Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1901 — Hack Throws Up Gillam Road Contract. [ARTICLE]

Hack Throws Up Gillam Road Contract.

Contractor John Hack of Lowell was in town last Saturday morning on his way home to Lowell. He stated that he had thrown up the contract for building the Gillam tp. gravel road, some four miles in length. This action Mr. Hack states, is due to a difference between him and the superintendent, as to the way the grading should be done. The superintendent insists that the dirt from the outs shall be used to make the grades, necessitating in some instances very .long hauls, in some cases half a mile or more. Mr. Hack states that the engineer’s estimates of the cost of grading the road were only 6 cents per cubic yard, and that a contract based on that figure would not justify long hauls in making the grades. He also states that the plans and specifications say nothing about,, hauling the dirt from the outs to make the grades. But as the superintendent insists upon the work being done in that manner, Mr. Hack has, as above stated, thrown up the contract. John Whittaker had the subcontract for for the grading. Not a great deal of the work has been done. Mr. Hack has been contracting in Lake, Porter, Jasper, White and other counties sot 25 years and he states that this is the first time he ever had any trouble with a contract. 1