Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1890 — WORLD’S FAIR MAHERS [ARTICLE]

WORLD’S FAIR MAHERS

BIDS FOR IMPROVING THE LAKE FRONT REJECTED. None of Them Satisfied the Executive Committee Meeting of Lady Managers —Bow the Work Is Progressing—Miscellaneous Gossip. [Chicago dispatch.] Bids for filling and piling on the Lake Front were evidently not up to expectations. The Executive Committee of the World’s Fair opened the bids yesterday afternoon, discussed them, and passed them on to the Committee on Grounds and Buildings. Neither committee took any action in regard to them, and the whole subject was turned over to the Board of Directors, which will meet this afternoon. None of the members of either committee would express any opinion or give any information regarding them, even refusing to state the number of bids received. But one thing is sure, and that is that the answers to the advertisements for bids were not, as a whole, satisfactory, and that it is probable that new bids will be advertised for. “I cannot tell you anything about the bids,” said President Gage, yesterday. “Were any of them below the limit of 8700,000?” he was asked. “I am not able to give any information on the subject.” “It is hard to say where there are no footings to the bids,” said Director Waller. “It takes a long time to get the totals sometimes.” Even Press Secretary Murphy, who was present at the meeting of the Executive Committee, declined to say whether any of the bids wore within the limit. Three bids are known to have been made, but their figures have not been made public. One was from E. P. Reynolds & Co., of New York, who have done a good deal of work in New York harbor, and another was froth Fitz Simons & Connell of Chicago. Reynolds & Co. put in their bid through Thomas Byrne of Chicago, and it is said to be within the limit. “The fact of the matter is,” said a contractor, “that men hesitated to bid for several reasons. One was the excessive penalty for not having the work completed in time, and another was the lack of knowledge as to how much filling would be required. The depth of the lake is not accurately known where the piling and filling is to be done, and there was no time to take soundings. To be sure, that was done by the engineers of the directory, but it is expressly stipulated in the specifications that no one will be bound by these soundings. Consequently, if the soundings should be wrong, there might be a chance to lose a good deal of money. It might take more material and cause delay.” * The bidding by the acre also may have had something to do with the unsatisfactoriness of the bids. It made it hard to figure up totals. ‘ A number of contractors will probably be present at the meeting of the Board of Directors ■ this afternoon, and it is possible that the matter may be arranged, but that seems doubtful. Matters are in such an unsatisfactory condition that it is not unlikely that piling and filling in may be abandoned. Indeed, it may be necessary because of delay resulting from this new phase of the case. An informal meeting of the local lady managers was held yesterday for the purpose of considering plans for the reception and entertainment of the lady managers coming to Chicago. There were present Mrs. Judge Shepard, Mrs Shattuck, Mrs. Leander Stone, Mrs. Gen. Chetlain, Mrs. Sandes, Mrs. Mulligan, Mrs. Bradwell, Mrs. Wallace and Mrs. Doolittle. At the request of Secretary Dickinson they have taken under consideration the selection of a suitable hall for the meetings of the full Board of Lady Managers. No decision wasteached regarding the reception to be accorded the visiting members, the subject being laid over till Monday, when there will be another meeting. The committee of the lake front property owners met at the Leland last, night and went into the question as to how best to move the Illinois Central tracks farther east. It studied the legislation connected with the matter, but the result of its deliberations was not given out. The committee claims, however, that it is not necessary to wait for legislation before beginning the filling and piling. Work can be begun at once, and arrangements made for changing the track later. This would Exposition Directors in the positipn of; dfiviqg piles for the Illinois to Asa When the tracks are moved out, but Itrisclaimod that the : UHnois’Central Voifld ’fie gla'd. to pay .fqr ptc v along, its new right-of- way, iii. view «of the- width -of the right of way being increased to 300 feet.. Put it yould bg-. taking chances unless such'-an agreement wefce signed in .i advance. Telfort} Burnham addressed the com- . mittee oil the Subject of fte use:ot ’tlj4 • Lake. Front. - He thought JhaJ. buildings should be, put out a’little, way to got a' perspective. Mrs. D. R. Robinson, alternate,, of Albuquerque, N, M., has resigned frcim the Board of Lady Managers; There is talk df haying the CrerSr Lincoln montiment put oh the Lake' Front, near the Art be the only permanent biiiltjing jprecte# there in all probability. Commissioner Ritchie, of Ofiio, called at hgadquarterS for threP shared® of steeft—dhe f&r himself, one for his wife, and a third for his son. He believes the money will be well invested. , Lewis Trunkhill, of Rock Springs,' Wyo., has written'to headquarters in the interest of parties who have organized in his town for the purpose of collecting Western curiosities for exhibition at the exposition. His organization iiPt©sJ> B ® to collect one or more car-loafflg' of -arS mals of every kind, fossils, mineral, and those which have been petrified or carbonized.