Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-23
STATE HOUSE,
Governor Powers Says There's
Plenty Of Spruce.
Volunteer Commissions the Same for
Both Maine Organizations.
Departmental Gossip Gathered Under tte
Dome Of the State House.

| 'oNtIloT IONeTS arrived III Bangor
Monday noon. on his way to Augusta
| to be present at yesterdays Council
meeting. Regarding several thing:
which are interesting Maine people al
| the present time the Governor has ex
pressed himself as follows to a Ban
gor Commercial reporter:
His Excelency. the Governor, ar.
| rived in Bangor at noon of Monday 70,
| brief official visit to the city: he
dined at the Bangor House immediate
ly upon arriving and then informally
received "A number of persons who were
waiting to see him at his hotel. The
callers We're sent to his eXcelency's
room, where he remained during the
early part of the afternoon
Later Governor Powers met Hon
Sidney Nj. Bird, commissioner for tho
executive council in charge of the
building of the Eastern Maine Insane
hospital and went over some business
connected with that work. 1t was his
intention he said. to visit the hospital
before leaving Bangor for Augusta.
When the reporters called on the
Governor. Immediately after he had
finished his dinner. he spoke briefly OF
some matters now before the State and
under discussion.
What about the issue of reuuisition
papers in the Gwin elopement case?'
was a question regarding a matter on
which there has been much talk and
some criticism about Bangor.
The father of the girl. Mr.. Lake,
appeared before me-" said the Gov
ernor. lin company with his lawyer,
Mr.. Swifc. of Fall River, and the at
torney for Piscataquis county, Mr..
Hayes. Mr.. Lake represented the case
in full.
Il at once replied that / did not con-
slider the case sufficient for the issue
of requisition papers and the mourning
of the large expense to be involved in
the process. | called the attention of
the petitioners to the fact that the case
had figured but little in Maine. that
the parties engaged in il hal merely
passed through here, as it We're. and
that this State could not we'll spend
the large sum necessary to bring the
matter into a local court. | suggested
that California was the place where
the matter should be brought to "a
head. Il
THE petitioners then said that in
California the law was such that moth
ing could be done. 1t was represented
that the girl was in very delicate
health and that the affair was in the
nature of an outrage against the
family.
These claims were made for long
declared that | did not consider the
tor tn no truU tho crime
to be serious, agreed that the papers
should issue, conditiOnally. | directed
the petitioner to place on file at the
State House statement of the case.
in which he expressly agreed that the
State of Maine should in no way he
holden for costs of any sort in the
case. Then the papers issued, the peo-
pie of this State having been fully pro-
tected against what would otherwise
have been a very large expenditure"
1t will be remembered that it has
since developed that the health of the
girl, now Mrs. Gwin, was found to be
strong enough to stand the journey tn
California. to take an excursion into
Mexico with her husband. just prior to
his arrest and. after that event, to
drive almost 100 miles through Cali
fornia mountains to reach the doctor S
family and bring his father to his as
sistance. One of the claims made to
the Governor was that the loss of her
daughter had driven Mrs. Lake almost
| insane.
The interview was almost closed
when a reporter said: Your excel
| lency, what is your opinion on the
supply of Maine spruce and the work
of the pulp and paper mills? Do you
think the pulp business is destroying
| our forests
The Governor looked almost impa-
| tient. He turned about hastily as if
he thought the question hardly worth
considering and said, half over his
shoulder:
mo. That's my answer to you,-
No, Let them cut all they want
And. the Governor being the owner
of some acres of timberlands in the
north woods, he ought to know some
thing about it.