The Plumber Who Saved Washington

“See how they used to do this?” said my father a long time ago, pointing to an old framed invoice hanging in our shop. He was explaining an old trade tradition. The invoice was for plumbing work done from Christmas Eve 1864 through December 1865, in Washington, D.C., by plumber Alexander R. Shepherd. I didn’t take the time then to look any further than I needed to be respectful.I came across that invoice recently while sorting through old papers. We’re primarily paperless now, but I was being heartlessly efficient. If a paper was clearly needed, I scanned it and then