The Gottstein Block Construction Dispute
A St. Louis iron manufacturer sues a Seattle developer over unpaid bills for the construction of the Gottstein building.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The case of Pullis Bros. vs. M. & K. Gottstein to recover $3,000 for breach of contract was put in yesterday before Judge Hanford of the United States court. The plaintiffs, an iron manufacturer based in St. Louis, were hired in 1889 to supply structural materials for the Gottstein building in Seattle. Pullis Bros. claimed they never received full plans but delivered the materials anyway. After the iron was delivered, the architects, Towle & Wilcox, instructed the plaintiffs to draw a draft for $6,000, which the defendants dishonored. Correspondence between the architects and the manufacturers reveals a tense struggle to secure payment, with the architects even noting an 'exciting talk' they had with the Gottsteins to get them to pay. The defendants claim they will present their side of the story today.
“Yesterday we had a very exciting talk with M. & K. Gottstein; after a great many arguments and some threats, we induced them to send you $1,000.”
Construction disputes and non-payment scandals have been a hallmark of Seattle's growth since the city's infancy. This case highlights the friction between out-of-town suppliers and local developers, a dynamic that remains common in modern regional construction projects.
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