Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-03
WASHINGTON CHAT.
Gossip Of Maine People at the
Nations Capital.
Col. Leyburn, Now at MarieI, Cuba,
Native of Gardiner.
Mr.. Dingley's Physician "A Maine Veteran Of
the Treasury Department.

riod. of which we can say a great deal
in connection with sons of the Kennebec
Valley and vicinity. 1t is common to
hear Maine people boast of the success
of Maine men. but when one comes to
sort out the commanding figures in
events, it is notable to reckon how
many of them come from the strips of
land that fringe the eastern and west
ern banks Of that remarkable water
course. Naturally the events in Cuba.
the past week. have been of large inter-
est in the public mind: the raising of
the flag in the cities and fortresses of
the island have been watched with pat
riotic pride and every item Of note ca
bled to this country to be spread
broadcast before the public inkdaily
newspapers. Among these incidents
was the raising of the Stars and Stripes
over the. municipal building at Mariel.
Cuba. in the presenice of number of
prominent people. The central figure
in those proceedings was Col. Stephen
X. sSeyburn of, the 202d New York Voi-
unteers. Col. -Seyburn is having sue
cessful military career In cuba, as the
head of that regiment. He has acted
with discretion, has done a great deal
of charitable work in the distribution
of rationss among the starving Cubans
and his Conduct has been helpful to-
wards healing the breach existing be-
tween some of the Cubans and the
Americans.
First of all it should ha said that Col.
Seyhurn is a Gardiner boy and proud
of that fact. The Journal correspond
ent met him in Washington. last sum-
mer, when he had just been raised from
the rank of captain of the 10th Infan-
try. Regupiar Army, and made n ma
jor Oh the staff Of Gen. Miles. He is
tall. but we'll proportioned. has an in
telligent face. and wears n dark mus
tache After n short service with Gen.
Miles. whom he had occasion To be-
come intimate with during several IN
dian campaigns in the Southwest. he
was assigned to recruit and organize
the a0ad New York Volunteers. who
come from the thrifty section of Nor
thern New York. This was towards
the close of the war. and Col. Seyburn
rather regretted, when the armistice
had been declared that he had had no
opportunity for active combat with the
Spaniards. The department was mind
ful Of him, however. and his regiment
some weeks ago, after being excellent
ly drilled, was sent to- Cuba for garri-,
son duty. With the reorganization of
the army there is littl, doubt that Col.
Seyburn will be given that rank per-
manently. q
The Seyburn family is probably lit
tie remembered in Gardiner at this
time, except among the older residents.
Col. Seyburn's father was in the vol
unteer navy of the Civil War and af-
terwards engaged in business at Garqls
ner. The family residence was at
Pittston, later known as Randolph.
Col. Seyburn did not enter the nl larry
academy but received his appointyhent
from the state of Louisiana in the early
7Os. 1t is not too much to suppose
that he will be major general before
his retirement from military life. His
brother, John r. Seyburn. first lieu;
tenant of the oath Regular Infantry,
received his appointment from the
ranks. He Is shorter and more stOcky
than his brother and is typical In
fantry officer of the frontier. "A Maui
ser bullet plowed a little furrow in the
top of his head at Santiago. This
brother is unmarried but Col. Seyburn
married, few years ago. wealthy
Detroit girl. who now lives in WASH
ington and is cutting quite a figure I'M
society. No immediate relatives Of the
Seyburns now live in Maine.
Capt and Quartermaster .WinthrOp]
S. Wood, a native of this city. but d
son of Col. Henry G. Wood, born at
Winthrop, Me-, has just left here to as
sumo his new duties at Schuylkill arr
senal near Philadelphia. He got his
appointment to the military academy
from Representative Milliken and had
a very creditable career as cavalry
officer. He was adjutant of the 10th
Cavalry at Santiago, and had most of
his front teeth shot out In the last
three or four months he has been in
Washington mpch of the time. Capt.
Wood is as typical cavalry officer as
Lieut.. Seyburn is typical infantry
officer. He is very small of stature
and rather pleasant fellow. He has
relatives living at Farfnington, Me-,
and visited there during the summer.
The critical illness of Representative
Dingiey here and the calling of DIR. |
Franck Hyatt in consultation, recalls
the long and fatal illness OF the late |
James G. Blaine. one of the many Au-
susta men, who have become eminent
in public life in Washington DIR. |
Hyatt achieved almost national repu- |
tation for his treatment Of Mr.. Blaine. |
He is throat and lung specialist, with |
an office on 14th street, not two min |
utes walk from the Hamilton. where
Mr.. Dingley lies III. His trips to the |
Blaine mansion. an old fashioned red |
brick. on the corner OF 18th street and /
Pennsylvania avenue, but now demoi- |
ished to make way for a theatre, were
long and frequent. DIR. Hyatt. who is |
still young man. retains many re-
of those visits and some-
times tells how reluctantly Mr.. Blaine /
yielded up his life. Personally the fa-
nous specialist is an agreeable man.
He is not apt to talk volubly but is
courteous and popular with his pa |
tents. He is short. stout and, quite
erect. He has brown eyes, a rich in-
teresting voice, and a very business \
ike manner.
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