Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-08
H. BIZ. MACFA RLAND
TABLET UNVEILED
Memorial in District Building
Honors Memory of Late
Commissioner.

A medallion set in rich Tennessee
marble, designed as an verlasting
tribute from the people of the District
to one of it's beloved leaders-Henry
r. +. Macfarland, president of the
Board of Commissioners from 1900 to
19l0--was unveiled this morning in
the front veStibule of the District
Building. The ceremonies were brief
but typical of the man who devoted
such large share Of his life to the
development of the Capital and tn.
higher interests Of humanity.
A small group of the late Commits.
sioners most intimate friends adj
mirers and associates stood with barred
heads as Mrs. William N Strong
sister-in-aw of Mr. mcfarland, pulled
the string that Embossed two small
American flags covering the attractive
medallion. This was the work Of
Henry X. Bush-Brown. Washington
sculptor and long time friend of the
man whose likeness he carved in ba g
relief on the tablet. Col. J. Miller
Kenyon formally presented the me.
mortal to the District, and il was ac.
cepted on behalf of the people by Cuno
II. Rudolph, chairman OF the Boa I'd
OIL commissioners.
Text of Inscription.
The memorial rests beside a bronze
tablet with bas-relief of the late
John W. Ross. Commissioner from
1890 To 1902. 1t bears the following
inscription. written Jointly by Justice
Wendell Stafford of the District
Supreme Court and Rev. Charles
Wood. pastor of the Church of the
Covenants:
Born in Philadelphia. February II.
1861.
Died in Washington. d. G., October
II. 1927
President of the Board Of Com
missioners of the District of Columbia
19oG-I91G.
Both as Commissioner and as un.
official public servant he labored un.
remittinSly for the common good.
His acts. personal and official. re-
Elected his love of God and OF his
fellowman.
His zeal for the greater Washing
ton. which he helped to build. was
marked by unstinting sacrifice and
earned the esteem Of the community
in whose name this tablet is erected :"
DR.. Wood opened the exercises with
an invocation. in which he expressed
the hope that the memory of Mr..
mcfarland would live forever in
W ashlngton as stimulus and an in
SEPARATION. Mrs. Strong then unveiled
the tablet. and Col. Kenyon turned il
over to the people Of the District.
Eulogy of Mr.. Macfarland.
"On October a. 1921. there passed
from our midst a man of great public
spirit. whose name and deeds are in.
delbly impressed upon the records of
the District of Columbia said col
Kenyon. While his public service
was large, there are many who feel
that there was another side TO his
character which was greater-the
service 10 his fellow creatures. He
was never too busy TO assist the hum.
blest citizen. He never expected any
worldly benefit.
Gentlemen of the commission. YOU
who are In charge of the veal Of this
great District it seems fitting that
Won memorial tablet of Henry r r.
MaCfarland should adorn the walls Of
this marble edifiCe which he largely
sponsored. and therefore it is present
ed TO the people through YOU"
Accepted by Rudolph.
Commissioner Rudolph in accepting
the memorial pointed out that Mr..
Macfarla nd's record as public serv.
ant was unhiemished. He said
My colleagues of the Board OF
Commissioners of the District of
Columbia have designated me to ac-
cept from the committee representing
the people of the National Capital
this medallion placed on the walls of
their official home in memory of one
who. for a decade. so ably filled the
Of -t,-ic l.
II am particularly gratified to have
been selected for This honor. as il per-
mits me to pay brief tribute to one
who for years was my good friend and
after his retirement from office until
his untimely passing on to the beyond.
was my ever willing, faithful coun-
selor.
THE office of Commissioner of the
District of Columbia has been filed by
incumbents representing many indus
trial, commercial and professional &C.
equations. A review of their ames
discloses none whose reputation is
married by any act unworthy of the
dignity and responsibility of the posi-
ton.
Three journalists are among that
number. one of whom was Henry r. F.
Mcfarland. No name on the munic-
ipal roll of honor carries more appeal
to our municipal pride and personal
regard than his. No name could more
appropriately be placed on memo
rial commemorative of personal or
official work.
Helped Municipal Altruism.
LAS Il private citizen, and later as
n Commissioner, he was especially,
and efficiently active in
affa i,,or G
and developments in the reformatory
and charitable agencies here. In all
of these activities, he was helped and
encouraged by the sympathetic CO.
operation of his accomplished wife. A
detailed recital of his achievements in
that respect would be almost
resume Of the inception and progress
of municipal altruiSm as 1t now exists
in our community He was equally
earnest and influential in furtherins
legisla ton connected with the phe-
nomenal progress in the extension Of
public works during his official tenure,
when approximately S22,O0O,O00 was
expended for extraordinary projects
of improvement, independent of the
outlay for current obligations. All
this time he was interchangeable in his
efforts to obtain the required funds
upon the most favorable terms and
to have them so distributed that re-
payment would not fall too heavily
upon the shoulders of the property
owners.
I'm his every contact with public
and personal duty ne reacted in a
spirit of conscientious and intelligent
zeal and consideration. He was a
model of official courtesy and nodded
his principles and conduct on the
noblest ideals. He endured patiently
the criticism and structures which are
the lot of every public official He
sought no other reward than the re-
spect and confidence of the community
which he held until the last.
1T is fitting that this memorial to