Evening star., 1935-01-13

his early banking connections in the District
Of Columbia, first as a member of the firm Of
Corcoran & Riggs and later as Riggs & Co.
John M Brodhead was the second controller
OF the Treasury. and Henry d. Cooke banker.
and Governor Of the District of Columbia from
February %. 1871, to September 13, 1873 and
1t was during much of this time that his sue
cesSor, Alexander r. Shepherd (referred to by
some as Alexander the Good Shepherd made
extensive improvements to the National Capital
at time when Congress was about as willing
to bear its burden Of expense toward the city
as it Is today, as illustrated by statement made
upon one occasion by Gov. Shepherd who said:
When we decided to improve the city, the
frst thing We did was to formulate claim
against the Government of the United States
for $l3,oo0oo0 We showed that while the
United States Government owned more than
one-haf the property, it had contributed only
$2,00O00 since the establishment Of the seat Of
Government toward the expenses of governing
the District, while the residents had paid
SIS 100000"
A SKETCH of the Metropolitan Club, writ
~ ten more than half a century ago, tells us:
1.-The first club, known the Metropolitan.
was organized in this city October IL, 1868.
with Charles Knapp as president Among the
other members we're S. H. Kaufman, Aug.
Edwards, j. Lorimer Graham j. Smith Homans.
Hudson Taylor, Lewis Clephane, William p
Dole and Joseph F. Brown. Their club house
was the old Ripley mansion, corner of Fifteenth
and H streets northwest. The club expired about
1867. The present and only incorporated body
known as the Metropolitan Club was organized
at the residence of the late George w. Riggs,
the banker
ON the evening of December 2, 1872 a meet
ing was called to discuss the propriety and
feasibility of establishing an association or club
for the promotion of literary tastes and social
intercourse. There were present w. w. Cor
coran esq.,; Gen. William T. Sherman Admiral
David d. Porter George w. Riggs, ESQ.,; Admiral
c. r. p. Rodgers, Richard d. Cults, Gen. John
g. Parke, William H. Philip James C. Kennedy
and Henry r. Rathbone. Gen. Sherman pre-
sided. 1t was decided to start the club under
the general act of incorporation passed by
Congress
Subsequently the club was incorporated
December 90, 1872, with the following officers:
w. W. Corcoran, president; W. T. Sherman and
ID. ID. Porter, vice presidents; George w. Riggs,
treasurer, and H. r. Rathbone, secretary The
Griswold mansion on the southeast corner Of
Fifteenth and H streets northwest was secured
for club house and there they remained until
November, 1878, when they moved into the
Morris mansion, corner of Vermont avenue and
H streets northwest.
1.-The first death to occur was that of Mr..
James c. Kennedy an incorporation, in March,
1878 In the Fall of 1878 Mr.. Rathbone resigned
as secretary, and Archibald Hopkins was elected
to succeed him. The original officers had been
regularly reelected up to that time. In 1881,
when Mr. George w. Riggs died, Mr. James
LoWndeS succeeded him treasurer, and Mr..
Allan McLane was elected a member of the
board of governors to succeed Mr.. William H.
Philip, who died the same year Admiral
Rodgers succeeded Mr.. Corcoran in 1881 as
president at which time all of the present Off
GERS reelected.
up to that time the club had rapidly
prospered, and among its more prominent nem-