The San Francisco call. [volume], May 28, 1895, Page 14, Image 14

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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14
KIPLING'S READY BOTTLE
The True Private Mulvaney
Says His Biographer Was
Liberal.
McMANUS 1 THREE WAR MEDALS
The Hero of the "Black Tyrones"
Now an Expressman at Hayes
and Laguna Streets.
TitE Call's exclusive publication Sunday
morning of the biographical sketch of
William McManus, who was undoubtedly
the original character from which Rud
yard Kipling drew the inspiration and
material for his famous stories of Private
Mulvaney, has created somethine of a sen
sation in the literary centers, both here and
in the East.
The Call's article was telegraphed to
the Eastern newspapers, and from there
much of the story found its way across to
London, even at the cost of cable tolls, and
not only have the literary centers been in
terested in the Call's international literary
"scoop," but the thousands, almost mil
lions, of readers who have been fascinated
by the wonderfully clever character draw
ings and droll tales of Kipling's hero of the
Black Tyrones, have been almost equally
captivated with this strange but true story
of the real Private Mulvaney — who is now
a teamster by occupation, with head
quarters on the street corner at Hayes and
Laguna.
Everybody in the neighborhood knows
him, and everybody who knows him likes
him as much as did Kipling, though none
but a Kipling dare attempt his portrayal.
His home on Alemany street is a modest
little cottage, but it is neat and tidy with
in, showing that the real Dinah Shadd is
as neat and smart as her husband, and
Kipling has said that he "is the smartest
man on dress parade."
But she is not the Dinah Shadd of fic
tion — William McManus indignantly de
nies it. "!t is thrue I was a corp'fil in
thim days that Kipling tells about, but the
tale I told him the night we lay in camp
•when we ought to have been on helping
the Ghoo:khas was not my courting story,
but that of a chum in the same regiment.
"We knew Kipling was a-taking notes
all the time, but there was a little news
paper in Central India that he used to
write them things for and I never thought
they would get any further."
Kipling himself tells of the sus
picions aroused by his notebook. He men
tions it particularly in the "Three Mus
keteers," after Mulvaney, Otheris and
Learoyd, 'privates in B Company of a line
regiment, and personal friends of mine,"
had told him how they prevented
"p'rades ay Thursdays."
"But young mon, what's t 1 notebook
for?" and Mulvaney answers:
"This time next month we're in the
'Sherapis.' 'Tis immortal fame the gentle
man's goin' to give us."
And sure enough, Kipling gave him
more fame than even Kipling may have
dreamed of in those days. They were the
days before Mulvaney ,"or McManus, won
his medals— the proudest emoluments of
a line soldier, and that years later should
■win him a place of honor in the dress pa
rade of the San Francisco McMahon
Guards. They were all given to him at
the same time, after the campaign in Cen
tral India, when he re-enlisted against the
advice of Colonel Stewart.
"Before the regiment left Dungeree
Green for Liverpool," said William Mc-
Afanub last evening, "the colonel sent for
me, and I had no notion of what he wanted
of me until I got there. Then ha called
me inside and got out a bit of a white box
and opened it.
" 'Here are three medals for you, Private
McManus,' he said, and he pinned them
on. I remember almost the very words he
said.
" 'This one is due for the Indian cam
paign, McManus,' he said. 'Every soldier
of ncr Majesty who lands ftere and is
honorably discharged is entitled to it.
This one is for personal bravery in saving
the life of Colonel Shower at Jancey, and
this one is for gooti conduct in camp, in
barracks and in action.' And as he pinned
the last one his eyes winked a little I
thought to myself, and I always had a
notion he knew I was a devil at all times,
and no better conducted than I ought to
be. Then he gave me the fifty rupees that
each man got as his share in taking the
treasure at Jancev.
"How much alf the treasure was I don't
know, but it was something immense. I
know it was told that the Crown got thou
sands of pounds out of it, besides what was
given to the army. All the officers got
Bomething. Their share was in proportion
to tneir rank, and the lowest officer got
more than twice what the private's share
amounted to. Then there were 2000 and
more native troops, and all of them got 30
rupees apiece."
