Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1907 — CARPENTER STONE ROAD STATUS. [ARTICLE]

CARPENTER STONE ROAD STATUS.

The work on the Remington and Carpenter tp. stone roads which was begun last week came to a Bad den termination, Snpt. Resse on behalf of the town and township, intei posing an objection to the class of stone used for the top dressing. The specifications call lor inch stone for top dressing and the stone which was shipped in from the Casparns Stone Co’s plant near Logansport, and which Contractor W. F. Smith of Rensselaer, had planned to use, was of various sizes grading down from inch stone to dust.

Mr. Smith contended that inch stone as meant in the specifications was stone not exceeding an inch in diameter, and meant the finer screenings from the crushers. Snpt Besse held that what was being used clearly failed to comply with specifications and that he coaid not accept it and fulfill his duty oi superintendent Contractor Smith brought his working force and tools back to Rensselaer, not with any intention of throwing up the contract he says, but because he expected to use them on his contract here pending a settlement of the dispute there, Mr. Besse brought a sample of the stone before the County Commissioners and it was found to be about 15 per cent stone dust, which Mr. O. H. Binns, of the Caspar us Co., says, is impossible to avoid and that the per cent of dust in all top dressing stone constitutes from 15 to 25 pe»' cent of the pro duct and is necessary for the binding of the coarser stone. There was nothing for Mr. Besse to do but to insist as the guardian of the tax payer that it was not inch stone as the specifications called for.. This made the dispute simply a matter of interpretation as to what Inch dressing stone is, and the Commissioners Monday of this week decided to refer the matter to several stone crushing companies and get their opinions on the subject There seems no reason why any ill feeling should be engendered by the dispute. Mr. Besse is duty bound as overseer of the construction for the tax payers to demand a close adherence to the specifications, and Contractor Smith is not going to try to violate them. When the opinions of the experts are received it is expected all differences can be settled. In the mean time both parties are agreed in one thing and that is that they hope the rainy season will be over by the time they get ready to restart road building.