Evening star., 1909-05-02

provement roadway in the county, 80
miles.
Besides this there was done Of grading
about $4,000 cubic yards. In sewers
Slash run sewer. 10 feet span at outlet,
2.2OO linear feet; B street intersecting
sewer. 20 feet at outlet. 5,312 linear feet;
Tiber creek, main stem. 20 feet at outlet.
at outlet. 2.473 linear feet: Tiber creek.
eastern stem. feet diameter. 1850 feet;
Tiber creek, northwestern stem. 9 feet
diameter, $40 feet. or the Boundary
street intercepting sewers there was COM
pleted Of 10 feet diameter 300 feet; 8 feet
8 inches diameter, 100 feet; 6 feet
inches diameter, 800 feet, and in addition
to the above-named main stems the fol-
lowing secondary brick sewers were laid:
Seven feet 6 inches, inside diameter, 205
feet; feet inches. inside diameter, 9s5
feet; feet, inside diameter 3.S1S feet; j
feet inches, inside diameter, 1870 feet:
feet inches inside diameter, 4, 130 feet;
feet. inside diameter, 4S0 feet; feet,
inside diameter, 9765 feet; feet inches,
inside diameter. go feet; 3 feet, inside
diameter, 7759 feet; feet inches, inside
diameter, $3.50 feet. There were also laid
pipe sewers of glazed earthenware. mostly
of II and 15 inches in diameter Of bore,
317. 196 linear feet. and also an almost
equal amount OF six-inch house connec-
tions.
Grant Stood With Him.
A government by commission was rec
pmmended by the committee of investiga-
tion and bill was passed by Congress
June 20. 1874 President Grant. who had
| heartily supported Gov. Shepherd in his
effort to regenerate Washington. who be-
lieved in his honesty of purpose and who
appreciated his splendid executive ability.
at once named him as the first of the
commissioners, but the Senate refused to
confirm him. He then returned to his
private business, which had greatly suf-
fered during his public career, and began
to gather up again the threads which had
slipped from his personal grasp. The
panic of I3 was severely felt in Washing
ton, and all classes of business suffered,
MI. shepherds among the rest. He soon
found that his business. which at the
time he entered public life netted an in
come of from $4,000 to $4,000 a year.
was practically ruined. And although he
had property estimated at a fair valua-
ton at 81 100000, there was an indebted
Pess amounting to S1.30O,uO0. and owing
to the shrinkage I'm the value of real es-
tate the property could not cancel the in
debtedness.
Just at that time he had an offer to go
to Batopilas in Mexico, to superintend
some mines in which he had put COM
paratively small investment during his
days of prosperity, and he resolved to ac-
cept the position and to expatriate him
self from his home and his country until
he should build up for himself and his
family another fortune. He went to MeXi-
co in 1879 and remained there, with the
exception of two visits to his native coun-
try. until the day of his death. The work
he did in Batopilas was marvellous.
He had about completed arrangements
so that he could return to Washin ton and
live once more among those who appre-
ciated his worth. but death cut short his
plans. The news caused widespread sor-
row throughout the city.
Was Splendid-Looking Man.
Gov Shepherd was a man of noble
presence, a splendid specimen of man.
hood. Tall and broad -shouldered, he
walked erect and gave the impression Of
great physical strength. He was not
often called upon to show how strong he
was, but he gave an exhibition one day
down at the Office of the board of public
work, when he took a contractor who was
taller and heavier than himself and threw
him bodily over the four-foot iron railing
that divided the room. The contractor
another to the detriment of himself
When Shepherd undertook to explain the
circumstances, the charge was renewed
and the governor, loosing all patience.
grabbed the fellow by the collar and seat
of the trousers and tossed him over the
railing. There was a crowd of other con-
tractors standing on the other side and
they broke the force of the mans fall.
The man afterward made an abject apol-
ogy and the governor forgave him.
The governors face was q striking one
and in any gathering of men would ar
rest attention. He had well shaped
head, with broad, full brow, stra gh.
nose. firm-set lips and square chin
which indicated an indomitable will He
was a forceful speaker using good Ian
guage, clear and concise and without any
rhetorical ornamentation.
Some of the acts of Gov. Shepherd
while he was the vice president of the
board of public works were strenuous
and aroused i'll feeling against him on the
part Of those whose interests were af-
fected. One instance was the tearing up
of the tracks Of the Washington and AL
exandria railway. which came around
from the old Baltimore and Ohio station
to where the Peace monument now is.
These tracks were tipped up during the
night by Mr.. Shepherds ORDERS and there
was great hug and cry over the act by
the railway people.
This Raised a Row.
Another instance was the destruction of
what was then known as the Northern
Liberty market house. which was located
on the government reservation between
7th and 9th streets, New York avenue
and X street northwest. where the Pub
lie Library has been erected. The market
was a frame structure quite old and di-
lapidated, and an effort had been made
to get those who controlled it to abandon
it and seek some other location. In fact.
they were ordered to vacate the reserva-
tion. because 1t was the property of the
United States government. but no heed
was paid to the order. Accordingly one
night Thomas M. Plowman, who was
the assistant inspector of buildings.
took a large force of men and razed
the building to the ground. The mar
ket men and hucksters We're furious at
the action Of Gov. Shepherd. but the re-
sentiment died out in a few days, and
when the reservation was improved and
called Mt. Vernon Square. there was not
the old market house back.
When Douglass Wa!lach sold The Even
ing Star October 81, 1867, the purchas-
ers were Crosby S. Noyes. Alexander r.
Shepherd, Samuel H. Kaufman, George
w Adams and Clarence B. Baker Mr.
Shepherd held his connection with The
Star until 1874, when he became financial
Iy involved and sold his interest in the
paper, thereby magnanimously sacrificing
for the benefit OF his creditors a property
that would have insured him handsome
Board Adopts Memorial.
Following the death Of former Gov.
Shepherd. the board Of District Commits
sioners adopted a memorial minute which |
paid q high tribute to his work in be-
half of the District. 1t was as follows:
THE Commissioners Of the District of
Columbia have learned with dozen reoret |