Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-25
MAN WHO PAVED OTTAWA
COMING BACK ON
THE JOB
OPEN BIDS TODAY
TWO FIRMS WERE IN FIELD FOR
WORk-CHERRY OFFER HIGH
Err THAN ESTIMATE, BUT FAR
WITHIN LIMIT FIXED BY LAW.

This morning at the opening of bids
for the loop pavement, John Cherry,
Jacksonville contractor made another
step toward earning the s0hriquet,
THE man who paved Ottawa BY sub
mitting price that was Si,3Jl.ll
lower than the limit fixed by law.
Cherry. at a meeting of the commis-
sioners on Monday, will be awarded
contracts for re-paving the downtown
district.
Two contractors-T w Keys and
Mr. Cherry were in the field for the
work and submitted bids at the spe
cial meeting OF the board Of loca i'm
provements and council sitting JOINT
ly The bids follow:
II. w. Keys, La Sale. Sll2.9S5.7S
John Cherry, Jacksonville, Sl0S 7Gl-
46.
With disparity of $4. 22432 in these
two bids and the fact that Public En-
gineer Farnsworth placed his esti-
mate at $l02,S29.Gl, leaving Mr.
Cherry's offer $5,930S5 above tho esti.
mate and si.35l II less than the legal
limit OF sl13112.5T. at which figure
the commissioners would be privi.
lodged to award, ii is almost a moral
cinch that Mr. Cherry win be given
the contract
Cherry Not Present
Mr., Cherry Sas not present at the
meeting OF the council today, He had
representatives on the scene, how
ever, and one OF them submitted his
bid. That Mr.. Cherry did not bid at
the previous attempt to gel contracts
was assigned by certain circles to a
precautionary move taken by him %
buy enough futures in bricks to as
sure him ample material should he be
successful in landing the hig job IN
Ottawa. 1t is hinted that Mr.. Cherry
Is sufficiently supplied with materials
to permit his going right ahead with
the work as soon as he gets labor and
teams In the city.
It probably will be the latter part
Of June or the first of July before he
can get all set to tear up the streets
and start spreading concrete base and
LAYING brick, as well as grading and
building curbs IA called for in the
specifications.
Supply Men on Hand.
Many supply men were on hand
this morning, and during the readnn
of Mr.. Cherry's bid pencils flew like
lightning. Some quarters showed dis
comfort, but all in all the letting went
off good naturedly After adjourn
ment there was considerable buzZin.
among the various representatives
and some predictions were made that
Mr.. Cherry could not do the work with
out losing money. Cherry, however
has never been known to get many
bumps" in the paving game, and he
has tackled some OF the largest job;
in Illinois and has been in the busi
ness a great number Of years He Is
recognized as one of the most darina
independent bidders in the state.
He has twice come to the rescue
of Ottawa when it appeared as thu
the city was going to be precipitate(
into a pool and fail to let large con
tracts. On the west side letting the
same procedure had to be followe,
az that employed today and in hotl
instances Cherry was Johnny on th'
spot" to deliver.
Besides paving west Ottawa, Cherr,
paved the entire south side. He il
now working on a large contract n
Princeton, which will not interfere
in anyway with his contract here
Must Wait len uay5.
The law requires that after the lei
ting the city must wait ten days be
fore signing contracts with MI
Cherry. This is to give a majority o
the property owners residing in tn
district an opportunity 10 take tn
contract off Mr. Cherry's hands at !
per cent less than his bid If they car
to. In view of the present nigh pric
of labor and materials, 1t Is not b'
ieved, however. that any atteml
will be made by owners of real eslat
in the "loop" to relieve Mr.. Cherr
Of the work.