Evening star., 1941-04-20

Eighth and K streets, he was just
as determined and just as success
full
During the period of his connec-
ton with the Board of Public
Works and as Governor, he is said
to have incurred an Indebtedness of
more than S30,000.000. Some OF the
items which go toward making up
this amount include:
Authorized or appropriated by the
Legislature.
Assembly in bonds or cash S6,000,00O
Assessments on private
property ~ 5000 900
Cash appropriated by the
United States ------- 4,OOO,OOO
Debts incurred and paid
in 365 bonds ---------- 13,OOO,OOU
Naturally. this stupendous outlay
of money for city Improvements
brought on dissatisfaction in some
quarters, particularly from exten-
sive property owners, whose taxes
were necessarily greatly increased,
but the mechanics and the laborlng
classes. who owned little property,
and who badly needed the work and
the money at this postwar period,
supported every move Shepherd
made, as demonstrated by their ap-
proval at the polls, on November Il,
1871. of the bond issue OF S4OO0,OOO,
as referred to the voters by the
legislative Assembly.
During this period and even later
Gov. Shepherd invested his own
private capital in erecting buildings
about the city, some in sections
which they greatly helped to de-
velop. Three handsome dwellings
erected by him, and in one of which
he for a time made his home, still
stand at Sixteenth and K streets, to
the north of Farragut Square. The
Shepherd Centennial Building,
erected by him. stood on the site of
the Raleigh Hotel until it was
demolished.
But in 1874, the opposition to
Shepherd and his method of i'm
proving the city, was sufficiently
powerful to change the form of
government to a temporary commits
sion form. which in four years was
made permanent, and continues to
the present day. But so impressed
was President Grant with the work
done by Mr.. Shepherd that he
nominated the Ex-Governor to flll
one of the three commiSSionerShips
provided for by the act of June 20,
1874. but his domination was not
confirmed.
Gov. Shepherds subsequent career
was principally as a resident Of
Mexico, where he engaged in the
business of mining from 1879 on.
On July Is. 1887, he returned to the
District, though he got off the train at
Silver Spring and went direct to his
country home, Bleak House, which
stood back from the west side of
Georgia avenue not far south of the
District line. This estate at one
time extended westward as far as
Rock Greek.
At this time, in an interview,
among several things he is quoted
as having said:
"I fancy that nearly everybody
sees it now replied Mr.. Shepherd.
Some of us saw it then. 1t was a
question of national pride, the
Identification of the National
Capital. If the people of
the District had stood by me at that
time, the city would have been today
even better than it is, and instead of
a debt of $20,000.00O, there would
not have been cent of money due
by the District for all the improve
mentS."
However, as it is said that time
heels all things, so it has with
Shepherd and his critics and OBJ
structionistS, and as time wore on,
the same critics and the same un-
friendly people, being convinced OF
the foresight and sincerity of the
former Governor, began to sing his
praises, and so we find that three
months after his returning 10 the
Capital, many VINO had once op-