have constructed number OF them
in the North Peninsula OF Michigan.
more than all other work OF this char
acter that we know of. and we take
pleasure in referring you to the County
Road Commissioners Of Alger. Dickin-
son. and Marquette counties, and 10
the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co at Negau.
nee.
To maintain that any engineer who
il not specialist in bridge work and
actively engaged in this class OF work
exclusively can design as good bridges
and as economical construction as an
expert OF this kind is absurd on the
face Of il
With our proposal we agree 10 fur-
nish surcty company bond for full
amount of contract price, guaranteeing
this bridge against failure.
As an evidence OF oar good faith in
this matter and ~ our confidence in
the price quoted by us for this work.
we agree that you mGy get bids from
luy other contractors on the plans and
specifications submitted by rs and if
his contractor will agree to pay the
'oyalty tor the use OF these plans and
ipeci6cations, and furnish surety
,ompany bond guaranteeing the bridge
- we DO IN case we secure the con
ract. and You desire TO award him
his contract. in that case we will re-
Inquish all claims we may have hy
eason of the bid submitted by ne.
Respectfully submitted.
Illinois Bridge Company.
The Illinois people have the reputa-
ion Of constructing excellent bridges
nd are highly spoken OF wherever
hey have done work but the fact re-
Mains that "a cohcrete arch unless Ii is
light isn't worth tinkers blessing
nd the irritation manifested by the
Illinois people is snpremely childish.
hey must have been interrupted in
anne OF marbles and like any other
Id grew excited over nothing We
'ould suggest 10 the Illinois people
nat they purchase one OF the "Keep
weet' placards and hang it in n con
picuous place IN their Office and refer
; ~ on every occasion when there Is
ny danger OF such fits
The council met IN regular session
st Tuesday evening and canvassod the
ridge question thoroughly. The de-