The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-12-20
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Mr.. McAndrews, his attorney and
Colonel Horton and two legal adyis-
ers had story session that night
in down town law Office. Not, how
ever, without a struggle would tho
colonel give up the pelf he had felt
within his grasp. He was abusive,
arrogant, defiant. His attorneys evolved
schemes to tie up operations in
definitely by means OF dilatory suits
in equity. But, the colonel's impa-
tience to cut the melon, which he was
confident could be done in more ways
than one, finally brought about
compromise on the terms laid down,
by Mr.. McAndrews. Horton and his
lawyers stoutly maintained that he
was guiltless of taking part in any
conspiracy to defraud, despite the
threats held over them.
The next day the colonel had
equally stormy scenes with the other
members OF the builders ring and
pointed limitations were not wanting
that the colonel was trying to euchre
them out of their share Of the spoils.
Things were getting rather warm for
the colonel until one OF the Compel
ing firms got wind that his plight was
not a bluff and fierce internecine
feud was narrowly averted. Suspic-
ions were entertained to such an ex-
tent, however, that at least two of
the conspirators had designs against
! the McAndrews job.
In the meantime, Harry Eaton had
been diligently studying a set of blue
prints and specifications Of the Nc
Andrews building. 1t was to be an
eight-story, steel constructed, terra
Gotta fire PROCEED, cut stone and buff
I brick Office structure with marble
wainscoting, tile flooring and heavy,
dull Mission oak finish.
Harry appeared in the colonel's Of
flee the next day with several sheets
of paper on which were set down 4
series of multiplication examples.
You see, it's this way" he demon
strated to the colonel; -four hundred
loads Of sand at $2.75 delivered make
$1,000; six hundred loads of crushed
stone as per contract at $40 F. o. B.
the quarry and local team work make
: $1,040; then there are 2,400 sacks of
Portland cement at 80 cents, making
1920; the labor we figure in at So
1875 and the incidentals. such as"
and Harry ratified on with other fig
ures all OF which were reasonable
and plausible. The colonel, however,
had quickly noticed the mistake of
$1,000 in Harry's calculation on the
crushed stone. The labor item, too,
was $500 less than the estimate of the
next closest bidder. These constituted
Harry's bait, and the old colonel, al
though wise in many other tricks Of
the trade. swallowed 1t.
Colonel Horton apparently had been
having some difficulty in getting the
kind of bids he wanted from local
concrete concerns and he suspected
what was an actuality that frame
up was being tried out on him.
Harry's bait, though, had set his
train OF thought upon another track.
WE'LL" the colonel said in semi
conciliatory tone,I you fellows seem
to have the right idea on that con-
crete work. SUPPOSE We organize
little company and clean UP bit of
honest money on the side. The Or
lando Rock Wall Cement Company
could get the contract on this Mean
drews job with set of figures like
that, provided 1t is steered right in
getting out the stuff I'll stake you
the money that's necessary to start
her out and We'll split on the basis
of sixty and forty per cent. If the Nc
Andrews job is a loser, the Orlando
Rock Wall Cement Company need
know nothing about that"
Thereupon the company was form
ed and several days later the cement
and concrete work for the McAndrews
building was formally awarded by
Horace Putnam, the architect, to the
Orlando Rock Wall Cement Company,
Harry Eaton. president, and Joseph
Danley, general manager.
The next day, Harry and Joe were
on the job. In accordance with pre-
viously made contracts, they ordered
immediate shipment of 1000 sacks of
Portland cement and arranged for de-
liveries of sand and other material.
The nearest stone quarry was
twenty-five miles distant. Accom-
panied by Nicholas vanAustin, red
nosed, bibulous old fellow whom Nc
Andrews in some unaccountable man
ner had employed as an inspector,
1dFTy went tHere 10 see ABOUT get
ting out the stone for the concrete
work. The McAndrews specifications
called for certain, first grade quail
ity of granite. This grade and an
inferior grade of gneiss and mica
schist were quarried at the plant and
Harry determined to arrange for a
shipment first of the poorer quality,
which, being more abundant there
and more easily crushed, was con-
siderably cheaper. This was to. be
done through the ignorance Of Van
Austin, who, Harry had concluded,
knew as much about geology as he
did about the Aristotelian theory. Van
Austin was known among the work
men as an 'ex-booze hister. and he
looked the part He also gave evi-
dence Of occasional back sliding lap
SEES.
Before departing, Harry took
small steel hammer, shaped like a.
biologists hammer, which Colonel
Horton had had forged by one Of his
blacksmiths. at Harry's suggestion.
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