Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-08
LOCAL MEN HON0RED
Will Improve Jacksonville Engi-
neering System.
FIVE HAVE BEEN CHOSEN
Number Includes Capt. Markham, L.
D. Smoot, ]. E. Ballinger, J. R.
Whelpley and R. 7. Middleton.

constituting testimonial in favor of
the efficiency Of District officials that
probably Is without parallel in the his
Tory or municipal governments, an
nouncement was made today that the
city OF Jacksonville, Fla, has obtained
the services of five local officials to or
ganize and take charge of the new en-
cheering department Of the southern
city. which is being patterned after that
Of Washington.
The Washingtonians who have been Sc
lected to have charge of this important
work, which is to be the groundwork for
bigger and more beautiful Jacksonville,
are Capt. e. W. Markham, assistant en-
gineer commissioner Of the District. who
has been retained as consulting en-
g1neer, but will not sever his local con-
necuons; L. d. Smoot, formerly as l. tant
engineer of highways; J. E. Ballinger OF
the surveyors office, and j. r. Whelpley
and Rankin Y. Middleton of the sewer
division.
Mr. whelpIey and Mr. Middleton will
leave tomorrow for Jacksonville. Mr..
SmoOt and Mr.. Ballinger left several
days ago. No announcement has been
made concerning who will be appointed
to the local vacancies. Capt. Markham.
1T is expected, will visit Jacksonville from
time to time and inspect the progress of
the work there.
No Leave Of Absence.
Rumors circulated through the Dis
trict building today to the effect that
Capt. Markham contemplated asking for
a two-year leave of absence from the
army. so that he could devote his en-
tire time to the new work. This re-
port the assistant engineer commits
sioner emphatically denied. He said
that he has been designated to take
an examination the 18th Of this month
for the rank Of major, but that, as far
as he knows. he is not to be trans
ferred from his present post.
L. D. SmOot will hold the principal
Office of the Washingtonians who have
been given administrative positions in
Jacksonville. He will have the title Of
city engineer, and will be in charge of
all engineering work.
]. r. Whelpley. who is assistant en-
gineer in the sewer department, will be
engineer of underground construction
in Jacksonville, and will have charge
Of all sewer and water construction. He
has been associated with the District
government since 1897.
]. E. Ballinger has been for ten years
assistant engineer in the surveyors Of
fee In his new Office he will have the
title Of engineer of highways.
Rankin Y. Middleton, who for five
years has been craftsman in the local
sewer department, will be chief drafts
man in the engineering department OF
Jacksonville.
While the Commissioners are somewhat
perturbed over the vacancies caused in
the District engineering department, they
are gratftied that the Jacksonville OFF,
Gals, after thoroughly canvassing the
situation, became convinced that the
southern city should have an engineer
ing department like that of the Districts
and that It could not do better than select
administrative officers from the local field.
Will Spend Millions.
Jacksonville has a board of bond
trustees. and is planning to spend millions
Of dollars in putting it's streets, sewers
and water mains in better condition.
Several of the trustees composed a COM
mittee which made thorough inveStiga-
ton as to what the city needed in this
respect, before deciding to build up an
engineering department like that of the
capital and select Washington men to
head 1t.
1t Is said that the Jacksonville author
tiles are convinced that the population
| in that municipality will double within
the next twenty or twenty-five years
and this led to the decision to vote a big
bond issue for municipal improvements
| of all kinds.
| With Mr.. Smoot as chief engineer. Mr..
| Ballinger and Mr.. Whelpley will be as
Capt. Mark Brooke are assistants to the
Engineer Commissioner Of the District
| 1t is in this respect principally that the
| new engineering department of jackson
willie will resemble that of the Capital
city.