Evening star., 1952-01-01

part Of the District area was still
fenced farmland. Streets existed
largely on paper, and extensive
areas downtown were so swampy
as to be practically useless. The
Icity's orphan asylum at Four
teenth and S streets. completed ir
1871, was generally considered tc
be in the suburbs. The appalling
/ ly primitive sewerage system was
becoming a matter of national
scandal.
Above everything else, Washing
ton lacked an overall plan fol
| its development. The magnificent
concept of a National Capital
drawn many years earlier by
Pierre L'Enfant. had been forgot
ten by almost every one.
Shepherd Dominates Government
Mr.. Shepherd was appointed by
President Grant to the newly
created Board of Public Works
1t was not long before he domi-
mated the city government by
sheer force of personality. Within
a month after the first meeting
Iof the legislature, he pushed
through a plan of city improve
ment that fairly took the dele
gates breath away. Among other
things. it called for 157 miles OF
streets with uniform grading
throughout, a complete new sew.
erage system and an ambitious
tree-planting program. The cost
was grossly underestimated al
about $6.25 million. The Districts s
share was to be faised by floating
| a 81 million loan.
To put this plan across, Mr.
Shepherd needed powerful sup
port in the community. He found
that support in The Star. Nc
sooner was the plan authorized
than the opposition organized tc
fight it. A newspaper called the
Citizen was started with the sim
gle purpose of scuttling the pro-
gram and its supporters, The
Star included. A court injunction
was obtained to tie up the pro-
ceeds of the loan on the ground
that it was illegal until ratified
by vote of the citizens.
Shepherd Program Endorsed.
Striking back, The Star led the
chorus for an immediate election
and turned out smashing 12-1
Endorsement of the Shepherd plan
When the opposition newspaper
folded a few months later, Crosby
Noyes penned a delighted epitaph;
'The Citizen, the new afternoon
paper that was to run The Stal
off the track, demolish the Boarc
Of Public Works, defeat the 81
million loan and smash things ur
generally, has gone dead. Tht
worthy old anti-improvement fos.
sils who planked down theil
money to start the paper ant
keep it af1oat, have doubtles.
spent more in their short bu
costly experiment than theil
taxes would be in so years ii
carrying out the grand plan o.
improvement now entered upon.
Given a clear track, BOSS
shepherd threw himself into tn.
work with czar-like zeal. Ovel
the dusty miles of Washington
streets his army of workmeY
Iswarmed. Old landmarks and ole
) Ieyesores disappeared overnight
Merchants. interrupted in the &C
of setting up their stalls at tn,
Northern Liberties Market, stoot
by in helpless rage while tn
whole place was torn down ant
carted away before their eyes
Owners of the Alexandria ant
Washington Railroad, who's
,ltracks ran along First street an,
Maryland avenue, awoke on
!. morning to find themselves out o
business. Two hundred of tn
!. Boards men had moved in durin
the night. The tracks were neve
replaced.
7 Grant Halls New City.
BY 1873, President Grant wa
boasting that the Nation could b
proud of Washington for the frs
time. In the space of two con
vulsive years. the debris of decade
had been wiped away. Instead o
|zig-zag cowpaths. the city's street
and avenues stretched Straigh
and true to the District limits ant
beyond. For the first time,
seemed possible that L'Enfant'
plan for a noble city might som
day be achieved.
i The cost, however, had beel
staggering. The financial pani
i that swept the country in 1877
lIleft Washington bankrupt. Com
pressed into Mr.. Shepherds fran
/ tic timetable. the price of tn
Iiface- lifting process had risen t,
the fantastic total of $22 milliol
,I-one third of the national deb
lin 1852. It brought about the en-.
slof the territorial government ant
1.-THE political reputation of MI
Shepherd. But, in The Star
.lopinion. 1t had been worth it.
i 1T is safe to say" wrote tn
editor. +that il the work had.no