Cube stone, per superficial foot.. Marble, ....... Beds and bills, per superficial foot.... ... Cornice in two beds, per superficial foot, totom... Blocking course, per superficial foot....... Drops to cornice, per lineal foot..... Caps of pilasters, each..... ...... Channels to basement, per lineal foot...... 1 27 30 84 1 98 2 23 1 14 1 29 153 2 10 25 33 37 63 19 90 1 00 We, the undersigned, Charles S. Wallach and Benedict Milburn, do hereby guarantee that if the foregoing proposal is accepted, that William Van Riswick will bond, with proper and sufficient securities, in such sum as may be required for the faithful execution of the contract in every particular. WASHINGTON, February 17, 1857. CHAS. S. WALLACH. The granite and marble which I propose to furnish will be equal in kind and quality to that in the east and west wings of the building, and furnished in such quantities and at such times as may be required by the government. WILLIAM VAN RISWICK. WASHINGTON, February 19, 1857. SIR: I yesterday proposed for the whole of the marble and granite work required for the north front of the Patent Office building, and as the aggregate of each proposal made has yet to be computed, so as to determine the lowest responsible bidder, I deem it proper to most respectfully communicate to you that, previous to making up my bid, I called at the superintendent's office, to examine the specifications which your advertisement said could be seen there, and none could be or was produced; moreover, a bill of quantities was not to be had, so that each item could have been carried out and the aggregate of each bid seen as they were opened. This loose way of furnishing the necessary information for bidders. is to be regretted, as it renders a contract, made merely on plans, vague and uncertain, of which there is unquestionable evidence to be found in Ex. Doc. No. 28, 1st session 31st Congress, by examining the first contracts for the granite and marble work made for the east and west wings of this building, and comparing them with the exhibit made in Ex. Doc. No. 48, 33d Congress, 1st session, on the same work, and the bids made yesterday. It is, therefore, to be hoped that you will require the superintendent to produce his bill of quantities at once, so that each bidder can compare them with the plans, and determine for themselves the correct aggregate of their bids respectively. My proposal is based on reasonable prices, and I am prepared to bond for its faithful fulfillment in every particular. Your obedient servant, Hon. R. MCCLELLAND, WM. VAN RISWICK. WASHINGTON, February 18, 1857. I hereby propose to furnish, haul, dress, and set all the granite required for the north front of the Patent Office building, according to the plans and specifications, the material to be equal in quality to that used in the wings, as per sample, marked A, No. 1; the whole to be completed in eighteen months from the time the cellar walls are ready to receive the cut stone, and for the following prices: Plain-faced cube stone, per superficial foot...... Beds and bills, per superficial foot......... Extra cube stone, per cubic foot... Cornice in two beds, per superficial foot.... Frieze to entablature, per superficial foot.... Pilaster caps, each. .... Channels of basement, per lineal foot..................... Respectfully submitted, $0.99 15 69 4 50 90 1 25 150 3 00 27 35 54 00 15 79 JOHN WALKER. BALTIMORE, February 17, 1857. The undersigned propose to furnish and execute the granite and granite work for the north front of the Patent Office building, as per schedule in advertisement, viz: And to complete the above named work in eighteen months from the time the building is ready to receive it. Respectfully, MAXWELL, JOHNSTON & MEAD. Hon. R. MCCLELLAND, WASHINGTON, February 25, 1857. SIR: The undersigned, being bidders for the marble and granite work of the north front of Patent Office, would respectfully state, that they understand that you have referred the several bids for said building to a committee of gentlemen in order that they should investigate the same, and report for acceptance that proposal which they in their judgment should deem most advantageous to the government; and believing that our bids are as low as said work can be done for in a creditable manner and with the best material, we beg leave to call your attention to the basis upon which our estimate was made; our proposal intended that the marble should be fully equal in quality to