Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-05

committee. In the latter capacity he de-
lighted the country by a display then
'undreaInt Of In the philosophy of pyro-
technics.
During the Cleveland and Thurman
campaign in 1855. Mr.. Norris was Sc
lected by the democratic national COM
mittee as its advisory committeeman for
the District OF Columbia. He was elect
ed by the joint democratic caucus of the
Senate and House of Representatives as
the representative of the District of Co
lumbia on the democratic congressional
committee, and served as a member of
that committee and as fits treasurer I'M
der the following chajrmen: Senator
kenna OF West Virginia. Senator Mitchell
of Wisconsin. Representative. afterward
Governor. Roswell p. Flower of New
York: Senator Faulkner of West vir-
ginia, and Representatives Richardson
and Griggs OF Tennessee and Georgia.
respectively.
Sent to National Convention.
In March. 1892 Mr.. Norris was elected
a delegate to the democratic national
convention at Chicago. where he cast
his vote for Cleveland and Stevenson.
and was made q member of the demo-
cratic national committee for the Dis
trfct OF Columbia. He was chairman OF
the inaugural committee, and had charge.
of the ceremonies incident upon Mr..
Cleveland's second induction into the
presidency.
In 1898 Mr.. Norris was selected as as
sistant treasurer of the democratic ma
tional committee. On the death of Treas.
urer William P. st. John. I'm 1885, he was
CHOSEN as treasurer In 1900 Mr.. Norris
was again one of the delegates from the
District of Columbia to the democratic
national convention at Kansas City
Engrossed as he was in professional,
political and public duties. Mr.. Norris was
4y{$t,
enterprises. In 1891 he was selected nv
the justices of the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia as one of three
commissioners to appraise lands condemn
ed by the government for the forn1atio of
Rock Creek Park. This commission, of
which Mr.. Norris was chairman. deter
mined the value of nearly 1900 acres OF
land, an area nearly one-third the terri
tory of the District of Columbia, under
the titles of more than one hundred claim
ants. The awards of the commission, de-
spite some contests, were approved by the
Supreme Court of the District Property
owners and the public were satisfied with
the equitable spirit Of the board, and
there was general sense of relief when
title to the park was finally vested in the
government.
Man of Many Activities.
the Oak TMlI Cemetery Company, his
y
w. w Corcoran. Charles NJ Matthews
and NJ. w. Salt. He was until recently
vice president and director of the Ma
tional Bank of Washington, president of
the Mutual Protection and the Franklin
Insurance companies and a member Of
the board Of visitors of the Providence
Hospital He was a member of PEN
talpha Lodge of Masons. Mount Vernon
Royal Arch Chapter and knight Tenn
plar, being a life member Of Columbia
Comma ndery. He was a member and
vice president of the Schley home fund:
he had been a member of the Board OF
Trade of the District of Columbia since
its organization, and a member of the
executive committee and treasurer of the
American Colonization Society.
Mr. Norris. in 1888. succeeded in GREAT
ing enough public sentiment to prevent
Gen. Jackson from Lafayette Square,
when 1t was proposed to replace the
democratic warrior President by the
statue of Lafayette.
The board of directors of the Washing.
ton Board of Trade, on May D. 1892 re-
quested the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia 10 name one hundred
citizens to serve as a reception commit
tee to Admiral Dewey, and Mr.. Norris
was one of the citizens selected With
five other members he received the Presi-
dent and Admiral Dewey at the Capitol
With his associates he also received
President McKinley's cabinet and con-
Quoted them to the grandstand the
east front of the Capitol, where the
sword was presented.