Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1894 — The Gravel Road Contract. [ARTICLE]

The Gravel Road Contract.

IS AWARDED TO HAW KINS & CURTIS OF REMINGTON. Friday was the day appointed for letting the- - contracts —for the three gravel roads in Marion tp., aggregatmiles in length. It was a day of considerable excitement, as a large number of bidders were present, as well as numerous spectators. The opening and reading of the bids began a little after one o’clock, and took-plalee-lff- the court rooffil there being so many people present that the auditor’s office would not accommodate them all. There were eight bids filed, the following being the names of parties and their figures. Reynolds and Slatterly, for all three roads, one lump bid, $36,384. Robert Craig, only on Long Ridge Road. $8,659.10 College Road .. 9,557.00 Levi Hawkins & F. R. Curtis: College Road,. Long Ridge 8,248.79 Poor Farm & P. R. Road. 15,460.36 For all three 34,605.75

Murphy, Fa tout & Mcßride: For all three $38,130 This bid stipulated that the north and south roads would be of local gravel, and the east and west road, of crushed rock. Michael J. Carroll and John M. Brown: College Road. $10,679,00 Long Ridge 9,574.00 Poor Farm & P. R 16,053 00 Total $37,200.00 Delos Thompson & C. C. Sigler: All three roads ....•*•• .. $38,544.89 Morressy, Murphy, Bennett & Porter: College Road $9.914 44 Long Ridge 9,423 44 McGavock Brothers: College Road..., $10,830.34 Long Ridge... 9,539 64 Poor Farm <fc P. R 16,403.76

The Commissioners figured on the bids a short time and then announced that they had decided in favor of Hawkins and Curtis. Their lump bid is $34,605.75 It is $167825 less than the next lowest bid, that of Reynolds & Si at tor ly. It is $4939.14 less than the highest bid, that of Thompson & Sigler; and is $5022 lessMhan the total of the viewer’s estimates. Their individual bids were lowest on Long Ridge and on Poor farm and Pleasant Ridge Roads, but on College Road they were $1,805.90 above Morressy & Co. Mr. Hawkins has had much experience in gravel road building. Having built two roads in Benton county, one in Carpenter tp., this county, and is now building a crushed stone road in White county, near Wolcott. Work on the roads will be begun this month, and they must be finished within 15 months. For general superintendent of the construction of the roads, the Board appointed James F. Watson, of Marion tp., ex-County Commissioner, and no doubt an excellent man for the place.