"Bein 1 wuat I am." Private Mulvaney
once said to his famous biographer, "wid
no gooa-conduc' pay an' a devourin'
thirst—" and then the private told his true
failing, and a failing that has not abated
with his years, though compared to many
another man of bis age William McManus
eeems to be none the worse for this thirst.
And maybe it was this thirst that, when
assuaged by the contents of Kipling's bottle
of quart of ale, unloosed a tongue that told
many a tale the whole world has laughed
or wept over.
"Kipling always had a bottle with him,"
Bays McManus, "which was not strange at
all for that country, for a man can't live
without the stuff down there. But Kip
ling's bottle or his cad of ale was always at
the service of any soldier he met, and I
used to think he liked to hear the stories
of the barracks-rooms just because they
And You Can Bet ox It, is thk
"CAPTAIN
MARRYAT"
CIGAR.
"FINEST BEYOND QUESTION."
HARBURQER, HO.MAN & CO., New York,
Makers.
»1. LEVi&CO., 117-119 Market St.,
Distributing Agents.
amused him. He didn't always take note
and as I tell you, for a long time we didn't
know who he was.
"But all that Kipling ever wrote about
me never made me the marked man that
that article in the Call did. Man alive,
everybody's been at me since then, and
wherever I go people want to speak to me
now and see the man that Kipling chris
tened Private Mulvaney."
V. MoOLINTOOK'S PEAR.
He Thinks That Loomis Was Threaten
ing Him.
Private Detective McClintock was on the
stand yesterday in the case of Loomis
against Somers. He recited the old tale of
how he was shot at the Russ House by
Loomis, and in the midst of his story
started and insisted that Loomis was
threatening him as he sat in court. His
attorney denied this, however, and the
matter passed.
McClintock also intimated that Loomis 1
attorney (Watt) had suggested to him to
leave tlie country. The suggestion had
been made in a saloon, where Watt was
"treating" the witness. Watt in cross
examination showed that the words of the
suggestion if made at all were uttered in a
jocular way, and he intimated that the
witness was always "holding him up" for
small loans.
There was some testimony as to Attor
ney Hudson encouraging witness to hold
out for $1000 for the book of evidence Somers
had asked him to discover, and saying that
if he (McClintock) would help to "pene
tentiary" Somers he (Hudson) would give
him the book free.
LEE FAIRCHILD'S LAUGHS
He Provokes Many of Them at
the Metropolitan Temple
Last Night.
A Description He Wrote of Skookum
That Cost Him a Sit
uation.
Lee Fairchild, Mrs. H. Lewis and the
Mandolin Club of the high school enter
tained a small but select audience in
Metropolitan Temple la3t night.
The entertainment was given under the
auspices of the Portia Law Club. Mr.
Fairchild was the drawing card. He waa
funny, not only because he said he in
tended to be funny, but that the audience
thought he was funny and laughed. His
ciaims of being a hypnotist, however, were
vindicated, though he did not choose to
smile in concert with his hearers.
The Mandolin Club played with skill and
effect and the singing of Mrs. Lewis called
for several encores.
Mr. Fairchild first told his hearers how
he felt when he was an actor and next gave
them a lesson in modern oratory.
"Fifteen years ago a speaker could talk
as long as he wanted to, a day and a night
if he wanted to," said Mr. Fairehild, "but
the man who would presume to talk more
than ten minutes to-day ought to be
hanged.
"When I was in Washington I wrote a
boom article about the town of Skookum.
It cost me my job. 'Skookum,' I said, 'is
situated on both siles of a river without a
bridge. The streets are shady, but the
woods are full of the same kind. There is
only one Jive man in the town, and the
other man is not accommodating enough
to die. (Since writing the Jast clause I
learned that he was shot to-day.) The
railroad facilities are not tirst class, but we
expect three roads in the near future.
We have set aside ton acres for
depot sites and freight yards — the town it
self covers half an acre. It is dry six
months and tries to rain the other six
months, but don't succeed. The river
which flows between the town and itself is
called Skunk River. It flows along
smoothlj-, but is principally occupied in
trying to run away from itself. It has
(water) power enough to run a hundred
mills, and incidentally, all the inhabitants
out of the town. The* inhabitants of Skoo
kum have gotten up a petition to Congress
to widen the river, so that steamboats can
pass the place from which it took its
name.'
"As I said, if you have never been
through a boom, you don't know anything
about a boom or anything else."
