The Portland daily press., 1891-01-26
HOW LeeIsIators Ride.

Augusta is city build on hills. From
the banks of the Kennebec it climbs steadily
upwards to the high land on each side.
There on the left banks of the river is the
group of buildings composing the insane
hospital. Opposite, on the high land on the
right bank. percned where its leaky roof can
catch the first drops of the coming storm. is
the other institution which Augusta people
think Is necessary to the safety and well be-
Ing OF that community, the old-new State
House. There is in Augusta an electric
railroad but at this season of the year its
tracks are ben, ath the snow, so those people
who want TO climb mp the hills by horse
power rather than waste their own strength
In the task ride in what are known as the
ten cent accommodation teams" These
conveyances are known by that name be-
one of them and they will accomm0-
date you If you wait long enough. Some of
them are comfortable sleig1s with pair of
horses. Some are made by putting carriage
bodies on runners. One man drives the su-
Perstructure of an ancient carryall fastened
to the running gear of sleigh. On each side
is sign with the word accommodation artist
icaliy painted In black on white ground.
Another driver has had his sign "Accommo-
dation' printed on big green posters which
are artistically pasted to his sleigh below
the front seat.
2One of these teams is very accommodating
so far as its carrying capacity goes. There
is always room for one more, or, better per-
haps, always room at the top, as the last man
generally sits on the unfortunate individual
who got in before him. In the midst of the
driving storm last Thursday evening, an ac-
con.modation team made the perilous descent
frem the state house to Water street, having
on board three persons on the back seat,
three more on the front. and the driver, who
sat on the dash board, with his feet hanging
down before. The three men on the back
seat, who were securely fastened in by the
leather flaps which hang from the covering
OF the sleigh and are tied down, were in a
position not unlike that of the occupants of
t0mbs in countries where the people bury
their dead in a sitting posture. an effect
which was heightened by the cheerful re-
mark Of the driver that it was pretty heavy
load and he didn't know whether they'd get
down all right or not.
There are also valuable relics of the last
century. among these teams. The driver of
one of them says the pole of his sleigh is over
$50 years old, having been for several gener
ations in his family, and adds that the string
of loud toned bells attached to the pole are
equally venerable. An irreverent passengers s
question as to whether the horses were also
entitled to respect as having attained equal
age, cut short the further narration of the
history of the ancient pole and bells.
But however striking may be the appear
ance of some Of theS teams, their drivers are
obliging and do the best they can to give
prompt service to their patrons. II they can
not be found 1t is only because they are ac-
commodating somebody else at dime rates.
The contrast though between this irregular
ser yice of ten cent accommodation teams and
the regular five cent trips Of the Portland
horse cars, which Legislators might now be
enjoying had the vote been different two
years ago, Is very marked.
The Great Water Fight.
The bill to legalizs certain doings of the
town of Cape Elizabeth will be made the SUBJ
ject of hearing By the judiciary committee.
Mr.. Tilton, the representative from that
town, thinks hearing not necessary, but he
and the committee differ on that point. This
bill Is intended to sanction the acts of town
meetings held since 1887, when by an
amendment to the bylaws of the
town. an advertisement in the Cape Eliza
beth Sentinel was made one of the formali-
ties of the calling of a town meeting. BY
some error this advertisement was never in
serted, although the other requirements
were carried out, MI. Tilton's bill. besides
being an act to legaliZe there meetings, is al
so measure to vindicate Mr.. Tilton. That
gentleman was elected to the legislature as a
water" man, and he says 1t has been charg-
ed that he intends to secure the passage of
law to introduce Seb 20 water into the
town of Cape Elizabeth whether the people
want it or not. Now at the town meeting
held last March, the town voted to direct the
selectmen to make contract for introducing
water into the town before December 81 of
$780, As it Is now January, 1891, it is diff
cult to see how this vote can be carried out.
nothing having been done in the matter. For
this reason and also, he says. to give the lie
to the stories about his securing impossible
legislation in favor of water, Mr.. Tilton
does not ask the legislature to legalize the
m 4 a
the wsrrant. In other words, the bill seems
to be one to legalize certain doings of the
town OF Cape Elizabeth and to vindicate
Mr.. Tilton by failing to legalize something
else which Is already null and void.
Not Charged to the State.
Representative Shaw of Portland has one
of the seats in an outer line In the House OF
Representatives. Around these seats /:
room enough to allow them to tip back, II
they were provided with the proper pivots
under the seat. Mr.. Shaw has provided his
chair with the necessary apparatus aud car
now lean back and take his ease. This is a
great Improvement and Ii is a UNIQUE i'm
provement in the history of the state house
that Mr.. Shaw paid for it himself.
Afraid to Co Into the Woods.
People are getting to be afraid to 90 int
Wv "oNNo No"h Az w dohluStOH CUuubJ uOl
for fear of wild animals but because some
body may mistake them for deer and add I,
a long list of deaths growing out of sucf
blunders. Besides this, among the spor Is
men who roam through the wOsds for per
fectly legitimate purposes. are some men OF
entirely different character who ma,
have private differences to settl;
and may not bo over particu
las as to the methods they employ. Thes,
frequent accidents might be made the cloal
for murder In fact, the story Is told of on
man. who came very near being shot In tn,
woods, and who, when he asked the othe
fellow what he meant by blazing away a
him was told not that he was take,
for deer but 81 thought you were anothe
man."
To meet this state of affairs, DIR. Rogers
one of the Washington county Senators. Ia
introduced bill which provides for n tern
in state prison for whoever shoots hnma,
being by mistake for deer or other animal
DIR. Rogers, just before coming to Anensta
had under his care a man who was snfferin
from a wound received In the woods. Thi
was a case where the victim was really mis-
taken for deer. DR.. Rogers thinks tha
legislation to prevent such mistakes in futnr
would be good thing.
Bribery In South Dakota,
PIERRE, S. d., January 24.-At its afta,
MON session, the House. in voting ~, az