d up Mr. Taylor's office and was informed that,
the salvage committee had adjourned at 7 p.m. and would not be back that
night. Shortly after this I called up President Francis's house and was
informed that he was not at home. I then called up Mr. Taylor's house
and was told that he was not at home. About 10 p.m. I called up Mr.
Holmes's residence and was informed that Mr. Holmes had gone to bed. I
tried every way I could to reach some member of the salvage committee,
but could not. The next morning, December 1, about 8.30 a.m., I called
up Mr. Holmes's house and was informed that Mr. Holmes was then on his
way to his office. I told Mr. Krug this, and he suggested that I go to
Mr. Holmes's office and see him. I went to the office of Mr. Holmes and
waited there some time. I think I was there about thirty minutes before
he came in. When he came he invited me into his private office. I asked
him what the salvage committee had done about the bids. He asked, "Did
they not call you up?" I said "No; nobody called us up." He said, "Why,
that is singular; it was understood that they would call you up before
doing anything." I told him that I had telephoned the office of Mr.
Taylor the night before, and was informed that the salvage committee had
adjourned at 7 o'clock. I asked him if the contract had been awarded,
and he told me that it had been given to the Chicago House Wrecking
Company before they adjourned at 7 o'clock on the evening of November
30. I went back to the hotel and told Mr. Krug and Mr. Ranstead that the
deal had been closed and that the contract had been given to the Chicago
House Wrecking Company. I asked him for what amount the contract was
closed and he refused to tell me. I came back to Chicago the next day,
December 2.

While we were in the salvage committee room talking about the bids I
asked President Francis for a list of all the property to be disposed
of, so that we would know what to figure on and make an intelligent bid.
He said that they were not furnishing lists to anyone; that they were
only giving out the specifications, and that we could go out on the
grounds and gather our own data. I never saw, by the papers or
otherwise, that new bids were requested after I was informed that the
first bids had been rejected.

I consider the manner in which the bids were handled very irregular, in
that the bids were opened in secret, and not in public, as demanded by a
majority of the bidders, and as is cust