The Washington times., 1920-08-27

one OF the blttereSt political 1lShts
of the day.
the District government was the gov.
ernment unable. legally, to transact
business. This was from June 20
1874, to July 3, 1874, when the form
of government in the District of CO.
lumbia was changed from the terri
torial to commission form. During
this time, DR.. William Tindall. the
present assistant secretary to the
Board of Commissioners, who had
been private secretary to Gov. Alex
ander Shepherd. was the figurehead
of government. The office OF the col
lector of taxes. the assessor and other
subordinate machinery OF the govern.
ment was in operation, but they were
working on their own responsibility
rather than under official direction.
FIRST BOARD ORGANIZED.
On June 90 1874, Congress abol-
ished the old territorial form OF gov
ernment. with its legislative assem-
bly, and the board of public works
On the afternoon of July 3. 1874, the
Board of Commissioners, composed OF
Gen. John II. ketcham. Henry T. Blow
and William Dennison, met in the old
Arlington Hotel and organized the
first Board of Commissioners for the
District of Columbia. Lieut.. Richard
l.. Hoxie, now General Hoxie, was de-
tailed from the Engineers office OF
the War Department to assist the
board. Lieutenant Hoxie had been
detailed several weeks before to as
sist the Board of Public Works, but
he had not begun his work before the
board was abolished, so he was al
lowed to assist the new Board of
Commissioners.
The first Board of Commissioners
was only temporary. and served from
July 3, 1874. to July ]. 1878, when
the commission form OF government
for the District of Columbia really
began. The temporary board did not
have a president. but, Mr.. Dennison.
who was a former governor of Ohio,
and Postmaster General under Lin
coin, usually presided.
The first permanent Board OF Com
missioners was organized on July ].
1878. and Joseph Dent was elected
president of the board.
TENTH TO QUIT SERVICE.
oommi ssioner Brownlow is the
tenth Commissioner to resign from
the District service.
The first was Henry r. Blow, who
resigned December 81, 1874 Commits
sioner Blow had been a prosperous
merchant in St Louis. and had been
United States minister to Mexico and
a member OF Congress.
General Ketcham was the second
Commissioner TO resign. He left the
District service on June 80, 1877, to
accept the nomination of a member OF
the national House of Representatives
from New York.
Lemon q. Htne, who was interested
in the linotype machine, was tho third
Commissioner to resign. He left the
District service on September 30. 1890.
to direct the affairs of the growing
linotype industry.
Col. Myron NJ. Parker. resigned the
District Commissoneryh on March
o, 1894, to look after his vast real es.
tate business in Washington.
TWO QUIT ON SAME DAY.
Both Henry b. T. Macfarland and
Henry l.. West left the Government
service on the same day. January "a
1910. Mr.. mcfarland was President
of the Board of Co nmissioners.
Frederick L. Siddons.' resigned the
District Commissionership on January
20, 1915, to accept place on the
bench of the District Supreme Court
oliver 7. Newman. resigned as
President of the Board OF Commits.
sioners on October .. 1917, to accep,
majority in the army.
w. Gwynn Gardiner resigned from
1919.