Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1909 — STERNBERGS GET HOWE DITCH [ARTICLE]

STERNBERGS GET HOWE DITCH

Re-Sold Thursday for $2,100 Less Than Former Price. WORK TO BEGIN BY JULY 3 ’ . i ' ' * And the Ditch to Be Completed By Jan. 1, 1910—Five Dredge Men . Were Here and Bid On the Work But All But One Dropped Out After a Few Bids Had Been Made. ,<• —— The re-selling of the Howe ditch Thursday brought out several dredge contractractors and the bidding was quite spirited. The ditch was finally sold to C. H. Sternberg & Son at 4.99 cents per cubic yard, 90-100 less per yard than the old contract of Ephriam Gilmore, which was recently annulled by the court because Gilmore had been very dilatory in the work, as alleged. The bidders were Nichols & Co., H. W. Marble, W. M. Fisher, F. P. Wade and Sternberg & Son. Fisher made but one bid, 6.20, and Marble and Nichols & Co., made four bids. Marble’s being 5.95, 5.48, 5.24, 5.15, while Nichols’ was 6.15, 6.03, 5.93, 5.75. Wade staid with Sternberg for perhaps fifty or more bids, starting at 6.25 to Sternberg’s 6.20, and his final bid was 5 cents. Sternberg then bid 4.99 and Wade dropped out. Supt. Price awarded the contract to Sternberg. The sale was at public auction, and the total price is $11,648.89. There were 683 stations of this main ditch originally. Gilmore has completed the lateral of 88 stations and 368 stations of the main ditch, leaving about six miles yet to be dug. There are 233,444.7 yards yet to excavate, )and at the price the contract is re-let for.it is a saving of $2,101.03 over what Gilmore would have received had he completed the work on his old contract of 5.98. This is a saving to the landowners assessed for its construction of about $2,000 after paying all expenses of the re-sale. The Sternbergs agree to get to work on the ditch by July 3 and have it completed by Jan. 1, 1910. They intimate that they will start in at the terminus and work up to where the Gilmore dredge lies, but it is possible they will make some deal with Gilmore by which they will secure his dredge and put on an experienced force, instead of using their Iroquois ditch dredge. J. P. Gwin of McCoysburg had a contract with Gilmore, we are told by which he was to take, the latter’s dredge in the event he secured the contract, but the superintendent declined to permit Gwin to bid or to even look at his bond. Asked as to the,, truth of this statement yesterday morning, Supt. Price said- he did not care to discuss the matter at all, and would make no statement whatever regarding his refusal to accept Gwin’s bond—which is said to have been gilt edge—or to permit him to bid. It is remored that the matter may be taken into court by Gwin.