Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-29
NEW WASHINGTON.
HIS TORY OF "BOSs'' SHEPHERDS
WORK TOLD BIZ HIMSELF.

rom NE Spect1t Correspondent ". y. WOrld.l
WAsHINGToN, January 21.-The transfer
nation which Washington has untelgOn
81 the hands Of Boss Shepherd is amaZ ng.
W hen first visited the city IN war time It
was mud hole. The streets were lined with
buildings mostly ugly, inconventent and ont
of repair. There were no pavements except
the cobblestones on Pennsylvania avenue
and few other thOroughfares. Perched on
army wagons, whose wheels wallowed 10 the
hub, host of swearing drivers belabored
teams of painting mules. Dirty Orderlies
splashed hither and yon. and pedestrians,
sunk in yellow mire, swore the air blue at
Now, the capital is the best paved city In
the world, and it promises TO be in distant
ears one OF the most beauu 'ul cities. Nearly
every street is graded according TO geaeral,
com prehensive plan. The sewerage Is COM
plete and thorough. Many thousands OF
shade trees have been planted. Spots and
squares formerly occupied by tumbledown
aud useless tenements, or for half a century
surrendered 10 filth aud garbage, have been
turned into pretty parks. Here and there In
such localities q statue-as, for instance, the
fine equestrian statue OF General Scott-is
set, and in the surrounding netghborhoods
scole' of new and costly dwelling houses
have been built. Waste and marshy lands
in the city and suburbs have been reclaimed.
TIE street lamps, which used to make dark
n IS more profound. have been multiplied
until they really light the citizen on his way.
IN the day time or at Light a man can walk
all through Washington without soiling his
hoes, or ride in any direction over concrete
and wooden payements.
Twas curious to see and talk with the IA
NOUS Boss" who is accused of having
effected this transformation not only at the
singing cost which ii must have necessarily
entailed upon Washington property owners,
but by means OF jobbery, wicked cOnuivance
with contractors, and fraud leading to his
personal enrichment An appointment at
mis- own house was arranged. and had a few
moments of preliminary solitude in the re-
ception- room. If this room is In Itself spe-
clmen of the general style, furniture and gar
niture OF the dwelling, Mr.. Shepherd pos
sesses one of the most gorgeous abOdes in
Washington. The best woods, the finest
fabrics and patterns known to carpetry AMI
upholstery, and ornaments In keeping, unite
To make ~ magnificent.
/ took UP a book, but glanced over IL out
of the window. Two men crossed the square
and approached the house. One of them
recognized-tall, staiwart. well-dresS ed, with
massive, imperturbable features. He sauu-
tered with his companion up the dOOr-steps,
rang the bell, and came in praising the sun
set, which was just then firing every roof
and coTnice.
A few moments sufficed to Introduce the
subject of Washington improvements
From what have seen of the alterations, !"
l remarked, cit seems that you must have
had full vision of new Washington before
starting out on such a wholesale change OF
grades, sodding OF side banks and tearing up
OF cobblestones."
"When had determined to undertake the
work, yes. But not at first. / remember
well when and how the disgraceful condition
OF the city first suggested TO my mind the
notion of improving IL. Years ago l used to
drive down 10th street, from my home to
my place of business. The mud in thai street
was so deep at certain seasons that / pre-
ferred to take To the sidewalks and walk. l
found them not much better than the I'M
paved roadway. IL was disgusting. When
ever ! had occasion to visit other parts Of
Washington my disgust was fed by similar
and in some places even worse conditions;
and out of this disgust and indignation /
Col ceived the idea of an effort to make the
national capital at least a decent place TO
live in"
cat that time" said the Boss, "(for that
was away back in 1868 / had nOintention to
lead In such an effcrt or assume the reSpOn-
SibiIity of il. / undertook simply TO stir up
other men, who were more experienced and
whom believed to be more capable than 1.
But / was drawn into the undertaking, and
insensibly found myself compel ID To take
the leadingpart. In February, 1911, the bill
creating the new District Government and
generally authorizing the improvement of
the city was passed. The Board or Commits
siOners was appointed early, on the 10th of
March, that they might have time to perfect
plan. The new government assumed its
duties on June l. In July the Commissioners
presented a comprehensive plan for the i'm
provement of the capital, at a cost of about
&C, 600 ,OO0."
"Yes. / subsequently changed the plan
then submitted by narrowing the roadways
and parking many Of the principal streets.
We were thus enabled to put down much
better pavements than could according to
he first plan have been afforded. But with
ing three weeks Judge Wylie eDjoined us
(. ON prosecuting the work. A provision ia
the organic act required that in case Of such
er joinment the whole question should be
submitted 70 the people of the District This
vas done. The people sustained US by vote
OF le zoo out OF total vote OF Is, 900, and the
work was therefore commenced in August,
1871. In the November following the Court
in Banc reversed Judge Wylies decision,
and the work went on. 1t was fortunate that
first decision i had entered into contracts
appointing TO 100000"
$50 you now went ahead?"
"Just as fast as possible, and without
allowing any one TO stop US. or course We
met opposition and protests; the regarding
OF q city like this-the making of a city OF 1t,
property-Owners seemed outrageous. To
sink street from five to twenty feet below
It's former level was 10 leave rows of dwell
ings away up on hill. And In some places
we had to raise the street levels up TO the
first, and even the second story window
jambs of houses alongside"
How did you manage not to get shot by
some maddened householder"
We'll we tried TO deal fairly by them. We
smoothed and sOdded the banks leading up
TO the houses left high and dry; and con-
of dwellings In which Senator Bayard lives)
special carriageways along the height from
one END OF the DOCK 10 the Otner. Tnen we
either paid damages to the owners of the
sunken houses or raise1 those houses by
machinery up TO the new street line"
Did this pacify the tax -payers?'
"Not wholly; oh, no. So much was said,
and SO much discomfort on the part of indi-
viduals had been aroused, that In February,
1872, committee OF investigation was or
dered by Congress. The investig alton lasted
four months. The committee vindicatet US,
reporting that we had been guilty of no evil
practices, &c, and the report was sustained
by the House in open session."
awe set at work anew" said the Boss,
'and we worked through the whole year 1872
with a great deal OF vigor. Most of the time
we had 5000 men employed. In March, 1873,
Congress showed its appreciation of what we
lad done by voting about IS 800, 900. la the
course of the work, we had by the filling up
of the old Washington Canal, reclaimed and
madc available some g, 500, 900 worth OF Gov
eminent property.
"During the rest OF 1873 the improv aments
were pushed hard. We made our report in
December. In February, 1874, another Con-
gressional committee of investigation was
ordered, and IL sat for FIVE months. About
four thousand pages of testimony were
taken. The result was the abolition of the
District government, on the ground that we
had exceeded our authority In making these
improvements. That was the ground of my
rejection by the Senate as Commissioners I'M
der the new form of government. For this