News from 1902 (July)
July 2 - John G. Milburn who, by the terms of the bill appropriating $500,000 for the Pan-American debts is made trustee of the fund, was this afternoon asked the following questions:
"What classes of creditors will receive this money, how will it be divided and how soon shall you make the distribution?"
"I cannot answer those questions," replied Mr. Milburn, "until I have received a copy of the bill which I have not yet done. I am not even familiar with the terms of the measure, as it was charged after I was last in Washington. For instance, the part which makes me trustee was inserted after my last visit to Washington."
July 2 - The golden goddess of light, admired by thousands of Pan-American visitors last summer as she perched proudly and gracefully on top of the Electric Tower, now lies a shapeless mass of galvanized metal in the mire of the Court of Fountains.
Yesterday afternoon Oscar Carlson climbed to the top of the tower and tossed a noose about the neck of the goddess. Then several other employees of the Chicago House Wrecking Company, who were on the ground below, laid hands on the other end of the rope and gave one mighty tug, which caused the goddess to sway for an instant on her high resting place. Then she came crashing downward, turning two somersaults in her descent.
W. J. Humphreys, pop-corn merchant in Cleveland, had purchased the goddess to adorn his pavilion. One story is that the wrecking company was tired of waiting for him to come and take the statue down, and another is that the goddess got an inkling of the fact tha tshe was to be taken to Cleveland, and begged the wrecking company to destroy her at once. The wrecking company mercifully complied with her wishes.
The goddess was 22 feet high and weighed 1500 pounds. It is said that between $400 and $500 worth of gold leaf was used in covering her.
July 3 - The total amount of the claims against the Pan-American Exposition Company for work, material and service furnished, exclusive of any rent due for the grounds, is $561,000. It is expected that the total will remain at about this figure, as the list of claimants was carefully made up by the officials of the Exposition Company before ever the relief bill was taken up for passage by either House of Congress. So it is not expected that the total will be increased by an influx of new and hitherto unheard-of claims.
Since the total of claims is $561,000 and the amount appropriated by Congress is $500,000 and the bill provides that the money shall be distributed pro rata, then it follows that the creditors will receive almost precisely 89 cents on the dollar - and it it likely that they will be very glad, indeed to settle on that basis.
A full list of claims as furnished by the Exposition Company to the Governmen, with the exception of a number of very small items, is as follows:
| Adam, Meldrum, & Anderson Co. |
$1,575.49
|
| James Alexander |
12,717.25
|
| Allen Decorating Company |
23,997.45
|
| American Bridge Company |
1,900.00
|
| American Contracting Company |
33,684.15
|
| American Express Company |
529.35
|
| C. D. Arnold |
1,694.38
|
| Howard Baker & Co. |
5,487.84
|
| Baker, Jones & Co. |
1,526.46
|
| Barber Asphalt Paving Co. |
1976.83
|
| Bell Telephone Co., first |
4,518.58
|
| Bell Telephone Co., second |
1,394.47
|
| George Bickelman |
1,475.08
|
| Philip Becker & Co. |
981.01
|
| Boylan Mfg. Co. |
1,947.30
|
| Thomas Brown, first |
14,155.58
|
| Thomas Brown, second |
8,000.00
|
| Brown, Stabell, & Griffiths |
1,827.64
|
| Buffalo Gen. Elec. Co. |
3,465.06
|
| Buffalo Natural Gas Co. |
4,913.82
|
| Byrne & Bannister |
3,434.53
|
| Carroll Bros. |
2,538.89
|
| Cataract P. & C. Co., first |
2,160.85
|
| Cataract P. & C. Co, second |
3,125.00
|
| Joseph Churchyard |
6,186.42
|
| H.B. Claflin & Co. |
4,343.60
|
| F.T. Coppins and Soris |
15,323.63
|
| Courier Co. |
2,256.32
|
| John W. Danforth |
6,166.23
|
| Dark & Co. |
13,479.58