He then spoke of booms in general,
rusted railway tracks and the coyotes,
whose lonesome midnight howls made
night hideous and full of nightmares
around the ruins of deserted boom towns,
and likened those nocturnal coyotish
snarls to the "snarling pennings" of Am
brose Bierce.
"I was brought up on the farm with the
other crops," he continued under the
head of crops; "and the reason that I am
not better than I am ia because my father
did not pay as much attention to me as he
did to the other crops."
The audience was dismissed in good
humor.
MARCINKOWSKI'S " WIPE."
She Wag >"ot Legally Married, and He
Loses by It.
Judge Murphy yesterday rendered a
judgment in favor of Mary Carlisle, ad
ministratrix of the estate of Isabella
Marcinkowski, against Joseph Marcin
kowski.
This was a suit involving the legal bar
rier of miscegenation. Isabella F. Marcin
kowski died intestate on July 28, 1893,
owning a house on Pine street, near
Mason. On February 27, 1895, her hus
band, Joseph, entered the property, and
the administratrix, Mrs. Carlisle, promptly
brought a suit for ejectment, assessing her
damages at $1000.
Joseph, who is a tailor, claimed the
ownership of the house on the ground that
he married Isabella in 1877, and lived with
her until the time of her death; that he had
contributed $4000 toward the building of
the house, and having lost and repurchased
it. he had placed it in Mrs. Marcinkowski's
name, believing her to be his lawful wife.
At that point his case failed, for it was
proved that Isabella Marcinkowski was a
mulatto, and the law did not recognize
any union between the parties as marriage.
The judgment against Marcinkowski
was "for the plaintiff for possession of the
premises, and $50 damages for retention
thereof."
The Royal Baking Powder avoids all de
composition of the flour as caused by yeast
rising, thereby saving a large percentage
of its most nutritive elements, making the
flour go one-fourth further.
Chess Hatch Postponed.
A number of enthusiastic chess players as
sembled in the rooms of the Mechanics' Insti
tute last night to guard their kings from the
attacks of tne knights of Victoria, B. C. Six
local players surrounded the tables at 6:30 and
decided to advance the king's knight's pawn
as a starter. The fact was turned over to
the telegraph operator in the corner of the
room, but the manipulator of the key
could get no response from the island.
Vancouver chessmen learned of the break and
agreed to gather a team together and play
over the wire. The local players waited until
after 10 o clock, and as no team had assembled
Dy that time the main and secondary matches
were postponed.
A Relic of the Davle Ferry.
Judge Seawell yesterday rendered a decision
In the case of Alexander Hay et al. vs. the
Davie Ferry and Transportation Company et al.
The judgment was against the defendant, Whit
ney, Standard and Oakland Transfer, as fol
lows: In favor of J. O. Dunsmuir $109115
--£& T 5? lor 10 5 6 7,j C -, - Hendry-'s Son & Co.
$224 25; Hay &AY right, $963 80; Pacific
Marine Railway and Ways Company, $171 3B;
Oakland Iron Works, *87U 41 P and that the
money in the hands of the Alameda Sheriff
arising from the sale of the "Frank Silva" be
applied to satisfy the judgments of Joan O.
Dunsmuir. J. P. Taylor and Charles J. Hendry V
son & Co. . . i.. ■ • „ • ,
They manipulate paper into every conceiv
able shape ; print or bind it. Mysell & Koliins.
521 Clay street. * *
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,, TUESDAY, MAT 28, 1895.
BLUE COATS INSPECTED
Officers and Men Paraded on
Van Ness Avenue Yes
terday.
NEW UNIFORMS AND HELMETS.
The Police Commissioners Pleased
With the Appearance of the
Men.
The inspection by the Police Commis
sioners of the employes of their depart
ment of the City Government took place
on Van Ness avenue at noon yesterday,
and the finest body of men to be found
among the peace officers of any City in the
world, in the opinion of Commissioner
Gunst, marched and countermarched for
the edification of their superiors and inci
dentally for that of hundreds of citizens
who gathered to view the ceremony.
There were 425 patrolmen in line, but the
total number of bluccoats was swelled to
nearly 500 by the presence of captains, ser
geants and corporals and nearly a score of
upper office men.
