Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-06
IN HOTEL LOBBIES.

Il wish to offer my most humble apolo-
gies to former Governor Alexander Shep-
herd, right here and now" said Benz F.
McLachlen of Birmingham, Ala at the
Wellington. Mr.. McLachlen is q former
resident of Washington, but has not been
in the city since 1875. This is certainly a
marvellous place, he said. You do not
know the Washington 1 used to live in,
young man, and you could never appreciate
my feelings unless you had passed through
the same experience. 1 lived here for years
and with all candor must say that during
my residence this city was the worst mud
hole and best malaral breeding town IN
this part Of the country. 1 owned some
property, way up 7th street, the principal
business street then, and had a stall in the
old Northern Liberty market.
"One morning l went to work and found
the old building-it was situated where the
new city library is being erected-in ruins,
and Workingmen everywhere doing their
best to increase the chaos. I saw in the
destruction of that building the ruin OF
years Of work, and 1 was told that the
trouble was caused by Governor Shepherd s
order. On top of this large section of my
lot was cut off and added to the street.
received nothing for il. / had been living
on government ground, was told, and now
the rightful owner was to claim his own.
Then brick sidewalks were laid, a horrible
sacrilege in some parts of the city, where
boards had served for years to keep pedeS-
TRANS out of the mud. The streets were
graded. not only in front of the houses, but
they were cut through from blocks and
blocks beyond the residence section into
what was then wilderness. Senator Stew
arts old house, on what is now Dupont
Circle, away beyond the line of habi-
tation. Why, you could walk from the circle
to 7th street before you came across a
single dwelling, and the boys used to go
hunt TINT ha fold rcrIlt md ha CtaTx
art Castle, as it was then called.
And Governor Shepherd was responsible
for ii ALL He was the most hated man in
this town, and had lynching been in vogue
then I verify believe he would have been
lynched. He was hung in etfigy, time after
time. The people were wild. But then We
did not realize the results that would be
obtained from the sacrifices that were be-
ing made. We did not want to realize
them; they cost us too much. But now /
wish to offer my apologies to Governor
Shepherd. l could never have believed such
a beautiful place could be made out of
dirty Washington. and 1t is so large, too.
Time works wonders. however, and 1t has
indicated more men than Alex. Shepherd"
1.-The newest thing under the sun is the
universal heating and freezing scheme
which has been successfully operated in
several large cities in Europe, and will
probably be tried extensively here, before
long," r. M. Teele of Railway, N. j., told
a Star reporter in the lobby of the Ma
tional American brains and energy are
back of the thing. and they will push 1t to
a successful issue, 1 am certain. The COM
panies which have been formed build a
large plant near the center of the towns
in which they have established themselves,
and dispense heat and cold at so much per
pound. 1t sounds ridiculously, does 1t not?
But that is their method of doing business,
nevertheless.
you see, the heat is furnished through
the means of steam, which Is circulated In
steam pipes throughout the town. pipe
can be run into any house along the line
Of the companys conduits, and a gauge Is
placed in the cellar or any other convenient
place, much the same order as the gas
meter, and the heat Is doled out in that
manner the consumer paying by the month.
The cold air is circulated In the same way.
In large cities 1t is necessary to have sew
eral power stations from which the steam
or cold air can be forced to the residence
of the consumer. 1t looks like Edward
Bellamy's ideas were hustling along toward
realization, does 1t not?'