Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-29
PASSING OF A FAMOUS BOSS
Critics Of Long Ago Become Biologists
at His Bier.
THE MAN WHO MADE WASHINGTON
Alexander ". shepherds work of Re
generating the National Capital
The Howl it Raised aud
what IL Cost.


Thirty years ago Alexander r. Shepherd
was impaled on the picket Of national crit
icism as the Boss Tweed of Washington. .
On the occasion Of his death. in Mexico
a few days ago, many Of his critics re-
canted their earlier accusations and paid
generous tribute to the man now accorded
the honor Of having made Washington what
1t is. ITO his courage, his address, his
indomitable purpose and his brilliant faculty
OF organization" says the Washington
Post, I'VE owe the city's redemption from
a killing sloth. He set in motion the
fine ferment of civic pride which has made
this the most beautiful and gracious cap
ital in all the world. No stain of selfish
ness or sordid purpose attaches to his mem
DRY. He was as much the martyr as he
was the hero Of the splendid reformation
he inaugurated. He made others rich.
especially his opponents and detractors;
himself he impoverished and exiled. He
built the most magnificent monument Of
modern times. and his private fortunes were
devoted to its cornerstone
he Reformed Things.
Boss Shepherd, as he was then called,
was a reformer who reformed things. A
native OF Washington, he forged to the
front, determined to squelch for all time
the project agitated in the early '7Os to
remove the national capital to ST. Louis.
The city was ragged, dirty. and wholly
unworthy Of the seat Of national govern
ment. Shepherd headed the reform
movement which had for its object the
cleansing and rebuilding " the city. First
he was elected alderman in 1870 and next
poar bo vvau p,oAa. hafrp,ap Of tho naard nF
Public Works created by act of congress.
The story of Shepherds life during the
next three or four years is a history of
the territorial form OF government and the
Board Of Public Works. 1t was under his
direction hat the grand scheme Of improve
ments which made of a struggling town.
with filthy, ill-conditioned streets, a cap
ital which now ia unsurpassed for attrac-
t%iveness, was undertaken. The total amount
expended by the general government on the
streets and avenues donated them from
1902 to 1871 was 81, 321. 2SS.3 During this
period the amount expended by the city OF
Washington was $13, 921. 1915. To con-
dense: The citizens Of Washington had
paid 30 per cent of the street improvements
during these several years. The total value
Of public and private property was s15Os-
900, 600, of which the government owned 40
per cent.
New Power at the Helm.
1t was for the new district government
to change this state Of things, and Mr..
Shepherd and his associates set about the
task with promptness and energy. In
June, 1871. estimates were submitted for
certain improvements amounting in the ag-
gregate to S6.57S. 1897, and to meet this 1t
was recommended that a loan Of 1900. 600
be made, which with an assessment of
one-third the cost Of improvements on the
AUDITING property. would make 5000, 600
available at once for improvement Of streets
and avenues. This plan was carried through
in spite of opposition.
During the three years and twenty-four
days that the Board Of Public Works was
in active existence-from June /, 1871, to
June "a. 1s74-it made improvements ag-
gregating as follows: Grading, 3.S4O ,00t
cubic yards; sidewalks, 207 miles; streets
paved in cities. us miles; roads made in
counties, 80 miles; brick sewers. from Z
to 80 feet drain, 21,075 lineal feet; brick
sewers, 3 to : feet drain, 81, 1857 lineal feet
Pipe street sewers, ~ to Is inches diameter
81, 1876 lineal feet; pipe sewer, house con,
n~ection, 800, 900 lineal feet: iron water
mains, 30 miles, 100, 900 lineal feet; iror
gas mains and street lamps, $50. 900 Inca
feet; iron water main house connections
So, 1892 miles, equivalent to 313, 500 Inca
feet; planting and setting out shade trees
10. 900. In addition to these Improvement:
many new and commodious market house:
and school buildings were erected.
A Landmark Demolished.
A notable instance of what one deter.
mined man can do when ne makes up his
mind nau aaan in the CnGa If tho n1f
Liberty market. which stood at the corner
Of Seventh and X streets. The building
was old and decadent and unsightly and
disgrace to the city. Shepherd, besides
picked out its site for a public park. II,
tried every method in his power to havl
the old building demolished according Il
law and order, but he was blocked at ever!
turn. The law said TO him: Thou shall
not cut down the market house," His ap
peals were as strains in a March wind
People generally wanted the old building
removed, but their own laws would not lie
them touch it.
One morning Washingtonians 0w oke an.
%! when they looked for their familia
market 1t was gone! 1t had vanished &
the night and not a stone OF IL remaineI
on a stone. Shepherd had gone there 1
the dark OF the night, when the peopl
slept, and with a crowd OF congeniaI spirit
he battered down the old structure whic
the law had chung to SO tenaciously. To d
this Roman-like thing Shepherd got up
banquet far from tho scene Of the worl
All those who were known TO be oppose
to his park scheme were invited, aud Will
they Toasted and the other slept the gov
ernor and his friends played havoc wit
the old market. A bill has been introduce
into every congress since then to indemnit
the owners of the stalls in the market, bl
those OF them that are yet alive have nevt
received a penny for their trouble.
? n Railroad.
Another monument to Mr.. Shepherds il
dustry. genius and peculiar methods is
hillock on the south side OF the Baltimo.
& Ohio railway tracks. His purpose was
drive the railway out of that part Of Il
city, in which, by law il was allowed
come into Washington. OF course.
7 could not do this legally, so he tried to
. IL Illegally. He hired an army OF men al
. they went to work digging and piling
I the earth on the tracks. This bold plan
u a bold spirit failed because the railroi
O people, learning what was going forwar