Though the inspection had been an
nounced for 12 o'clock, Van Ness avenue
was crowded with spectators long before
that hour, and Captain Dunlevy, who with
forty mpn from the Harbor front was the
first to arrive, had considerable difficulty
in getting his men in position. Later, how
ever, a squad of mounted officers succeeded
in keeping clear a space sufficient for the
evolutions.
Company A, the "Grenadier Company"
of the force, assembled at the new City
Hall, and. headed by Captain Douglass,
Drillmaster Marshall and Special Officer
Heitlar, drummer from Battery C, Second
Infantry of the National Guard, marched
in imposing array to the inspection-ground.
Company B, under the command of the
veteran Captain Short, was late in arriv
ing. It is composed of the officers sta
tioned south of Market street, and the de
lay was owing to the greater distance the
men had to march to reach the rendezvous.
The line when formed extended over
three blocks. Before it stood the captains
and the sergeants in command of platoons,
and in the rear individual officers who had
been selected as fileclosers because of their
former experience in the militia or in the
regular army. The captains wore short
six-buttoned blouses ornamented with
shoulder-straps and with department and
service stripes in gilt braid about the cuffs.
Their heads were surmounted by caps, on
the front of which, within a gold wreath,
appeared the word "Captain" in gold let
ters. Their stars, too, differed materially
from the ordinary police badge.
The sergeants were attired similarly, ex
cept that the word "sergeant" appeared on
the caps instead of "captain." The patrol
men wore their long blue coats tightly but
toned, and helmets on the front of which,
within a silver wreath, appeared each one's
number. Every member of the force -yore
white gloves, and though the white belts
and clubs with which they will be equipped
by next Thursday were lacking, the gen
eral effect was very fine.
When the line was at length complete,
CHIEF OF POLICE AND POLICE COMMISSIONERS BEVIEWIN9 THE FOROS ON VAN NESS AVENUE.
[Sketched on the spot by a "Call 11 artist.]
the Police Commissioners, who had
watched its formation from their carriage,
alighted, and in single file, headed by the
Chief, walked about the line. As they
passed each man they glanced sharply at
his uniform to make sure that it was of
reeulation material a,nd exit, and two or
three unfortunates whose clothing did not
come up to the requirements were directed
to buy new uniforms,
After the inspection the Commissioners
returnea to their carriage, and the whole
force passed in review. The men marched
HINTS OF HOW THE OLD; HELMETS OF THE FORCE MIGHT BE
UTILIZED.
[Sketched by a "CaK* 1 artist,}
in column of platoons, in columns of fours
and by twos. Back and forth they passed
till all were ready to stop, when they were
ranged in close order with the Commis
sioners in front, and a photograph of the
entire command was taken.
Chief Crowley yesterday wore his new
uniform with the stars of a brigadier-gen
eral. His coat is a double-breasted eight
buttoned blouse, and his cap is banded
with gold. A gold wreath in the front of
his head gear surrounded his title of
"chief" in gold letters. Mr. Crowley did
not wear his sword yesterday, but promises
to don it on Decoration day.
An incident in which mounted Officer
Hanley figured furnished amusement for
the spectators, and emphasized the fact
that the police have not yet become accus
tomed to their new headgear. Hanley was
ordered by the Chief to clear the teams
from an adjacent block, and he started for
the scene with his horse on a run. The
CHIEF OF POLICE CBOWLEY IN HIS NEW UNIFORM.
[Sketched from life for the "Call" by Kahler.]
violent exercise dislodged his helmet. He
tried in vain to catch it, and when a small
boy rescued it from the dust the crowd
cheered.
The police have been drilling under Cap
tain Marshall of Company A of the First
Infantry only five months, and during
that time the individual officers have
averaged one hour's drill a wec?K. The
showing made yesterday was therefore
very creditable, for the men kept step well
and marched with a good alignment. In
the review the officers marched in platoons
commanded as follows:
Company A, Captain Douglass — Platoon
commanders, Sergeants Birdsall, Gillan,
Flanders, Robinson, "Wittman, Nash, Mar
tin.
Company B, Captain Short — Platoon
commanders, Sergeants Conboy, Mona
ghan, Spillane, Tobin, Price. Christianson.
Company C, Captain Dunlevy — Platoon
commanders, Sergeants Maioney, Helms,
Mahoney.
