Warren sheaf., 1902-10-23
STORIES OF SHEPHERD.
Incidents In Career of the "Man
Who Made Washington"
DRIVEN TO EXILE BY INGRATITUDE

His Work In Regeneration Of the
National Capital Unappreciated at
the Time-Driven Into Bankruptcy,
He Went to Mexico Voluntary
Exile, Where He Made u Vast For
tune and Lived Like n Monarch.
The career Of Alexander r. Shep-
herd, better known as Boss Shep-
herd. who died few days ago on his
vast estate at Batopilas, Mexico, reads
much like romance. He was ma
tive of Washington, being born there
on Jan. so, 1885. Owing to the death
Of his father he had to support himself
at an early age and learned the car
penter's trade. A quarrel with his
employer led to a change, and he be-
came a plumber. In this he was sue
cessful and soon owned his business
and had large income. In 1862 he
served as a member Of Washington
military company known as the Ma
tional rifles.
In 1870 President Grant appointed
him governor of what was then the
territory OF the District of Columbia,
and he began a comprehensive system
of improvements. Washington was a
city OF swamps and mud banks. AL
though elaborate plans had been made
for laying out the national capital, lit
tie had been done in carrying out the
improvements except in the immedi-
ate vicinity Of the federal buildings.
Under the law the city was to pay one
half and the national government the
other of the cost of local improve
ments. Governor Shepherd undertook
them on so extensive a scale that in
little more than two years $4O,O0O,OO0
had been expended.
The city was changed from munich
pality Of narrow and muddy streets to
one Of broad and we'll paved boule-
Yards, but the enormous expenditures
involved aroused so much opposition
that a congressional investigation was
ordered, which, however, resulted in
the exoneration of Shepherd.
Following this, congress reorganized
the government of the District with a
board of three commissioners. Presi-
dent Grant appointed Shepherd one Of
the commissioners, but the senate re-
fused to confirm him. He returned to
his plumbing business, but was forced
into bankruptcy.
Disappointed and saddened by the
estimate put on his efforts by the ma
jority of his fellow citizens, he went
to Mexico, where for twenty-five
years he has lived the life of an exile
in the Sierra Madre mountains, devel-
oping on a gigantic scale an extensive
silver mining property, which is now
worth many millions of dollars Mr.
Shepherd was said to have been worth
100000 at the time of his death.
Mr.. Shepherds experiences during
the first few years of his residence at
Batopilas were full of excitement and
real danger. He was surrounded by a
desperate set Of Mexicans who would
not hesitate to take his life for the val
ue Of a cigarette if favorable oppor-
tunity was offered. It was a frequent
occurrence for mule trains going be-
tween Batopilas and Chihuahua to be
held up by brigands.
It is related that on one occasion he
was going from Chihuahua to Batopi-
las, accompanied by two mozos, or
Mexican servants. They were riding
those little mountain burros which are
used exclusively in the rough travel Of
that part of Mexico. They had just
entered mountain pass when a show
er of rocks fell in front of the burros.
Mr.. Shepherd and his mozos looked up
and saw about fifty feet above them
on an overLanging cliff the forms of
five Mexicans all dressed in charro
suits and each with a rifle pointed di-
rectly at Mr.. Shepherds head.
Mr.. Shepherd was so terrified that
he almost fell off his burrO. but he had