Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13

COMMISSIONER
to go at once to the excise board II
one should be IN doubt as TO just which of
the various departments he should visit,
he should take the elevator to the fifth
floor, and see DR.. William Tndall. the sec
rotary to the Commissioners. What DR..
Tndall does not know of the District gov
erl.ment and the working of its various de-
partments no one has been able to dis
cover.
The present Commissioners of the Dis
trict are said to be about approachah
men as ever held the reins of the local
government. They have their Offices on
the fifth floor of the District building. Com
missioner Wight being located in the north
west corner, Commissioner Ross in the
southeast corner and Commissioner Beach
in the southwest corner. DIR. Tindail pre-
sides over the room next the beard ROOM
and near by sits Mr.. Clifford Howard, who
acts as secretary during the absence Of
DR.. Tindall.
President Wight.
Commissioner Wight is a native of this
city and does not deny having entered
upon his forty-sixth year. His father,
the late O. C. Wight. conducted a famous
academy here, and there the Commissioner
was educated. Mr.. Wight was one of the
original mem 5ers Of the Washington board
OF trade, and filled the position of its Sec
rotary at the time of his nomination as
Commissioner of the District by President
Mckinley. Mr.. Wight is spoken OF at the
District building as hustler, ana the
amount CT work he disposes of every day
fully entities him to that designation.
When he is not engaged otherwise he is
busy working cut some scheme for the
Improvement Of the numerous departments
under his charge, and while the FIRE and
police departments appear to appeal more
particularly to his efforts, as would appear
no and reforms he
has instituted in those departments, others
are not by any means neglected for them.
Each Commissioner has his own Secre-
tary, and these young men are of inestima-
Bile value not only to the Commissioners,
but also to the public, for they are par
ticuiarly well informed and especially &C.
coumodating. Mr.. Frank c. Roach is Mr..
Wignts secretary, and, like his principal,
is a native of this city. having made his
first appearance here November 20, 1857.
After passing through the District public
schools Mr.. Roach attended Dickinson Col
lege and Wesleyan University. He re-
signed a clerkship in the city post office
in February, 1897, to accept one under
the District, and in May following Mr.
Wight made him his confidential clerk and
private secretary.
Commissioner Ross.
Commissioner John W. Ross enjoys the
distinction of having been three times ap-
pointed a Commissioner of the District,
first by President Harrison in 1900; then
by President Cleveland in 1894, and last
by President Mckinley April II, 1891. Mr..
Ross also enjoys the distinction of being
one of the most popular men in the Dis
trict. He is a native of Illinois, having
been born in Lewiston, June q, 1871. He
is a graduate Of the Illinois College and of
the Hary ard Law School. and was adj
mitted to the bar at Springfield, ILL.,, in
1865. Fer four years he was a member
of the Illinois legislature. He came to
Washington in 1873 to practice his pro-
fe: sion, and in 1888 was chosen lecturer
in the Georgetown University Law School
on common law practice, forts and domes-
tic relations, the degree of LID. being
conferred upon him by the university two
years later. M. Ross is man of diplo-
macy. and while he is at all times cour-
teous and patient, with. heart AS big
as all outdoors, yet he disposes of all bust
ness coming before him with tact which
makes friends of even those he is obliged
to refuse.
Mr.. Ross has for his private secretary
Mr.. Francis Nye, a native Washingtonian,
who was born May Z. 1870. He is a grad
uate of the District public schools, and
of the Columbian and National University
Law Schools. He is now engaged in the
study of medicine. Mr.. Nye has been
Mr.. Ross secretary since July 1, 1895.
The Engineer Commissioner.
II any. one has the idea that the District
Engineer Commissioner enjoys position
of recreation let him visit Captain Beach
some day. when just the opposite will be
discovered The work of the Engineer
Commissioner is never done. Captain
Beach, however. seems to be glutton for
hard work and when 1t is remembered
that, unlike his predecessors, he has no
army engineer assistant, the wonder is
how he aecomplishes half of that which
comes before him Captain Beach was born
at Dubuque. Iowa. in 1860 and graduated
from the West Point Military Academy in
1882, standing third in his class He has
performed engineer duties at Wlllete Point.
New York; Galveston. Texas, and Cinctn-
natl, Ohio. besides being secretary Of the
Joint commission to determine the bound
airy between Texas and the indian terri
tory. From Cincinnati Captain Beach went
to West Point. where he YVES instructor in
civil and military engineering until the fall
of 1893. He then went to Galveston for
harbor work, and IN the fall of 1894 was
detailed as an assistant to the Engineer
Commissioner of the District. performing
such duties until the Both of June last,
when he sueceetied Col VIM. M. Black as
Engineer Commissioner.
Captain Beach has made a most popular
Commissioner, his SECRETARY, Dir. Noncure