The Police Commissioners expressed
themselves as well pleased with the im
provement in the appearance of the men
which has been effected by the adoption
of the new uniforms. Mr. Gunst, to whom
largely belongs the credit of having in
augurated the change, holds that a finer
body of men cannot now be found in the
police force of any city in the world.
TENDEBED HIS RESIGNATION.
Policeman George T, Smith Would Not Wear a
Helmet.
When the new orders were issued some
of the patrolmen grumbled about having
to wear helmets and their coats buttoned
np, and a few declared that they would
rather resign than obey the orders.
The feeling of dissatisfaction gradually
wore away and only one man has shown
that he meant what he said. He is Patrol
man George T. Smith, and his resignation
from the department was tendered yester
day morning.
Smith is a young member of the
force. He was appointed on July 6, 1894,
less than a year ago.
TEE NEW TAX LAW.
Judge Sanderson Decides It in Favor of
the Assessor and It Will Be
Appealed.
Judge Sanderson yesterday rendered a
verdict in favor of Assessor Siebe in the
test case brought against him by Rode &
Co. •; -. , • '
This is a suit to test the matter of the
collection of personal taxes under the new
law approved last March' by the Legisla
ture. According to this law the Assessor
may demand the amount of taxes on per
sonal property immediately on rendering: a
statement of assessment, and should the
owner refuse or omit to pay, he can author
ize the Sheriff to at once seize the property,
providing that it does not constitute a lien
upon realty. •
The contention of the Sheriff's attorneys
is that the new law has worked well in the
interior, and only sets San Francisco on a
uniform footing with her sister counties.
They also say that a taxpayer may after
ward receive back ■ any excess by proving
his grievance before the "Board of Equal
ization. The contention of the other side
is to the effect fiat the law is discrimina
tive, and does not give the citizen the ben
efit of due ; process .of law. ;On these
grourds, among others, it is claimed to be
unconstitutional. .
The matter will be taken to the Supreme
Court without delay.
The United States Government Chemist,
after an examination for the Indian De
partment, made the emphatic statement
that "The Royal : Baking - Powder is the
purest in quality and highest in strength
of any bakirxg powder of which I have
knowledge." ; ; .;.
-.' - : — — r* — •— •
Governor Blaisdell's Suit.
Judge Seawell yesterday gave judgment for
$3262 02 in favor of the Bowers Rubber Com
pany against Governor H. G. Blaisdell of Ne
vada. The plaintiff sued for $4558 02, being a
balance on goods delivered between January 3
ana December 20, 1893. The Governor claimed
that all the goods were not of sufficiently good
quality.
. — * — ♦
The Boys Are Aroused
Upon the subject of pure salt water in
which to swim by the agitation of the sub
ject by the Crystal Baths, which com
pletely empties the tank each night and
, refills with pure, warm sea water.
• — ♦ — * —
A New Department.
Furniture moved, stored, packed and
shipped at low rates by Morton Special
Delivery. Only experienced men exn-
Sloyed ; equipment first class. Offices, 31
eary street and 408 Taylor street. *
1 !
DEFECTIVE STREET WORK
Grand Jurors Make Discoveries
on a Tour of Investi
gation.
PROSECUTION MAY RESULT.
Poor Bitumen Used and No Cement
Mixed In the Concrete
Foundations.
The street contracting firms of Flinn &
Treacy and Crummey & Hogan will re
ceive a little attention from the Grand
Jury for their work on the public streets of
thi3 City. .Foreman W. H. Gagan and W.
J. Newman, Edwin Danforth and Monson
Russell of the Street Committee of the
Grand Jury drove about the City yester
day inspecting work done on the streets
and they expressed themselves as surprised
at the apparent neglect of the Superin
tendent of Streets Ashworth in permitting
specifications to be ignored.
Property-owners have for many years
complained that they were at the mercy of
contractors who paved streets in front of
their places in a wretched manner and
then charged higher prices than good
work justly • commanded. Still no one
took any steps to correct the abuse until a
few weeks ago. Flinn & Treacy were re
cently awarded the contract for bitumin
izing the street in front of some property
on Hayes street, between Fillmore and
Steiner, which belongs to Mayor Sutro.
