Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-29

How Commissioners Wheatley and Ray
mOnd Got Left.

Commissioner Webb is the sole representa-
tive of the majesty Of the District of Columbia
at the great Washington centennial in New
York. Commissioners Wheatley and Ray
mond are at the District building engaged
in weeping and wailng and crashing their re-
spective teeth. They are left. They will not
figure in the elaborate ceremonies which will
mark the Both in New York; the parade will not
exhibit its long drawn array of men and banners
to their eyes the thousandssof "twinkling feet"
which will glide over the polished floor Of
the Metropolitan opera house ON Tuesday
night will not have amongst them the
pedal extremties, Wheatley and Ray
mond, and the tongues of those gentlemen will
shrivel up perpetualIy if no other beverage
than the centennial committees champagne
can keep them moist.
Of course this is very annoying but there is
no help for it now, all that is left to the two
officials who sit in darkness in the big brick
building on LIST street is the right to mourn all
the day long and to indulge in numerous, and
at times profane expressions to the man who
''scooped" the centennial tickets.
How did it happen?"
Well, according to talk some little time ago
the centennial authorities wrote to Commits
sioner Webb, as chairman of the Board of Com
missioners, asking him to send them the
names of the gentlemen who would rep
resent the government Of the District of
Columbia SO that the necessary tickets could be
sent to them in good season. Mr.. Webb was
not slow to reply. He, as chairman of the
board of Commissioners of the District
of Columbia, would represent the local govern
ment on the hundredth anniversary
Of the inauguration of Washington,
and wouldn't the committee please
send a few tickets-complimentary
tickets-for his use. A day or two later and
the tickets we're received by Mr.. Webb, but he
didn't happen to mention it to his fellow Com
missioners.
Finally Messrs. wheatley and Raymond (who
in some way or other, had found out that there
was to be celebration of some sort in
New York on the 30th inst.) spoke
of the matter to Mr.. Webb and made numerous
comments on the provoking slowness with
which the centennial committee was sending
out its invitations, but Mr.. Webb was so
absent-minded that he still failed to mention
the receipt of the tickets.
Two or three days more came and went and
still no tickets, and then Mr.. Wheatley, as Mr.
Webb did not seem to be interested, put him
tee and received reply to the effect that one
William Il. Webb, alleged to be the chairman
of the board of Commissioners. had received
and receipted for all the tickets to which the
government Of the District of Columbia was
entitled.
Quite scene followed. but the circumstances
remained unchanged and the chairman was on
top. He had distributed the tickets sent him
with the exception of his OWN and they could
not, would not, be recalled.
And now sub-Commissioners Wheatley and
Raymond sad at heart and mad as the proverb-
ial wet hen, are running the District govern
ment while Commissioner W. B. Webb is in
New York, having fun enough for three people
and posing as the District of Columbia.