wo hospitals complete, Jefferson Guards' uniforms and
accouterments, railroad tracks in the various buildings, the Intramural
Railway, which included all the equipment (except the cars), hothouses,
horses, wagons, and vehicles of all kinds, and many other valuable
items.

I submitted a bid on one of the buildings only. However, I was
associated with Mr. Albrecht and others when he submitted a bid on all
the buildings as shown by the printed list, and was also concerned with
him in his proposition of December 5, wherein he offered $400,000 cash
for the property, and more if a list of all the property could be
secured.

The conditions embodied in the specifications and contract, with
reference to the time limit for the removal of all the debris from day
to day as the work progressed were too exacting, in that they did not
allow sufficient time, and if the same were strictly enforced by
Director of Works Taylor would materially add to the expense of the
contractor. The time was too short for the amount of work to be done.

On November 10, at the hour called for the opening of the bids, I was
present and appeared with other bidders before the committee on salvage.
I, with a number of other bidders, waited until after 3 o'clock for the
committee to get together and open the bids, and was very much surprised
when President Francis announced that all bids would be opened in secret
by the committee. This procedure was not in accordance with the custom
of the Government and city in the handling of its property when same is
for sale under bids. Mr. Albrecht objected to the bids being opened in
secret session and demanded that they be opened before the bidders.
President Francis asked me what I had to say about the way in which the
bids were to be handled, and I answered that I could do nothing more
than emphasize the protests of Mr. Albrecht.

I have been a bidder at many sales of both Government and city,
property, and the method employed at such sales provided for the opening
of bids in public in the presence of such bidders as desired to be
present.

A few days later I saw by the papers that the Exposition Company had
rejected all bids. After the rejection of our first sealed bids, I
learned through another bidder, with whom I was interested, that the
World's Fair officials had announced that it was probable that they
would wreck the exposition buildings themselves. Upon this information I
dropped the matter and heard no