When the Mayor learned that the work
was not being done according to specifica
tions he objected strongly and declared
his intention not to pay for the work as
the concrete foundation was laid in a loose
manner and no cement was mixed with
the rock and gravel.
Mayor Sutro instructed his financial sec
retary, George T. Gaden, to make an in
vestigation of the bituminizing of streets
in other parts of the City. Gaden fol
lowed out the instructions, though the
investigation seems to have been confined
principally to contracts secured by Flinn
& Treacy. The result of the investigation
showed that the contractors secured a high
price for what the grand jurors who
were out yesterday thought was very
poor work. This was in the case of bitu
men pavements especially, for the man
ner in which the work had been performed
was sufficient to make it appear that bitu
minous rock was virtually valueless for
paving purposes.
The investigation brought to light a pecu
liar operation which is being carried on in
South San Francisco. A hill is being cut
down forty to fifty feet presumably to
properly grade a street, but the Grand
Jurors smiled as they looked at the cut
being made through almost solid rock,
when to them, at least, it appeared
there was not the slightest reason in
the world for the cutting unless it
might be to carry out a scheme to give
some contractors a chance to grind money
out of property-owners and furnish the
contractors with a large lot of good rock
which they are using to fill in another
place.
The investigating party, consisting of
Foreman W. H. Gagan, W. J. Newman,
chairman of the Street Committee of the
Grand Jury, and Edwin Danforth and
Monson Russell, members of the com
mittee, were directed to a few of the places
where bad street work has been discovered,
George W. Elder and George T. Gaden
acting as guides. The places picked out to
show to the members of the Grand Jury
were the worst found in the different
branches of street work.
The first place visited was Elwood street,
an alley off O'Farrrell, between Mason and
Powell. The specifications called for two
and a half inches of bitumen on a concrete
foundation. The investigation showed
that in the middle of the street the bitu
men was only one inch thick. In another
place it was only one and a fourth inches
thick. The thickest place found was in
the gutter, where the bitumen was two
and a fourth inches thick. George T.
Gaden said :
"This was one of the best paid for pieces
of work done in the City. The price con
tracted for was 22 cents a foot. It is quite
evident that the contractors did not use half
as much bitumen as the contract called for,
and no one knows how poor the concrete
foundation underneath is. Still the work
was accepted by Superintendent Ash
worth's deputy, James A. Dobbie, on Feb
ruary 25 last.
"The fact that the work was accepted
shows that the deputy was negligent, that
he was paid to make a favorable report or
that he had instructions from Superin
tendent of Streets Ashworth to pass the
work. At all events, the illegally per
formed work was accepted, and^ Superin
tendent Ashworth is responsible. This is
one of the things which have caused con
tractors to complain that Plinn & Treaty
were the favored friends of Superintendent
Ashworth. The other contractors would
not be allowed to do work in such a
'wretched manner. Therefore, tney had no
chance to be awarded contracts.as they
would have to put in a bid high enough to
enable them to honestly carry out their
contract. This particular contract was let
to Flinn & Treacy, buf A. J. Raisch put
down the bituminous rock for them."
While driving out through the Mission
the party passed along Stevenson street,
or San Carlos avenue, and Bartlett street.
A bituminous rock pavement was laid on
San Carlos avenue, between Eighteenth
and Nineteenth streets, two and a half
years ago by the San Francisco Paving
Company, or which A. J. Raisch is man
ager. The contract called for a pavement
of 2J4 inches of bituminous rock on six
inches of concrete. The street was found
to be in such a wretched condition that
the specifications of the contract could not
have been carried out. The street was full
of holes, and they showed to the minds of
the grand jurors that only a slight coating
of poor bituminous rock had been placed
over an apology for a concrete foundation.
San Carlos avenue is but little used by
teams, and only by carriages or delivery
wagons. Still in two and a half years the
bituminous rock on apparently one-third
of the street had crumbled away, exposing
a gravel foundation that was quickly hol
lowed out.
W. J. Newman, who was in charge of
the party, did not hesitate to express his
feelings in strong terms. His indignation
increased when the investigators reached
Bartlett street. In front of the noted Em
manuel Baptist Church, where the pave
ment has just been laid, there are some
holes and the bitumen in many places
shows symptoms of early decay.