|
| D. M. Dillon Steam B. Works |
2,345.00
|
| Donnelly-Dunham & Co. |
437.00
|
| G. Elias & Bro. |
1,621.03
|
| John Elliot |
1,541.55
|
| Exposition Carting Col |
2,508.84
|
| Farrar & Trefts |
646.69
|
| John Feist |
13,049.60
|
| Flierl & Reiman |
536.46
|
| Franklin & Franklin |
2,667.66
|
| August Freeze |
5,633.05
|
| Globe Ticket Co. |
3,330.05
|
| Wm. Goldie's Sons |
5,180.95
|
| E. M. Hager & Sons |
47,479.85
|
| Hanley-Casey, first |
20,657.05
|
| Hanley-Casey, second |
4,967.25
|
| Heinrich & Sons |
1,161.53
|
| Wm. Hengerer Co. |
3,806.40
|
| H.W. Harrower |
663.48
|
| Heywood Bros. & Co. |
1,348.41
|
| Jacob Jaeckle |
4,838.48
|
| A.P. Kehr |
1,907.56
|
| Keller Bros. |
349.00
|
| George Kempf |
1,031.90
|
| Little Electric Co. |
1,947.83
|
| Long & Everitt |
1,728.65
|
| Loud & Sons |
5,343.34
|
| Thomas McEvoy |
7,767.43
|
| McGrath & Bisgood |
214.93
|
| Machwirth Bros. |
3,717.28
|
| John Martin & Co. |
1,011.69
|
| Matthews-Northrup Co. |
1,029.12
|
| Mays & Roehrer Co. |
2,929.65
|
| C.W. Miller |
1,115.25
|
| Miller & Franklin |
1,932.18
|
| Mohn & Hunter |
588.78
|
| Mosier & Summers |
3,541.92
|
| Niagara Falls Power Co. |
34,436.06
|
| Niagara Construction Co. |
18,700.92
|
| National Carbon Co. |
2,403.76
|
| National Cash Register Co. |
2,233.00
|
| Pennsylvania R.R. Co. |
1,825.00
|
| Pain Mfg. Co. |
1,200.00
|
| Postal Telegraph Co. |
3,676.91
|
| Queen City Tree Co. |
1,764.73
|
| Rasmussen & Strehlow |
6,743.89
|
| D. F. Rust |
3,680.20
|
| James Ryan & Sons |
10,000.00
|
| Safety Insurance Co. |
2, 082.72
|
| Smith & Eastman |
35,159.38
|
| H.B. Simson, Agt. |
1,239.75
|
| Stoddart Bros. |
500.49
|
| Thompson, Hubman & Fisher |
29,465.71
|
| Tiffany & Co. |
1,121.30
|
| Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co. |
1,624.00
|
| A.H. Vilas |
3,447.66
|
| R.A. Wallace |
4,614.58
|
| Weed & Co. |
3,098.18
|
| Western Union Telegraph Co. |
4,905.82
|
| Westinghouse Electrical Co. |
3,004.82
|
| H.B. Wiggins Sons |
1,360.63
|
| Williams Bros |
767.80
|
| Whitmier & Filbrick |
2,886.27
|
Among the items cut out and prevented from benefitting by changes in the wording and provisions of the bill were $3000 for rent to B.C. Rumsey; $53,327.66 for rent to B.C. and D.P Rumsey, and $1562.50 for rent to Schoellkopf Sons. None of the $500,000 can go to pay for use or restoration of lands under the bill as it was passed.
July 3 - A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Pan-American Expositino was held, beginning at noon today, in the office of John G. Milburn, president of the company, for the purpose of taking action looking toward the distribution of the $500,000 which Congress has appropriated for the payment of claims for labor, materials, service, etc. against the company.
In addition to President Milburn and Secretary Fleming, the following directors were present: George Bielstein, John Hughes, W. Carly Ely, Charles R. Huntley, former Mayor Conrad Diehl, Capt. John M. Brinker, George Urban, Jr., Carlton Sprague, Maj. Thomas W. Symons, Henry J. Pierce, and Robert F. Schelling. The meeting was held behind closed doors and lasted until after 1 o'clock. When it was adjourned, the following statement was made by President Milburn:
"The board appointed a committee composed of John Scatcherd, chairman of the executive committee; Robert R. Schelling, George L. Williams, the treasurer of the company, Newcomb Carlton, the Director of Works, and Edwin Fleming, the secretary of the company, to call in all the bills against the Exposition Company covered by the appropriations, put them into the form required by the act as to details and verification and to finally audit them. This committee will have in charge the entire subject of obtaining and auditing the bills and when it has completed its work it will report all claims to the board of directorsand that will be the report on which Mr. Milburn, as trustee, will make the payments to creditors."
