Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-13

were unfamiliar with the affairs of
the Public Utilities Commission and
the important matters with which it
is now concerned.
Mr.. Childress, who owns the Elmer.
son Pump and Valve Co. in Alexan-
dria. Va, said he applied for the posi-
ton on the new commission because
of a desire to get something to do
to keep me active"
MY present work does not keep me
busy enough" he declared. Il found
myself playing golf three and four
days week. That is not good A
person gets old too quickly if he
doesn't have something to keep his
mind occupied
After filing his application for the
position with the President. Mr.. Chill
dress said he solicited the support of
the Tennessee delegation in Congress-
all the members of which he knows
personally. BY a strange coincidence,
his appointment was announced ex-
actly one month from the date he ap.
piled for the office.
Born in Murphysboro, Tenn, the
scene of a famous Civil War battle,
February is, 1879, the son of Judge
John w. Childress and Mary L.
Childress, Mr.. Childress received his
early education in the Webb School of
Bellbuckle, Tenn, and later attended
Southwestern University. After grad
uating from that institution, he went
to Princeton University to take an
academic course and left in his
sophomore year to go to Nashville,
Tenn.
While in Nashville Mr.. Childress
met Miss Rita Ridgely of this city and
romance brought him to Washington
in
up their residence here and now live
at 1900 Twentieth street, with their
two daughters, Charlotte Ridgely
Childress and Adair Ridgely Childress.
AS soon as he reached Washington
Mr.. Childress went into the real estate
business and was active in that field
until 1916, when he purchased the
pump and valve company in Alex
andria. Although he has "dabbled a
bit, as he puts it, in the real estate
business since that time, most of his
attention has been devoted to his
factory in Alexandria
Expert Land Appraiser.
Mr.. Childress is regarded as an ex.
pert land appraiser. In 1918 he was
appointed a member of the commits
sion which condemned 10 squares of
the Capitol so that the Government
could take title to it, The work of the
commission, which also included
Rozier Dulany and Samuel Ross, was
highly commended at the time. After
ward he was frequently called into
court to testify as to land values.
While still interested somewhat in
political affairs in his native State,
Mr.. Childress explained that he has
not voted for % years, when he cast
a ballot for the Democratic ticket,
Wrapped up in Washington as he is.
Mr.. Childress said he had no desire
to go outside to vote. He is a mem
Der of the Kalorama Citizens Asso
citation, the Chevy Chase Club, the
Washington Heights PRESBYTERIAN
Church, and is director of the Dis.
trict National Bank.
New Hampshire Native.
MIR. Adams. like Mr.. Childress. has
been a resident of Washington for
more than 20 years. Born i'm Hins-
dale, n. H., 81 years ago, Mr.. Adams
received his education in the elemen.
tary and high schools of that place
and later went to Dartmouth College,
from which he graduated in 1897.
After teaching school for awhile he
came to Washington in 1900 and OBJ
tanned employment as a clerk in the
office of the District tax assessor At
the same time he attended George
Washington University Law School
and was graduated in 1902. Later he
was admitted TO the bar.
For 20 years Mr.. Adams remained
in the District service, during which
time he became member of the
Board of Assessors, the Board of
Equalization and Review and the
Board of Personal Tax Appeals, and
finally in 1908 he was appointed as
sistant assessor. In 1920 he resigned
from the District service to become
secretary of the Union Realty Co.. a
concern that recently went out of
business.
Mr.. Adams was married in 1908 to
Miss Harriet A. Hersey of this city
They have lived for a number of
years at 3717 Morrison street. They
have no children.
The affiliation of Mr.. Adams In
clude memberships in the Washing
ton Board of Trade, Temple Moves
Lodge. F. A. A. NJ and the Chevy
Chase Citizenstss'A Association. He is
communicate of the All Saints
Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase.
Mallan Is Native.
Mrf. Mallan, the peoples counsel. is
a native-born Washingtonian and
is the youngest of the three APP
pointees. He is sc years old Edu.
Gated in the elementary schools and
Western High School, he also studied
engineering at Cornell University for
a wear and later took up course in
law at the University of Virginia
Graduating from that institution in
1914. he returned to Washington and
was admitted to the bar of the Dis
trict Supreme Court February ], 1925.
shortly afterward he was admitted
to practice before the District Court
of Appeals and in 1919 he was ad.
mitted to the bar of the United States
Supreme Court.
lieutenant, Junior grade, i'm the
United States Naval Reserve forces
and served for % months, a greater
part of the time with the American
naval forces in France. After the war
he resumed his law practice. His
wife is Frederick Mckinney Mallan,
daughter of Frederic d. Mckinney,
prominent Washington lawyer. Mr..
and Mrs. Mallan live in the Wood
ward Apartment.
While he has specialized in tax and
corporation law. Mr.. Mallan said
that in the course of his law practice
he has had occasion to acquaint him.
self with the public utilities law. but
is not familiar with many of the prob
lens now facing the Public Utilities
Commission.