The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-07-19
A GLIMPSE OF BOSS SHEPHERD.
Making Money Hand Over Fist and Out
of Politics To Stay.

Making Money Hand over Fist and Out
of Politics To Stay.
"Money is better than politics for a
steady diet" said Boss Shepherd the
other day to a friend as they stood in q
Broadway cafe and carefully examined
some fine cut glassware. Then the pair
went out in the bright June sunlight and
mingled with the gay p~romenaders on
New York's Rotten Row.
Idoubt if one person knew him. Not a
soul recognized him, and yet a dozen
years ago he was the worst talked about
man in Washington. He was classed as
a second Boss Tweed, and marvellous
stories were told of his reckless expendi-
ture of public moneys. He came into
prominence during the halcyon days when
General Grant was President. He began
life as a plumber, and made and saved a
little money. He was in one or two Skin
mishes in the late un~pleasantness, and
was a hard working industrious fellow
when Grant picked him up and q him
Governor. How he and Grant became
friends is not known, but they did, and
the President and the plumber pulled to-
gether in double harness as well as Early
Rose and Aldine, Vanderbilt's famous
horses.
AT that time the District of Columbia
was in about as bad a condition as it well
could be, and General Grant was anxious
to appoint a commission to clean its
streets, lay out it's parks and repair its
sewage system and highways. In casting
about for men to make up the commits
sion Shepherd was hit upon. He was
nominated and confirmed, but not with
out a squabble in the Senate. He found
himself at the head of the commission for
the expenditure of vast sums. He set to
work to make Washington bloom like a
rose. 1t was a most magnificent system
that he inaugurated. Streets were opened,
cutters cleaned, small parks laid out and
new buildings erected. Money flowed
freely. If Shepherd had owned the mines
of Golconda he could not have been more
profuse in dispensing money. Dollars
were as plentiful as the leaves in Vallam-
brosa. Hundreds of men were put to
work and the city grew as if by magic.
For a few months things went on swim
mingly. Then his enemies began to at
tack him. He was given the soubriquet
of "The Boss" He was arrogant, and re-
fused TO listen to suggestions or advice.
He had his own plans for the work and
would hear from no one. Stories of cor
rupt deals were started, and in a year
Boss Shepherds name became synony-
nous for all hat was bad. Mothers
rocked their truant children to sleepsing-
ing improvised snatches of songs telling
the terrible things that Boss Shepherd
had done. The property owners of Wash
ington rose up in their might and tried
to hurl him from power, but so strongly
was the Boss intrenched that they could
not bulge him until fully half a hundred
million dollars were spent. It was an
enormous sum, and terrified the old fell
lows who believed in Jeffersonian sim
plicity. Still Shepherd was all-powerful.
No man could obtain a place in the Dis
trict Government without his indorse-
ment, and his nod or wink was as pow
erful as a magician's wand. But public
opinion was growing stronger every hour,
and in the very heyday of his power and
glory he was dethroned. Washington
breathed easier, and visitors to the capital
came away with stories of the city's re-
generation. Washington was decked like
a beauty on her wedding morn.
Shepherd retired to private life and
took up the business of plumbing that he
had neglected while lie sat on his gilded
throne and spent Uncle Sans money.
His affairs were hopelessly tangled. He
went into bankruptcy, hut his creditors,
believing in him, gave him the manage
ment of his property. He took off his
coat and went to work and paid off every
dollar he owed. Then he turned with
longing eyes to Mexico. Reports of vast
wealth stored in mother earth reached
him, and he took himself there us blithe
as a school-boy OFF fora out. He pitched
his tent at chihuahua and began to ex-
plore the almost inaccessible mines Of
Batopilas. This is Il mining district dis
covered blythe Spaniards in 100, reported
to contain silver in fabulous quantities.
1t was a task that would have dismayed
a score of giants, but Boss Shepherd went
to work with a vim and dash. The coun-
try is wild and desolate, indeed a vast
wilderness. But the mountains, the
rocks and the ravines had no terror for
him, and for months he had men and
mules at work, and one day the richest of
silver ores was discovered. The highway
to wealth was cleared at a leap, and the
uGbLIOACh h1OhptAOh oOOh 1OAnu ulI1SGlI
famous and wealthy.
1t would be tiresome to the reader to
tell of the dangers and difficulties en-
countered and overcome, but they have
no equal since the days when 1.-THE Path
finder'' set out on his perilous Journey.
1t would require a volume to do justice to
that portion of the story, and it would
read like a page from a new arabian
Nights"
The main point is that Shepherd has
made a vast fortune. How large it is not
even he himself knows. His check for
Sc, 000,0 900 would be honored to-day by any
banking house in the city where he once
ruled and which he left in such haste and
with such an odorous name.
The eX-boss is often seen in Washington
these days, and he run over to New York
frequently on business errands. Public
opinioninthenationa capital has changed
somewhat, and instead Of snubs and jeers
heis now greeted with warm Misunderstanding
and smirks and bows. His old enemies
are willing to kneel in the dust to the
money king. A man worth s., 000, 900 and
with $50, 00O, 900 more in sight is an object
of much interest even in the shoddy capt.
tai of the nation. Past records count for
little If one has a bullying bank account.
DAVID WEcHsLRR. :