Mr. Milburn was asked regarding the list of claims which was furnished to the two houses of Congress while the appropriation bill was pending.
"The company," replied Mr. Milburn, "furnished Congress with a complete statement of the stock and bonds and a statement of all claims against the company, some of which had been audited and adjusted and some of which had not been audited. That list is of no importance whatever."
"Do you think that it will be found that the $500,000 appropriated by Congress will be sufficient to meet all of the obligations of the Exposition Company?" was asked.
"We won't know certainly until every claim against the company is in and finally audited," replied Mr. Milburn, "whether the appropriation made by Congress will be sufficient to meet all indebtedness. I can't tell how far short it will fall, but I have no doubt that, on the final audit, the appropriation will not be far short of the amount of the indebtedness covered by it.
"I wish to add," said Mr. Milburn, "that there will be no occasion for the personal presentation of claims on the part of any creditor. Whatever communication is it is desired to make should be addressed to the secretary of the company at 740 Ellicott Square."
July 10 - (Special Dispatch from Washington) Officials of the Treasury Department say the statement made in dispatches to the NEWS to the effect that President Milburn of the Pan-American Exposition Company will not be required to give a bond for the disbursement of the $500,000 to the creditors of the company is absolutely correct. A long letter signed by the Acting Secretary has today been mailed to Mr. Milburn. That letter gives all the details under which the Department proposes to act in the matter, vouchers and receipts that will be needed for paying all the claims and closing up the entire transaction.
If the plan as outlined meets with Mr. Milburn's approval, it will be immediately put into operation and he will not be required to give a bond of any sort. The necessary blanks, vouchers and receipts will then be printed at once and forwarded to Mr. Milburn for completion. It is believed by the officials here that if no unnecessary delay occurs on the part of President Milburn who has by the law making the appropriation been made the trustee of the payment of the claims, they will all be paid and the entire transaction closed before the end of the present month and possibly by July 20.
Chief Clerk Hills, who represented the Treasury Department in the Government Pan-American Board, is largely responsible for the plan under which the payments are to be made, and is in charge of the preparation of the necessary blanks to be used in the payments.
July 10 - Commissioner of Public Works Ward yesterday afternoon submitted to Robert F. Schelling of the auditing committee of the Pan-American directors a bill from teh city against the Exposition Company for $21,500 for water furnished during the Exposition. The understanding is tha tthe city will enforce payment of its claim if possible. The bill will follow the regular course to which all accounts submitted to the auditing committee are subjected. The auditing committee meets each day now.
July 10 - (Special Dispatch from Washington) Information of the probable distribution of the $45,000 appropriated by Congress to remunerate the surgeons and physicians who attended the late President McKinley is difficult to obtain here. In the closing days of Congress an amendment was made to the Deficiency Bill, setting aside that amount in payment of the services of the late President's medical attendants, but the names of the doctors were not included therein, nor did the amendment stipulate how the money should be divided. It merely excluded Dr. Rixie of the Navy and two Army surgeons who assisted the civilian doctors.
The doctors and surgeons in attendance at the President's bedside, according to the last official bulletin, were Harvey D. Gaylord, D. Mann, G. Matzinger, Matthew D. Mann, Herman Mynter, Roswell Park, Eugene Wasdin, Charles G. Stockton, Edward G. Janeway, W. W. Johnson, Charles Cary, Hermanus L. Baer; also T. M. Rixey, U.S.N.; William P. Kendal, U.S.A; and Edward L. Munson, U.S.A.
Just how much each of them will receive remains to be determined. Those who might shed light on the prospective distribution simply refuse to discuss the matter at this time. It is provided that the Secretary of the Treasury shall disburse the amount after claims have been filed or approved. The claimants have two months in which to file their claims. If none is presented, the money reverts to the Treasury. The understanding is, however, that those to be compensated will abide by the allotments which have or will be decided upon by Senator Hanna, Secretary Cortelyou and Judge Day, the trustees of the McKinley estate.
