Evening star., 1937-04-18
By John Clagen Proctor.

~ 1ngton seem to be giving
~ away to automobile parking
4 n stations-at least that is how
: the writer feels every time he learns
that some old place is being removed
for that purpose. The most recent to
be doomed is the Elkins mansion at
1925 K street northwest, soon to be
razed. 1t is thought that the ground
will be used for parking cars, for the
time being at least. Indeed, in years
to come it may be that all the his
torian can say of certain places In
Washington is that Senator Wayback
used to park his car on this lot"
The Elkins residence, though now
a gloomy looking sort of place, was in
It's day one of the city's show places.
one OF its largest and most costly pri-
Vate homes. The property was recently
sold to Louis Akar, said to be q dairy
farmer Of Fairfax County, Va, the
sale being made through George F.
Snyder, at one time private secretary
to the senior Senator Elkins, who rep
resented the family in the transaction.
Nearly all old Washingtonians recall
Stephen B. Elkins, for he was always
an outstanding member of Congress
and came here at an early date, first
as delegate from the Territory of
New Mexico, in which capacity he
served from March 4, 1873, to March
3, 1877. Later he practiced law in
New York City, before taking up his
permanent residence in West Virginia,
from where he was appointed Secre-
tary of War in 1891 by President Ben
Jamin Harrison. In 1895 Elkins was
elected United States Senator and
served until his death, January 4,
1911.
When Mr.. Elkins first came to
Washington he boarded at Welcker's
Well-known hostelry of that period,
located at 727 Fifteenth street, but
later moved into the home of his
father-in-law, Senator Henry Gassa-
way Davis, at l4l3 K street, and prob
ably it was here that Senator Davis
Elkins was born on January "a, 1876
He succeeded his father in the Senate
for short term.
L
trolled West Virginia politics for
many years, the Elkins crowd Repub-
licans and the Davis family strongly
Democratic. However whichever way
West Virginia went, one branch of the
family was bound to be on top. In
1904 Henry G. Davis. then getting
along in years, was nominated as the
nop,ocro tic r,rocidaptiol ,,,ppipo ,,ota
of Alton B. Parker Theodore Roose-
welt and Charles W. Fairbanks, their
opponents, received lac electoral votes,
while Teddy" and Fairbanks cleaned
up 1886. incidentally, there is park
ing station today at 1413 K street,
where Senator Davis once lived.
This is very interesting neighbor-
hood, and not far away is old Shep-
herd Row, on the north side of K
street between Seventeenth street and
Connecticut avenue. These houses
are numbered 170l, 17o3 and 1705, and
are of much interest, primarily be-
cause Alexander r. Shepherd was the
chief promoter in building the row
and because of the important people
who resided there from time to time.
In this enterprise, Shepherd was
Joined by Hallet Kelbourn and Adolf
Cluss, noted Washington architect, and
father of the gifted harpest, Aneita
Cluss, who charmed many an audi
ence Of music lovers few years back.
This row was most likely built in
1872 or 1873, when Mr.. Shepherd was
on top Of the world, so to speak, for it
was in the latter year that he was
made Governor Of the District of Co.
lumbis.
T IPON completion, 1901 K street was
taken over by Hallet Kilbourn as
his residence, and here he lived for
some years. Kilbourn has an interest
Ing history, for he was one of coterie
Of enthusiastic Washingtonians who
backed up Alexander R. Shepherd in
his efforts to make washington the
City Beautiful.
He was the son of Dr. Alpheus Kill
bourn and was born in Rochester, N
Y, in 1881. A sketch of him tells us
that he first came to this city during
the administration of President Bu-
chanan, and here he made many ac-
quaintances among the older and more
important families of the District as
well as the public men of that day. His
great courtesy Of manner was noted
in his early manhood and continued
througout his active life and as q con-
sequence in the years of his greatest
prominence he was called Prince
Hall" by his intimate friends.
In 1s49 he went to California, but
later settled in Iowa where he was
made a Lincoln presidential elector.
When Mr.. Lincoln came into office he
was made chief clerk of the census
and later chief clerk of the Depart
ment. OF the Interior. President John
son. who appreciated his ability, NOM
mated him to be Assistant Secretary
OF the Treasury, but this appointment
ne was forced to decline on account of
the pressure of private business.
Mr. Kilbourn had his enemies as we'll
aS his friends, which is always the
case with people who do things, and
during the period when the Territorial
Government of the District of Colum-
bia was being investigated, he, as a
member of the so-called real estate
pool was cited to appear before a con-
Eressional committee to give testimony.
This was one Of the celebrated cases
involving the rights of the citizens
decided by the courts.
IN SPEAKING of the decisions of
Chief Justice David K. Cartier of
the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia, Judge Job Barnard makes
mention Of the Kilbourn case, sayinge
Among the more important cases
heard by him was that of Hallet Kill
bourn. Mr.. Kilbourn had been sum-
moned before a special committee of
the House Of Representatives In March,
1876, as witness, and declined to
answer certain questions asked him