The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-01-21

which continued Though succeeding years
and made Washington city worthy to be
the capital of great nation. Three con-
ditions contributed to give the impetus
for start at this time. First, thousands
of northern men called here by the war
had been made acquainted with the gen.
eral shiftlessness of the place, and its lack
of desirable qualities for the seat of gov
eminent; second, an energetic and able
western man frightened Washingtonians
greatly by his persistent advocacy of the
removal of the seat of government to st.
Louisa proposition which received a
great deal of influential support through
the press and otherwise. Last, but not
least, of these conditions was the presence
of a man for the occasion, in the person
of Gov. Shepherd, then president of the
board of public works, and afterwards
known as BOSS" Shepherd. 1t is gen
orally conceded that he was schemer and
that the execution of his designs involved
the feathering of his own nest and largely
benefiting ring of contractors. But his
far sightedness and the wisdom of his
plans are now universally recognized, and
the wonderful results of his work are
warmly applauded by everybody, except,
perhaps, an occasional old-fogy taxpayer
of the city. Even these, who growled bit
terly at first, have been mostly recOnciled
by the increased valuation of their pro-
perty. Shepherd is now credited with an
ambition which was much more than a
merely selfish one. OF the 500 miles of
half-made streets and avenues of the city,
eighty miles were i'm proved and nearly all
the thickly settled streets were handsomely
paved. A general and very costly system
of sewerage was inaugurated, and the
grades of many streets was radically
changed. Scores of new parks were
graded, fenced and set with trees
and fountains, and that ole
nuisance, the Tiber canal, wa
filled up. All this, thus briefly outlined
swallowed up about $20,000,000 of whicl
amount congress appropriated onl,
$5.000000 in cash. The remainder wa
raised by means of improvement bonds
sewer bonds, floating loans and other Sc
curities of the city, The era of improve
ment did not close with the career o
Shepherd. 1t has gone steadily forward
aided by the government and by numel
Gus private enterprises, until the Wash
ington of to-day is a grand achievement
Three years ago congress agreed to an al
rangement by which One-half of the e1
penses of street improvements, etc, an
one-half of the cost of running the cit
municipal affairs is now paid by the go'
, eminent.
: The most important and handsom
public building erected in Washingto
since the war is the new state, war an
; navy building, so called because it is IL
joint abiding place of these three depar
ments. In massive proportions and arcl
itectural beauty this building has fe
equals in the world 1t stands directl
west of the white house on part of til
same government reservation. 1t was b,
gun in 1871, and still lacks the finishin
strokes on the war department win
though the state department has occupie
its section since 1875. This building
constructed of Maine and Virginia graz
tie in the style of the Italian renaissanc
and has cost nearly $12,000,000. Fro
north to south the building is nearly 81
feet, and from east to west 342 feet. l
& greatest height is 128 feet. There al
i three facades alike in design and constru
ton, and four grand entrances throug
lofty pavilions reached by broad fligh
of stone steps. Huge blocks OF grai
lite, each weighing over twenty ton
form the platform to the entrance
The building is as nearly fir