Evening star., 1937-12-05

and the officials of Washington paid
public tribute to Gov. Alexander r.
Shepherd as an ex-
Display of preston Of their ap-
Testimonials. probation of the
accomplished in the development of the
Nations Capital. The gifts presented on
the occasion of the celebration were
later placed on display, as noted in the
following news story in The Star of De-
cember 5, 1887:
I'm one of the show windows of Galt's
jewelry store there are two large folio
volumes which attract great attention
They are both the property of Gov
Alexander R. Shepherd, and were pre-
sented to him by the citizens of the
District One book contains the letters
of welcome to Gov. Shepherd upon his
return to the city after his long absence,
and rendering him. on the part of the
citizens, public reception. The letter
is very handsomely engrossed, as is also
Gov. Shepherds response. There are
about 1000 signatures attached to the
letter of welcome, and the original sheets
upon which they were written are bound
in this book. The names are in two
broad columns on each page. and consti-
tute a valuable collection of the auto
graphs Of nearly all the leading citizens
of the District. The binding is rich,
dark red leather, ornamented with gild-
ing and finished in the most sumptuous
style of the bookbinder's art. A broad
plate of sterling silver adorns the cover,
bearing the following inscription: Let
ter to Alexander R. Shepherd from the
Citizens of Washington and Others,
1887
THE other volume is equally as hand
some, although in a different style. 1t
contains the letters signed by the District
Commissioners, and bearing the official
seal of the District, comforting upon Gov.
Shepherd the freedom of the city. The
letter is engrossed in handsome style
upon parchment and is backed with
white watered silk. The book is a folio
bound in black sealskin, richly mounted
in solid repousse silver. A sterling silver
plate is inscribed as follows: "A tender
of the freedom of the City of Washing
ton to Alexander r. Shepherd, october
6, 1887"
THE District Commissioners object to
the drafts of the bills submitted to them
by the Metropolitan and Belt Line rail-
roads, says news
Street Railway story in The Star
of December 5, 1887.
Tracks problem. THE grounds for
their objection in each case are that the
location and construction of the road
are not placed under their supervision,
and that they contain no clause provid-
ing for payments into the District treas
ury of certain percentage of the gross
receipts derived therefrom, in addition
to the other charges now imposed by law.
mo objection is made to the proposed
extension of the Metropolitan tracks on
Maryland avenue and Eleventh street
east, nor to the abandonment of the
short line on Seventeenth street west,
southwark from H street to New York
avenue, provided the company be re-
sponsible for the due restoration of the
streets after the removal of the rails.
I'm regard to the tracks on D street
north and New Jersey avenue between
Fourth and c streets, the Commission
ers believe preferable arrangement
would be to combine the tracks upon
Indiana avenue. The Commissioners
say, in reference to the Belt Line, it was
understood that the additional track on
B street southwest, from Twelfth to
Fourteenth streets, was to be substitute
for that on Ohio avenue between the
same streets. This is not provided for
in the bill. It is believed that the con-
struction. of the road on. c street west
would be objected to by the property
owners and residents on that street, and
for other reasons the Commissioners say
they would prefer continuance of the
line on Louisiana and Indiana avenues,
using the rails of the Metropolitan road
when laid.
I'm their letter to the companies stat
ing these objections the Commissioners
state, in addition, their belief that when
ever additional lines are to occupy streets
where rails are already laid the Joint oc-
cupancy of the streets is preferable to
laying new track"