Evening star., 1902-09-13
AT THE DISTRICT BUILDING.
Mr.. Macfarland's Proposition for a
Statue.

The District Commissioners today met in
board session and adopted a memorial min
ute TO the late Governor Alexander R.
shepherd The Commissioners also order
ed that the District building shall be
closed the day of his funeral and that the
flags on all buildings of the District gov
e-nment shall be displayed at haIf-mast
for term of thirty days. When this pc
riOd of mourning shall have been concluded
the District flags will have been suspended
al half-mast for ninety days. They were
first in the mourning position when Com
missioner Ross died, July ~; then begin
ming August ~ the thirty days term of
official mourning for the late Senator Nc
MILAN. chairman of the District Senate
committee was inaugurated. and now an
additional month of half-maSted enSignS
has been ordered for former Governor
Shepherd. The minute adopted by the
Commissioners is as follows
The Minute Adopted.
The Commissioners Of the District Of CO.
lumb!a have learned with deep regret Of
the death OF Alexander r. Shepherd, sec
Ond governor Of the District of Columbia
al Batcpias. Mexico, on the 18th of Sep
tember. 1892 They record the feeling of
loss and SORROW Of the government and the
people Of the District Of Columbia and their
profound sympathy with the family of the
deceased.
Mr.. Shepherds great services to the ma
ti'ual capital his birthplace and home for
many years. gave him a peculiar place IN
the esteem and regard Of his fellow citizens
and ultimately a national reputation. After
seventy years IF comparative neglect the
i'!St rlct OF Columbia was given its first
Celtlve sovernment, and the plans of
George Washington for the Improvement
or che city Of Washington were put in gen
eral execution. chiefly through Mr. Shep-
nerd Efforts In three years as member of
the board of public works of the District
OF columbia and as governor of the Dis. rict
OF Columbia, he effectively completed his
great task The new Washington will ie
MS chief monument. From time of Lis
youth MIR Shepherd had taken an active
part in the affairs Of the city of Washing
ton and OF the District of Columbia
IN lsbl ne was elected a member Of the
common council of the city of Washington
and was chosen president of that body In
ls6i ne was a member of the Levy Court
OF the District of Columbia and in 1899
was one of a committee Of citizens selected
70 drdft a bill for the better government If
the District of Columbia. In 1870 he WAS
ma e president of the Citizens Reform AS
soclatioH. and was also elected an aide man
OF the cJy # Washington In 1871 ne was
appointed a member of the board of public
works Of the District of Columbia c-tated
under the act of Congrt SIS of that wear
which act abolished the then existing gov
ernment and created a territorial fo-n of
government for the District He was elect
ed vice president Of the bOirt. S ptember
-: 1875. ne was appointed governor of the
District Of Columbia. and served in a.
capacity until June 2D. 1874. VIXEN the office
that date.
The Commissioners direct. as marks cf
respect TO the memory of Mr. S1eDher5
that the District building be closed IN tie
Day OF his funeral. and that the flags on all
1he buildings of the District government be
displayed at half-maSt for thirty days
The secretary will transmit a conv of
tfIs minute II the family of Mr. Shepherd"
The news of Gov. Shepherds death was
received at the District building with mn
usual sorrow. There are many of the Off
ctals of the local government who served
under the administration of Gov Shepherd
or who knew him Intimately and admired
him.
Proposition for a Statue.
Commissioner Macfarland who is him
self a lifelong resident of Washington and
a warm admirer of Gov. Shepherd, today
suggested that 1t was eminently fitting that
a statue should be erected to this man
who worked so heroically toward the I'M
provement of the capital. Mr.. Macfarland
said:
"A statue of Gov. Shepherd should be
erected in the city of Washington by pop
u4ar subscription Much of the wealth as
wei as mucn of the beauty of the national
capital We owe to Gov. Shepherd and IL Is
appropriate that We should show our graf
Itude IN tangible and permanent form 1t
mdS proposed 10 erect a statue of Gov
Shepherc before his death, but there was
an indisposition to make an exception 10
the rule against giving such an honor to a
nNlng man There can be no possible oh
lection 10 giving him this honor now.
The news of Gov. Shepherds sudden
death came as shock which increases its
sorrow 1t suggests strikingiy the incom
p.eteness of all things in this life Gov.
Shepherd was looking forward to coming
home to stay and We were hoping that he
would soon have that consummation of his
w a fa 0rrd1 Aalr
away, in his self-imposed exile before his
wife can get to him Their home coming
Will be very different from that which they
planned But 1t will doubtless be attended
by honors such as can only be given to the
dead Although a new generation has grown
up and a new population has come into the
district In the thirty years since Gov Shep-
nerd began his great work here l think
there Is no man whom the people Of the