On Bartlett street, between Twenty-third
and Twenty-fifth, the condition of the
pavement is worse. It is quite evident
that the laying of the bitumen was done
by persons who did not understand the
work. The rock was of a very poor qual
ity. Apparently it was the waste stuff
taken from the surface of a mine and when
put down was overheated. At all events,
it has run, sunk and cracked, and soon the
whole street will be full of holes.
All the jurors expressed themselves as
surprised at the way the rock was spoiled,
and they said it was no wonder that some
people called bituminous rock "poultice
pavement." All in the party were strongly
in favor of bituminous rock as a pavement,
but they realized how the trickery of con
tractors had about ruined some of the
streets paved with it.
The greatest surprise given the inspect
ing grand jurors was at the corner of Mis
sion and Army streets. There Flinn &
Treacy are putting down a bituminous
rock pavement. The specifications call for
eight inches of concrete. The contractors
were about to put down a lot of rock and
sand without any cement.
They learned last Saturday that Gaden
was going to have an investigation made
and they hurriedly scattered six barrels of
cement over tke sand and pieces of rock.
But that will not save them. One blow of
a pickax was su;<icient to show that the
concrete foundation was but a sham.
There was a tMn paper-like crust of
cement over a loi. uf earth and small stones.
The specifications of the contract had been
wantonly violated. This was found to
be especially true in the middle of the
street, just along the cartiack. Where
the greatest strain would be on the
bituminous pavement there was no founda
tion but that of loose gravel.
The grand jurors turned from the sight
in disgust to inspect the catch basins or
cesspools at each of the four corners of the
street.
The specifications call for a depth of 6
feet 9 inches for each catch basin. Actual
measurement to the top of the curb showed
a depth of 5 feet 3 inches only. The basins
did not come within a foot and a half of
the contract. This meant a big profit to
the contractors.
These violations of the contract could
not happen without the knowledge of Sup
erintendent Ashworth's deputy. All the
members of the party were indignant over
the revelations at that place. They walked
to their Duegy soberly and all were slow to
speak. All expressed their belief in Sup
erintendent Ashworth's honesty, but they
were deeply impressed with the fact that
he must be held responsible for the work.
This was especially the case with Edwin
Danforth and Monson Russell, both of
whom have known Ashworth for years.
"I can't believe that Mr. Ashworth has
any knowledge of this," said Mr. Dan
forth, "but I am going to call on him and
tell him about it."
"So am I," replied Mr. Russell, "for I
don't believe he would countenance the
acceptance of such work."
Mr. Danforth said: "I have teen given
to understand that Mr. Ashworh is in no
way under the control of the bosses, and
that he does not have to truckle to them.
I think he has said he has none of the
bosses' men in his office, but there is cer
tainly dishonesty in the street department.
I 'am sorry Mr. Ashworth is not along
with us so that he could see this himself.
Of course, it is his business to personally
look into these matters, so he is morally
responsible."
A long ride across San Francisco fol
lowed, until the corner of M street and
Ninth avenue South was reached. The
junction of these streets is in a deep cut
with solid stone walls running up thirty to
forty feet on three sides. Gaden and Elder
brought the grand jurymen to the place
to show them what a mockery of comply
ing with the conditions of the contract to
macadamize the street, but the absurdity
of cutting down a bill to put M street on a
lower and more level grade struck the in
spectors as amusing. M street South leads
to nowhere, hardly anybody lives on it.
and the grand jurors did not see the slight
est reason in the world for making the cut
through the hill.
Looking at a house which stood hang
ing over the cliff, forty feet above his head,
Mr. Russell said: "If I lived in that house
I would give up my lot rather than have
to pay the contractors for this alleged
street improvement. It will cost that poor
fellow more than his property is worth.
He will have to have a balloon to get up to
his house from the street."
Mr. Danforth, in a laughing way, said :
"Oh, this is a good job. It is a job indeed
to give the contractors a chance to make
double money. Apparently they will
make the property-owners pay well for
this excavation, and evidently they are
hauling all their rock away to sell to some
body else. What in the world anybody
can find for an honest excuse to cut down
this hill 1 can't see. But I suppose it was
done to give somebody work."
An investigation was made of the way in
which the macadam on M street was laid.
