The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-11-29
LETROADCONTRACTS
WALLACE KELLOGG
COUNTY GETS GRADING
Boomer Gets Contract to
Change River Channel
Why Division Was Made
COUNTY GETS GRADING

"ONTRACTS for grading frac-
ton more than eight miles OF
the road between Wallace and
Kellogg preparatory to paving
/ have been awarded by w j. Hall.
| commissioner of public works. and it
/ is expected that work will actually
begin within the next few days Mr.
Hall arrived in Wallace last Satlr-
day the date when bids We're to be
opened II was found that the lowest
bid was that of II. II. Boomer. of Spo-
kane, amounting to S1O2.1 Sho-
shone county was the next lowest bid
der, its bid being s1O4.956.93 In ad-
dition to providing for grading and
preparing the road for paving,
change in the creek channel short
distance east of Kellogg which will
cut out two bridges was also included
This involves digging a new channel
for the river for a distance of
about 5000 feet, lying between the
railroad on the south and the new
road on the north For this job Mr.
Boomers bid was s2O.74571 Owing
to certain requirements of the state
engineers in handling the work of
grading the road, to which Mr. Hall
called attention. it was evident that
the county could handle that part of
the contract to better advantage than
Mr.. Boomer and could probably do it
for less than the contract price An
agreement was therefore reached by
which the contract for changing the
river channel was awarded to Mr.
Boomer and the balance of the work
awarded to ShOshone county The
situation is best explained by the fol-
lowing memorandum OF the proceed
ings in connection with opening the
bids and awarding contracts:
The Proceedings.
Before opening bids for this project
Commissioner w. J. Hall called the
attention of all bidders TO the nota-
tons on the plans which state that
portion of the project "Was built
as a state Aid project in 1921. To be
widened in cuts and fills uniformly.
except where necessary to improve
alignment or grade, and surfaced as
F. A. p. No. 73-A. The present ground
line is approximately represented by
the grade line" Opportunity was
given for any bidder who desired to
do so to withdraw his bid.
proceeding with the opening and
tabulation of the bids it was found
that H. II. Boomer was low bidder
with a total bid of S1O212S.27 and
Shoshone county next to the lowest
bidder with total bid of $10l.956.9S
at conference called for the pur-
pose Of discussing the bids received
and making an award of the contract
at which conference II. II. Boomer
and James II. Taylor. chairman of the
board of county commissioner were
both present, Commissioner Hall eX-
planned in detail the features in which
the work of construction would de-
viate from the plans, stating that it
would be the purpose of the state to
re- design the improvement with the
object of reducing the cost to the
lowest point compatible with stand
ards required by the u. s. Bureau OF
Public Roads 1t was explained that
this re-design would materially re-
duce the quantities of the various
classes of work to be done and would
affect the amount of solid
rock excavation in the roadway and
the amount of surfacing required.
Mr. Boomer, as the lowest bidder
stated that his bid was computed on
the assumption that the quantities
shown in the proposal approximately
the amount of work to be
performed, and that any material re
duction in quantities would deprive
him of any profit in constructing the
project He further stated that he
would be willing to accept a contract
for the work involved in the channel
change, except the surfacing and pipe
if the county would under
take to perform the remainder of the
work
THE commissioner stated that the
work could be so divided and awarded
separately. provided the county
should so reduce its bid that the total
of the combined bids would not ex-
coed the amount of the lowest bid re-
namely, that of II. H. Boomer
in the amount of S102,123.27.
mr. Taylor. representing Shoshone
stated that the county would
be willing to undertake the work UNI
der the conditions stated by the COM
missioner and that the county de-
sired every possible reduction in
quantities which would reduce the
total cost of the project.
THE commissioner then announced
that award of the contract for the
channel change section, exclusive OF
surfacing and drainage structures.