July 10 - The Treasury Department has perfected a plan for the payment of claims against the Pan-American Exposition Company to be paid out of the appropriation of $500,000 made in the General Deficiency Act. By the terms of the appropriation payments are to be made pro rata on claims for labor, and no payments are to be made to stockholders or to pay any claims secured by mortgage.
The claims to be pro rated aggregate about $640,000. The claims are to be filed and audited at the Treasury Department and the warrants are to be drawn in favor of the individual claimants. These warrants are to be delivered through, and receipted for, by John G. Milburn, who was the president of the Exposition. In this way the necessity for Mr. Milburn for giving bond will be avoided.
This is the plan which will be submitted to Mr.Milburn for his approval. Mr. Milburn is very anxious that no part of the appropriation shall be used in paying expenses incident to the using of the $500,000 but that every dollar of it shall go to the creditors of the Exposition.
July 12 - Now that there is an assured prospect that the constructing and operating creditors of the Pan-American Exposition Company will be paid, each one is asked to subscribe 10 percent of his claim against the Exposition Company to form a fund with which to reward those who have been instrumental in pushing the bill through Congress appropriating $500,000 for the relief of the Exposition. Each contribution is represented and understood to be entirely voluntary. The contributions are may payable to John Feist, treasurer of the committee of the creditors among whom the movement to raise the fund stated. Mr. Feist's claim against the Exposition is $13,049.60. About 20 of the largest creditors of the Exposition have subscribed. Among the signers are The Willliam Hengerer Co., H.H. Baker, and Smith and Eastman of Chicago. The claims against the last named firm amount to $15,159.38.
There is no specific statement as to who will get the money except that John G. Milburn will not get any of it and does not desire to be a participator in the fund. Subscribers are merely assured that a great many persons not only in Buffalo but in other parts of the country have been instrumental in securing the $500,000 and it would be a graceful act as well as a duty to acknowledge their efforts in a substantial manner.
July 15 - (Oyster Bay, N.Y. Associated Press) Secretary Cortelyou left for Washington today... He will also adjust and pay all bills relative to the assassination of President McKinley, including those of the surgeons attending him. A bulk amount of $45,000 was appropriated recently by Congress for the payment of these expenses. At the request of the President, Mr. Cortelyou will settle all accounts. The Secretary of the Treasury will honor his requisitions.
July 17 - Five of the builders of the Pan-American Exposition have arrived in this city from St. Louis to prepare their statements and affidavits for claims under the $500,000 appropriation relief of Pan-American Exposition construction and operating creditors. The five are: Ezekiel Smith of Smith & Eastman, Chicago; William A. Goldie, Chicago; James Alexander of Memphis; A. Cesary; Edwin Allen of the Allen Decorating Company and Mr. Hanley of the Hanley-Casey Company, plumbers, of Chicago.
Messrs. Goldie, Alexander, Allen and Smith are registered at the Iroquois Hotel.
Smith & Eastons are engaged in erecting the Machinery Building at the St. Louis Exposition at a cost of $500,000. The firm has the contract for the entire work. It also has the contractfor the staff work of the Textile Building. Alexander has the staff contract for the Varied Industries and Electricity Building. Goldie & Son have the contract for the Art Building at a cost of $942,000. The Hanley-Casey Co. is constructing all the sewers on the Exposition grounds. Cesary is engaged upon a down-town contract as a pot-boiler in St. Louis until some staff contracts which he expects are ready.
All of the contractors are jubilant over the $500,000 appropriation.
"It wouldn't have required very much money to buy up some of our claims a few months ago," said Mr. Smith. "So far as I know, there have been no claims sold, though, chiefly fo rthe reason that nobody had the nerve to make an offer."
July 22 - Wallace Hills, chief clerk of the Treasury Department at Washington, and the man who had the actual charge of the preliminaries to the work of auditing and paying out the $500,000 appropriated by Congress for the relief of the Pan-American Exposition creditors, paid a flying visit to Buffalo today.