The specifications were as follows:
Between the gutters will be spread a layer of
sound, hard rock, not less than six (6) inches
in depth, broken into fragments as nearly reg
ular in shape as practicable, which shall not
measure more than six (6) inches in any direc
tion, nor less than an average thickness of two
('_') inches; after this has been spread over the
entire longth of the improvement it must be
thoroughly rolled. Upon the first layer thus
prepared will be spread a second layer of hard
rock four (4) inches in depth, well broken, in
pieces measuring on an average not
more than two (2) inches in any direction
This second layer to be thoroughly rolled tri
the same manner as the preceding-. Upon Urn
second layer will be spread a third
layer of hne hard rock two (2) inches in
depth, to be well watered ; it is then to be cov
ered with fine hard rock (1) inch in depth that
will pass through a half-inch screen, and to be
well watered and rolled, and on completion
the roadway to present a uniform surface, with
a rise of one (1) inch in every three (3) feet
from the center of the gutterw ay to the center
of the roadway.
Crummey & Hogan, the contractors, ap
parently made no attempt to fulfill the re
quirement of the contract. They blasted
out the rock in the hill and carried it off
and hauled a mixed lot of decomposed "red
rock," earth and clay, and dumped it on
the street to a depth of several inches. No
attempt was made to put the large stones
on the bottom, as required by the contract.
The pickax showed that two or three
inches below the surface there was a mix
ture of mud and clay, with some small
pieces of soft red rock. Hugh Crummey,
an ex-Buckley lamb, came up to explain
why he had not paid any attention to the
specifications. He said: " When this
packs down it will be just as good as if I
had followed the specin cations."
When asked why he had failed to carry
out his contract and had done only as
best suited himself, Crummey could give
no answer. He argued at length on the
possibility of red rock making a good road
bed until Mr. Danforth said in a sarcastic
way: "Well, I suppose you are right.
No doubt the macadam will be sufficient
for all the teaming that will be done way
out here."
Mr. Newman asked: "Why was even
this macadam put down up to the base of
this 40-foot cliff? You must know that a
great deal of the work will have to be dona
over again after the cutting of this cliff is
completed. The roadbed will be virtually
destroyed by falling rock."
Crummey had no reply to make. He
could only talk on red rock.
The grand jurors drove away both
amused and disgusted. The "job" by
which contractors were allowed to cut
down a country hill, cart away the rock
and then pile a lot of red rock and mud on
the street in the place of macadam was
such a brazen piece of business that they
could not help laughing.
Notwithstanding all these things Super
intendent Ashworth accepted the street,
and he has made a vigorous fight to get
the bill for paving it through the Mayor's
office.
The investigating party then went to
Bernice street, between Twelfth and Thir
teenth, where Flinn & Treacy, aided by
their subcontractor and A. J. Raisch, had
laid a bituminous rock pavement. This
work was better done than in other streets,
though it showed a depth of only two and
two and a quarter inches in places.
Gaden and Elder said their business com
pelled them to go to the City Hall, but
they offered their services to the grand
jurors any other morning. The jurors
thought they had seen the worst of what
the experts could offer, so they declined
and gave up the investigation. The com
mittee will meet to-morrow to make a
report on the matter.
The Contractors' Side.
The members of the contracting firm of
Crummey & Hogan positively assert that
they have not violated the specifications of
their contract. M. C. Hogan said last
night: "In regard to our work in South
San Francisco, on the crossing of Ninth
avenue and M street, I wish to state that
property-owners have said it is one of the
best pieces of work that was ever com
pleted in that portion of town. The work
was accepted by the Superintendent of
?££?«. n- er w *\ r resente d a certificate
from the City County Surveyor. The
SiS wift 6 iP T ecil lcations were fully com
plied with. Mr. Crummey said : 'I was
rZ2H n th the Grand Ju V came. Mr
?r™tf™£ tl ?f work had not been done in
™£ l a n n Cr? rt W th specifications and that the
itnW Hi ** tested h 7 the rattler test.
I told him he v was mistaken, and when I
showed him the specifications he confessed
he was WrOng *V aß the rattler test is only
called tor south of Colusa street. During
r } m ? -Of ■ m conversation with the
Grand Jury, : Mr. Gaden tried to hurry
B how SSL Wlthou giving me a chance to
snow them my work."