Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-01-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.


I WHAT SHEPHERD DlD-People who
lived in this city 20 years ago well
remember Alexander h. Shepherd,
who is now dying at Batopilas, in
Mexico, where he has been living ever
since he lett Washington. IL. was
called Boss" Shepherd, aud in those
days he deserve 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 this city worthy
of its name and worthy being
called the capital city OF the
greatest nation NJ ON the earth. To
do this he had to have money and to
get the money he had to tax the peo.
them out of their boots. No man in
all Washington was 50 thoroughly de-
tested as was the enterprising gov
ernor. He spent money right and left
in making Washington place to he
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 as
perity, leaving the best there is
and was in Boss Shepherd clear
ly revealed in the background of
the years. Mr.. Shepherd left Wash
ington 20 years ago, broken in health
and spirit, and went to the Mexican
state of Chihuahua to live. At the
same time he desired to recover the
fortune he hal lost, and indeed he re-
covered both health aud fortune, aud
III very few years he became Il rich
man. When Mr.. Shepherd left Wash
ington he was execrated by all its
citizens. They We're glad he was
gone. Like Caesar, he found Rome
of clay and left one of marble, but the
people groaned under the weight
/ Time passed by and the debt was all
paid up and real estate values went
up, and then people began to think
better of ''Boss' Shepherd Two
i years ago Mr.. Shepherd returned
! TO Washington for visit. He
had been to Europe and stopped
in the capital on his way home. He
was resolved like victorious general.
The light infantry turnel out to clear
the way, and Mr.. Shepherd was fol-
lowed by line of carriages containing
the biggest and best men in town to
Wizards hotel, which was decked out
to receive him. The marine band
! played sweet music, and speeches were
made i'll his praise, the president of
the board of trade leading His hand
was grasped by 1000 men, who felt
! glad of the opportunity to do SO. In
Mr.. Shepherds career is found les
son which the people of all times and
places have always failed to learn. 1t
shows that the masses of the people
are wise enough to see that present
! pleasures and conveniences are some
times better sacrificed in order that
the future may be assured and that
future pleasures may be greater. 1t
emphasizes the fact that men, as q
rule, do not care enough for posterity
and forget the fact that humanity lives
on though individuals die Had the
founders of this republic not cared for
their children and grandchildren there
had been no United States and no
American citizens today. Had not
Mr.. Shepherd been "boss" and just
the kind of "boss" he was, Wash
ington would today be city of mud
and dust, for it needed the strong
hand OF stubborn, unyielding force
to drive the unwilling citizens of the
capital into making their home place
in which the president of the United
States need not be ashamed to live.
GOVERNMENT MAY BE LosER-Irregu-
larities in money order accounts have
been discovered by Auditor Castle of
the postoflice department. The result
may be loss to the government of
considerable sum. They were brought
to light as the outcome of a new system
of checking accounts by the post
masters which went into effect
on the first of the year.
About three years ago the
practice of checking money order
accounts in the Office of the auditor
was changed, they being audited
by stubs or coupons, and not
by the orders themselves, as had
been done previously. If the postmas-
ter returns cOrresponded in each item
with this coupon or stub, the account
was assumed to be correct and was
closed. The money order itself was
never checked by the issuing postmas-
ter, but was on y used as Il voucher for
thepaying postmaster. When Mr.. Cas-
tie took charge of the Office he discov-
cred defects in the system which made
it possible for dishonest postmasters to
rob the government, and ascertained
that there were nine possible ways
that this could be done. He
then put into operation new
system which he believed would
cover all defects. One of the most
important of the changes decided upon
was the adjustment of the coupon en-
tirely, and the checking of both sides
of the postmasters account by the
money order itself. Several cases
have already been detected in which
the orders wee issued for as high as
$50, and We're reported by the issuing
postmaster ut ST. How many such
frauds were perpetratel during the
three years in which the old system
was in operation can only be guessed.
HARD PIcKING-It is getting to be
hard picking for consulships here now.
Practically nothing is left but few of
the minor places in China, Africa,
South America, Cuba, Palestine, Syria,
Persia, Arabia and other insalubrious
climes, where the salaries are about
large enough to afford man decent
burial if yellow fever or some other
local amusement gets hold of him.
The crowd OF consulship hunters who
besiege the state department look the
list over in disgust, grab their hats
and start for home. All Judge Day
has to do to get rid of the consulship
seekers is to say, "Why, yes, I think