that used in the east and west wings, and from a quarry at Texas, in Baltimore county, well known in Baltimore and Washington as producing the best of material, and an inspection of the quarry would satisfy you there is sufficient in quantity for any amount of work. Our granite bid was based on procuring that material from the quarries of Messrs. Sumwalt & Green, the reputation of which stone is well known in this city and Baltimore, and which we believe costs per cubic foot ten or eleven cents more than the northern granite. We would furthermore state that, should our bids, or either of them, be considered favorably, we will submit to you the most ample testimony (from gentlemen of the highest and most respectable standing in Baltimore and Washington) of our ability to execute in good faith with the government this contract, should it be awarded to us. Hon. R. MCCLELLAND, MAXWELL, JOHNSON & MEADE. Secretary of the Interior. WASHINGTON, February 18, 1857. SIR: The undersigned propose to execute the granite work for the north part of the Patent Office building, as per advertisement of the Interior Department dated December 20, 1856, at the rates in the schedule below, which is twenty-two per cent. below the prices of the contract for the granite work of the east and west wings of said building; the stone and workmanship to be equal in all respects to that in those wings which we have done, and to which we respectfully refer; and we further propose to complete the whole on or before the 1st day of December, 1857. Cube stone, per foot, superficial...... Beds and bills, per foot, superficial.. Freize of entablature, per foot, superficial.. Drops to cornice, per foot, superficial... Caps to pilasters, each..... Channels of basement, per lineal foot.. ... Window sills, per foot, superficial $1 17 23 94 2.00 1 17 160 1 85 3 00 45 00 90 00 18 78 BERRY & MOHUN. All of which is most respectfully submitted. BALTIMORE, MD., February 17, 1857. The undersigned propose to furnish the granite and granite work in the north front of the Patent Office building, as called for in the department advertisement of December 18, 1856, to following schedule: Cube stone, per superficial foot, eighty-eight cents........ Beds and bills, per superficial foot, eighteen cents............ Extra curb stone, per cubic foot, fifty cents........ $0 88 18 50 Cornice in two beds, per superficial foot, eighty-eight cents.... 88 60 70 62 Drop to cornice, per lineal foot, forty cents....... Triglyphs, each, (blocks 4 feet 2 inches by 2 feet 8 inches) per block, thirty dollars....... Caps of pilasters, each ninety-seven dollars............................. The workmanship and granite will be equal in quality to that in the east and west wings of the building, and completed in twelve months. Very respectfully, GAULT & BRO., No. 32 West Pratt street, Baltimore. 40 30 00 97 00 19 50 FEBRUARY 26, 1857. MY DEAR SIR: Messrs. Cyrus & Mathew Gault, formerly from New Hampshire, desire me to express to you my knowledge of their character and responsibility for whatever they undertake. I believe them to be, from a long personal knowledge, gentlemen of probity; and I should, without any hesitation, trust to the faithful fulfillment of any contract they may make. Yours, truly, Gov. MCCLELLAND, FR. PIERCE. WASHINGTON CITY, February 18, 1857. SIR: I propose to execute the granite work required in the construction of the north front of the Patent Office building, equal in all respects to work of the same kind done on the east and west wings, including materials, hauling, dressing and setting machinery, and other expenses, (the work to be finished in sixteen working months,) for the following prices, viz: Cube stone, superficial foot, at........ Extra cube stone, per cubic foot..... Cornice in two beds, per superficial foot.. Frieze to entablature, per superficial foot. Triglyphs, each......... Caps to pilasters, each...... Channel of basement, lineal foot.... Window sills, per superficial foot... See specimen, marked G. C. Hon. R. MCCLELLAND, ... .... $121 18 70 1 00 100 1 18 1 25 1.00 26 50 47 00 16 95 GILBERT CAMERON. WASHINGTON, April 6, 1857. SIR: By an act of Congress passed March 3, 1849, (see United States Statutes at Large, vol. ix., p. 364,) an appropriation was made authorizing the erection of the wings of the Patent Office building. Under that authority, and under the direction of the then Secretary of the Interior, the Hon. T. Ewing, a contract was made by the |