The age-herald., 1898-01-01

few days ago the erroneous informa- ton came from Batopolis, Mexico that Alexander R. Shepherd had been stricken with paralysis. The day before yesterday Mr. Shepherd telegraphed friends at his old home in Washington that he was in ex- cellent health.
 People who lived in Washington twenty years ago well remember Alexander R. Shepherd, as do thousands of others in many parts of the country.
 MT Shepherd left Washington about twenty years ago and has since been en- gagged in silver mining in Mexico, where he has amassed a large fortune. He was called Boss" Shepherd, and in those days he deserved the title, because he was real "boss' of everything and everybody in the District of Columbia. of which he was the governor. His ambition was to make the city Of Washington worthy It's name and worthy being called the capital city of the greatest nation upon the earth. To do this he had to have money, and to get the money he had to tax the people of the district, and he almost taxed them out of their boots
 No man in all Washington was so thor oughly detested as was the enterprising governor. He spent money right and lett in making Washington a place to be proud of, and he was cursed for his patriotism and his pride Yet in the light Of later days the wisdom of the policy he pursued is made manifest and time has done much to soften asperity, leaving the best there is and was in "Boss'' Shepherd clearly re- yealed in the background of the years MT Shepherd left Washington twenty years ago. broken in health and spirit and went to the Mexican state of Chihuahua to live. At the same time he desired to re- cover the fortune he had lost, and indeed he recovered both health and fortune and in very few years has become rich man. When Mir Shepherd left Washing ton he was execrated by all of It's citizens. They were glad he was gone. Like Caesar he found a Rome of clay and left one of marble, but the people groaned un- der the weight. Time passed by and the debt was all paid up ana real estate values went up, and then people began to think better of Boss Shepherd. Two years ago MT Shepherd returned to Washington for a visit He had been to Europe and stop ped in the capital on his way home. He was received like victorious general. The light infantry turned out to clear the way. and Mr. Shepherd was followed by line of carriages containing the biggest and best men in town to Willard hotel, which was decked out to receive him. The Marine band played sweet music and speeches were made in his praise, the president of the board of trade leading; His hand was grasped by TOGO men who felt glad of the opportunity to do it.
 
 In MT. Shepherds career is found a les son which the people of all time and p.aces have always failed to learn. It shows that the masses of the people are wise enough to see that present pleasures and conveni- erces are sometimes better sacrificed in order that the future may be assured and that future pleasures may be greater. It emphasizes the fact that men, as a rule, do not care enough for posterity and for get that humanity lives on, though individ- uals die. Had the founders of this repub- lie not cared for their children and grand children there had been no United States and no American citizens today. Had not Mr. Shepherd been a 'boss," and just the kind of 'boss he was, Washington would today be a city of mud and dust, for 1t needed the strong hand of stubborn. un- yielding force to drive the unwilling citi- xens of the capital into making their home place in which the president of the United States need not be ashamed to live.
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 In his young days Mr. Shepherd was a plumber-a fact which might tempt wag to say that it was in that calling that the beautifer of Washington got his imperious and domineering disposition. When a very young man MT. Shepherd set himself up in business in the plumbing line, and did very well with 1t. Out of plumbing he was grad uated into politics, and hardly before peo- pie were aware of it he was the governor of the territory and held the place during the time the district was a territorial gov- ernment As soon as he found himself in power he began a series of gigantic re- forms which astounded the people, When Shepherd undertook to do something he generally accomplished his purpose, wheth- CT the law allowed 1t or not.
 A notable instance of what one determ-