He stepped in for a brief conference with John G. Milburn, trustee of the $500,000 fund, darted into the office of Secretary Fleming long enough to say, "Ave atque Vale," and then was gone. But what business he had to do was transacted before he left.
This disposes of all the necessary formalities commonly called red tape, and now the work preliminary to the actual payment of the money will go rapidly forward. The subject of the conference between chief clerk Hills and Trustee Milburn was the form of certain documents which will be used in the distribution of the appropriation. Said Mr. Milburn in speaking of Mr. Hill's call:
"Together we went over the papers which had been prepared in Washington and sent on to me. These were a form of certificate of verification which I must attached to each voucher and a schedule of claims and the pro rata of each creditor.
"There was a few minutes of discussion. No change was made in the form of the certificate or the schedule, as they were entirely satisfactory to both.
"Mr. Hills took with him these proposed certificates to have them printed at Washington and when they are ready he will furnish to me the requisite number of copies. They will be received in a short time. This disposes of the last bit of preliminary detail."
Mr. Milburn declined to give any estimate of the time which would elapse before the payment of the money would be made, remarking that it "would be just as soon as the various claims could be audited and nothing he could say would be any better than a guess."
The work is being pushed rapidly, the desire being to let the creditors have their money as soon as possible. It is said that the whole matter may be wound up within two weeks.
July 24 - According to on of the surgeons most interested, not one of the Buffalo doctors who attended President McKinley during his last illness knows anything about how much he is to get for his services, published reports to the contrary notwithstanding.
"We don't know when the money will be paid or how much anyone is going to get," was his language. "I begin to think that it is not going to be paid out at all. I am going to Europe but I am not banking on that money," he said with a smile.
"I did see a copy six months ago of what was suggested at that time, but since then I have heard nothing."
"Can't you remember how much it was proposed to pay the principal men?" was asked.
"I can't, and if I could I wouldn't tell," was the reply. "I put in no claim and don't know anything about it. The matter is in the hands of Senator Hanna, Judge Day, John G. Milburn and Secretary Cortelyou."
It has been assumed that the sum of $45,000 was to be divided among the surgeons who attended the President, but the surgeon quoted above called attention to something which has heretofore been overlooked. The language of the bill appropriating the money is as follows:
"To enable the Secretary of the Treasury to pay the unpaid expenses incurred on account of the last illness and death of President McKinley, including compensation of physicians, $45,000 or so much thereof as may be necesssary."
That is all there is bearing on the subject.
"Now, does that mean that the doctors are to get $45,000?" this surgeon asked. "There were other expenses, such as the undertakers' bill, railroad transportation, etc. If the $45,000 is for the doctors alone, how are these other bills to be met? I know of no other appropriation than this. And does the language of the act mean that the $45,000 is for the doctors alone?"
July 29 - Unless an agreement is reached today between the Chicago House Wrecking Company and La Fayette L. Grove, the Sheriff will be called upon to settle the question of possession of the buildings upon the Pearce property at the Pan-American grounds. The land was bid in by Mr. Grove under a foreclosure sale on July 14. The Chicago House Wrecking Company, on the other hand, bought the buildings of the Pan-American Exposition Company. The wreckers have removed most of the buildings, but it is estimated that 125 carloads of materials still remain on Mr. Grove's purchase. It is understood that President Harris will be obliged to pay $1500 rent for the premises or will be driven off that part of the Exposition grounds by the Sheriff as a trespasser.
A conference will be held today between Frank F. Williams, representing Mr. Grove, and the attorney for Mr. Harris, with a view to settling the difficulty peaceably. Failing this, it will be settled with vi et armis.
"Mr. Grove is entitled to his own," said Attorney Williams. "Mr. Harris agreed to remove the buildings by the first of June. He has not done so. It is only fair that he should pay for the time he is occupying the premises since then.
"Even with the rent demanded, Mr. Grove will be money out. The Exposition Company agreed to restore the grounds to their original condition, and has refused to make good. There is a canal to be filled in and a waste of plaster and rubbish to be removed. It will cost at least $1500 to restore the grounds to the condition before the Exposition."