The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-02-23
NEW SPECIFICATIONS
AND OTHER TENDERS
Will be Asked for Building
Road to Orange Springs.

The board of county commissioners
held 4 recess meeting on Wednesday
to reconsider the contract let at the
last meeting for constructing the hard
surface road to Orange Springs and
Rodman.
1t will be remembered that at the
regular meeting on the 9Th inst. the
contract was awarded to the Cornwall
| Construction Company of Tampa on
an alternate bid of that company and
which provided for the construction of
a road within the limits of the bond
issue voted for its construction. This
bid, while it may have been in accord
ance with specifications, was not for a
road such as had been contemplated.
All the bids providing for the con-
struction Of a road measuring up to
the full plans and specifications were
much higher than the money provided
would pay for
There was another alternate bid,
that of Bryson & Bryson of Jackson
vile. Their alternate bid was $685.
600 higher than the bid of the Corn
wall Company.
After the commissioners had award
ed the contract to the Cornwall people
and had adjourned for the day, Mr..
Bryson began stirring up trouble. He
wanted another chance. He threat
ened the commissioners with an in
junction; he made some Of them be-
leve they had done an illegal act.
The board then decided to meet to re-
consider these bids on Wednesday, the
21st.
There were many road builders and
engineers present. Bryson was there,
so was Cornwall. Mr.. Bryson was
represented by Col. Hilburn, and it
was good thing he was.
When Mr.. Cornwall addressed the
board in an effort to show that his
bid was legal, he also undertook to
show that Mr.. Bryson had no stand
ing in the moral, spiritual or CONNER
cial world. He called the Jackson
vile man a CRATER and bunco man,
man of no reputation for integrity;
a sneak, no gentleman and very much
of cur He was calm in his denun-
ciation; no excitement, just a plain
talk in which he pointed his finger at
the "kicker" and said that he was
prepared to prove his words, words
that he didn't go behind the mans
back to use, but which he hurled at
the mans face. Mr.. Cornwall also
showed that his alternate bid followed
the specifications and Bryson's did not.
He had been awarded the contract,
had made arrangements for material
and that to revoke the order would
cause him financial loss.
1t was a tense time; some expected
Bryson to arise in his place and re-
sent the personal attack of Cornwall;
when he didn't they began to think
there was something in the Cornwall
charges.
Col. Hilburn, attorney for Bryson,
replied for his client; he regretted the
personalities and was working him
self up to a point of resentment in be-
half of Bryson, but Cornwall subsidized
and the chairman called for order. If
it had been Hilburns personal mat
ter there would have been fight right
there in the room; Sam Hilburn isn't
averse to fight, be it personal con-
tact or intellcctual: he's at homo in
both, but he could hardly work him
self up to the fighting pitch in behalf
of a client who could sit calmly
through such a denunciation IS h9d
been heaped upon Bryson by Mr.. Corn
wall.
But Hilburn won his case before tho
commissioners: he made them think
that in awarding the alternate con-
tract to Cornwall they had done Hn
illegal act, and in his argument he
pointed his index finger at the com
missioners and made 'em believe th@t
unless it was revoked that some of
them might be suspended from office
for misfcasance; of course it was on
ly bluff. but it worked
A resolution was passed requiring
Engineer Pagan to make new spccl-
fcations for road to come within
the limits of the bond issue; then the
commissioners will rc-advertiSe in
March for two weeks for bids to be
opened at the April meeting, when the
contract will be let.
"Had the original contract stood it
is likely" said Mr.. Odom, "that an in
junction would have caused even
greater delay"
Col. Murphy of the Florida Farms
G. Homes, Inc, whose company IS
deeply interested in this road, was
present at the meeting and was some
what disappointed at the forced delay.
The proposed road will traverse much
of the lands of his company and he is
anxious to see it completed. He and
Mr.. Cummings of the Rodman Lum-
ber Company will pay the larger part
Of its cost.