The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-01-05
OLD COUNTY BOARD
!. COMP LETES WORK.
MEETS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
AND WINDS UP YEARS.

The st. Louis board Of county
commissioners Friday accepted the
proposal of Butler Brothers, ST.
Paul contractors, providing for the
use of gravel aggregate as a base
on 16 miles of paved range high
way. The acceptance, however, is
contingent upon the approval of the
state highway department.
The original contract called for a
base of crushed rock aggregate. R.
w. Acton, county highway engin-
eer, advised the board that the use
of coarse gravel aggregate will re-
suit in a net saving to the county
of approximately $500 mile with
out impairment of the quality of
the pavement. He added that the
acceptance of gravel aggregate
and the reduced price was not pre-
judicial to any other bidders.
Under the new terms, the stretch
of paved highway between Vir-
ginia and Aurora will be construct
ed with a. gravel base. The mat
erial will be purchased from the
Biwabik Stone & Gravel company.
At the meeting of the commits
sioners Dec. % delegations from
oCNClai IotlSS GoWllS appear GU Dc-
fore the board requesting that the
change be authorized. Hundreds of
men would be given employment if
gravel were used and the change
would strengthen the bonds be-
tween the range and Duluth, it was
also argued.
Ar additional expenditure o
$26,500 was added to the cost of
constructing the new St. Louis
county jail building, when the
county commissioners authorized the
substitution of granite where terra
Gotta is specified as an exterior fin
ish.
When a similar resolution was
presented for adoption at a meet
ing of the commissioners Dec. %,
the project was voted down. The
action taken yesterday followed a
conference between the Jail com
mittee, district court judges, Hol-
stead & Sullivan, architects and a
representative Of the Duluth Tax
payers league. A majority of the
judges favored the change.
A communication from the Tax
payers league, read at the Dec. %
session of the board Directing to
the substitution was withdrawn at
the request of R.. M. Goodrich, ex-
ecutive secretary of the league.
Mr.. Goodrich explained that the
action was prompted after a thor
ough investigation which resulted in
the league reaching the conclusion
that granite would give better SER
vice. -
U. S. Grant McMahan, Fourth dis
trict commissioner, withdrew a re-
solution providing for the construc-
ton of sheriff's residence adjac-
ent to the Jail building. The re-
solution was first presented to the
commissioners Dec % but at that
time it was laid over.
The substitution of granite for
terra Gotta will make the total cost
of the building $491,735. This
provides for the general construc-
ton. including elevator and cell
work.
Resolutions expressing the ap-
probation of the St. Louis board of
county commissioners for the eff
Gent and loyal operation Of r. w.
Acton, county highway engineer and
the regret of the three retiring
members of the board that they
may no longr serve with Mr.. Acton
we're adopted at the board meeting
Saturday.
In anothe resolution, the four re-
: manning members of the board ex-
press. their appreciation of the CO.
operation given by the retiring
members and extend wishes for
their future success. The retiring
members are U. S. Grant McMahan
of this district who served as county
commissioner for 16 years; Cole,
man F. Naughton, Second district
and George Harvey, Sixth district
The latter two have each served
one term of four years.