Evening star., 1921-06-21
SHEPHERDS ADVICE
TO CITY RETOLD AT
PICTURE UNWILLING
Continued from First Page.)

profound gratitude. The grim reaper
has gathered in the majority OF the
excellent men. who knew your Iatner
intimately and who stood loyalty by
his side and supported him in his
struggles to build here a capitai
worthy of a great nation, but there
are yet many left who recall win
pleasure shaking him by the hand on
the occasion Of one or DO 1eth u h's
''To those it will always be a pleasure
to look upon the features OF the man
who is, in so great measure, re-
sponsible for the beauties end com
forts of the model city we SO fully
enjoy. To the HUNDREDS VINO gather
annually within these Salls now, ano
who will continue to EatneI !1i .ua aa.er We ss
are gone, the portrait Will serve as
a reminder of the man who had the
vision, the energy. the indominatable
will, the patriotic desire to carry out
the plans of L'Enfant and Washing
ton. Our city is not finished. we are
still and will forever continue TO bd
engaged in the building of a greater
National Capital. There will always
be need of a Shepherd, and we there
fore cannot have too many memorials
that keep alive the Shepherd spirit.
The memories of the splendid cere-
monies on the occasion of the unveillns
of the Shepherd statue in 1909 still I'm
ger, and not one of the thousands who
was privileged to listen to the inspiring
speeches of Theodore w. Noyes. Henry
B. F. Macfarland. William F. Mattingly
and Brainard H. Warner but what left
the scene a better Washingtonian.
ITO the venerable woman, the loyal
life-partner of Gov. Shepherd, who
during the trying period of confusion
and misunderstanding. never waveret
for an instant, who lovingly shared
bic iaIc and ynndasflv shared in his
triumphs. and who now parts with
what was one of her most cherished
treasures that those of the National
Capital may forever possess 1t. our
profound thanks are due
Capt George w. Evans of the Oldes,
Inhabitants recited the military record
of Gov. Shepherd.
Commissioner Rudolph, in opening
the exercises: said:
"The Commissioners have set this
time that they might efficiently re-
ceive and accept for the municipality
portrait of the late Governor of the
District of Columbia, Alexander r. Shep
herd. executed about the time tha
the great capital builder was in hi,
full vigOr and strength. which Is pre-
sented to us by his widow.
"A number of letters from promi
nent citizens regretting their inability
| to attend these ceremonies. have
! reached the Commissioners. notabl.
among which is one from Henry b. F
| Macfarland, who. as president of th'
board of commissioners, accepted tt'
gift OF the statue, which adorns th'
| lawn in front of the District building
Mr.. Macfarland states that he has al
| important case to argue in court thi
morning, and concludes his lette
with Il would not like any one 4
| think that l was unmindful of an.
| opportunity of doing honor to a mai
| for whom ! have such respect ant
| regard because of the great servic
he did to the National Capital"
1T is very gratifying to have 81
ernor come to honor this occasion OF
! SO short a notice, and it is a matter o
! sincere regret that the donor. herself
| is not able to be with us. she havini
gone to her summer home. Mrs. Shep
\ herd has written the Commissioners o
her disappointment at not being presen
and that she requested her son. Alex
ander r. Shepherd. to represent her an
act for her"
Member Of National Rifles.
Gov Shepherd was born in Wash
ington January 81. 1885. At the ag
| of seventeen he began an apprentice
ship in plumbing. When the civil wa
| began. in 1861. he volunteered his serv
| ices to the government as a membe
| of the National Rifles. the first mill
| tary body to invade Virginia.
Shepherd began his career as a pub
| lie official in 1861, when he was elect
| ed to the common council. He thel
was only twenty-six years of age. 81.
| years later he became a member o
the Levy Court for the county outsid
! the cities of Washington and George
| town.
When Shepherd entered public lif
the capital of the nation was ia
| from being a city of magnificent dis
tance. Under form of government
| which provided for a mayor. board o
| aldermen and common council littl
progress was made in the task of de
| veloping the city along the lines O
| the far-sighted plans Of Washingto
| and L'Enfant.
| walks in need of repair and no gen
eral system for disposing of sewage
| the community was discouraged.
Shepherd decided at the outset o
his career that change in the forr
of government that would tie the fed
eral government more closely to it
| capital city was necessary to get tn
District out of its rut.
Citizens Named to Draft Bill
| The youthful member of the counci
discussed his ideas with close friend.
The seed of thought which he sowe
| resulted in the appointment of a com
mittee of citizens in 1869 to draft
bill for the better government of tn
District of Columbia
| A year later Shepherd became presi
| dent of the Citizens Reform Associa
| tion. and was elected to the board o
aldermen. At that time the population
of the entire District was approximate
ly 10000.
| On February 81. 1871. Congress
enacted a law, declaring the District
body corporate for municipal purposes
! Provision was made for a governor,
| secretary, a legislative assembly an
a board Of public works. The assem-
bly, was composed of a council o
| eleven members. The house of dele
! gates consisted of twenty-five mem
bers. The act also provided for
! delegate to the House of Representa-
| tives.
When this law went into effect Il
| 1871 Shepherd was vice president O
! the board of public works, with Gov
Henry D. Cooke as president of tn
board. At referendum vote. take
in November of that year. the voter
approved the obtaining of a loan o
| $4,000,0O0 for public improvements.
This action marked the beginnin,
of the Identification of the Nationa
| Capital. For three years, from tina
date until Congress created the com
mission form of government in 1871
Shepherd devoted himself with all O
of his physical and mental energy t
the paving and grading of street.
the construction of sewers and othe
much needed improvements.
In 1873 he succeeded Gov. Cooke 4
Office and held the position until 1877.
| when he was legislated out of offic
by the act establishing the commits
sion form ot government.
In 1880 Shepherd moved his famil
| to Mexico. where he had become in
terested In a mining project.
| Honored With Demonstration.