The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-13
GOV. DICK OF GUAM.
How Captain Leary Will Live on
the Island.
Our Country's First Colonial Governor
And How He wtn Live.


Portland people are well acquainted
with the first colonial governor to be sent
ont from the United States The COVER
nor of Guam, Captain Richard J. Leary,
or as he is ailectlonatoly referred to by
his brother officers in the navy, Gov.
Dick" will sail away ON the Yosemite
Saturday to take charge of the faraway
land, where he will be the monarch of all
he surveys. says A. Maurice Low In the
Boston Globe. He is perfectly content
with the assignment to the little island of
the South seas from the very uniqueness
of the position he will occupy.
During his recent stay in Norfolk his
greatest delight. was to show to bis
friends the plan Of = modest building,
which as yet exists only ON paper, with
the Information thai it was the design OF
his palace" The material for this
palace" will be a pait of the cargo of
the Yosemite, and until 1T is completed
Gov. Leary will make his home on board
the vessel.
The bureau of equipment and the bu-
! reau of navigation have done everything
possible to provide "Gov. Dick" with all
the comforts of home, and the Yosemite
will carry as varied "a cargo as any vessel
that ever left New York.
So liberal were the bureaus that they
allowed the governor so much lumber to
bs used in the erection of his palace and
tho various necessary buildings attached
thereto that some of 1t will be left be-
hind, owing to the limited capacity of the
| Yosemite.
One hundred and twenty-five marines
will go along to garrison the island and
turn out to salute the governor on state
occasions, for, although far from home,
the governor intends TO observe all the
national holidays with the greatest oere
mony.
The natives of Guam will celebrate the
Fourth of July for the first time this year
as citizens of the United States. and Gov.
Leary is very likely to make 1t an occa.
sion which will long be remem bered.
! There will be music as well as powder
burning, for the governor is to have a
| band. He has been supplied with band
instruments by the indulgent bureau of
equipment and has 125 lusty lunged
marines from among whom to chose
musicians.
They may not be very expert by the
Fourth of July, but the citizens of Guam
will not be very critical regarding
musical matters for the present at least.
Gov. Leary thinks great deal of the
band idea, and through the medium of
the harmonious strains from brass and
reed he hopes to demonstrate the soothing
influence of music over the untutored
| savage.
For the benefit of the governor and his
little world there have been pro, ided
guns for hunting, a steam launch for side
| trips around his domain silver candle
sticks to give his library tone, rugs,
carpets, curtains, bath tubs, toilet articles
and a thousand and one things which
will be marveled at by the Guam citizens.
While the two bureaus were engaged In
getting up list of the things which the
government would need for this territory
some one sugg rested that he might want q
water works system. Captain Bradford
at once suggested that windmill be al
lowed the governor, and forthwith it was
SO ordered. This pleased the governor
very much, and he will set about organ
izing fire department as soon as the
waterworks is in running order.
The trade winds sweep the island all
the year round and the windmill, a
powerful affair, built for long service,
will furnish an abundant. supply of water
for all purposes. Enorgh piping and
cement is going along in the Yosemite to
set up good sized town With all the
water works system it needs.
There will be no newspapers to read in
Guam, but there will be plenty OF books,
and the governor will not be averse TO
lending a volume from his library now
and then. For six months there will be
plenty for the little band to do, but after
that the dreary monutony of the life will
begin.
None of the men who are going seem to
anticipate anything but happy, peace
full existence, free from the cares that vex
the average mortal In more populous and
accessible chimes.
All the married men will take their
families. Few of them expect to see
America again, yst none of them have SO
far shown an inclination to remain. The
career of the governor will be watched
with interest by his brother officers. lie
is the first colonial governor of the United
States and the assignment he goes to ill
would be regarded by most men as moth
ing short of Punishment.
A COMING MISSIONARY MEETING.