The Republican journal., 1899-01-26
Our George in Augusta.

|
two annual meetings was liable to be ex-
communicated for heresy, or some other kind
of an epidemic, I decided that it behooved
me to show up here, and I accordingly be-
hooved.
| Augusta sits on the bank of the Kennebec,
dangling her feet in its waters. Like other
| places she has her ups and downs, though 1
| think there are more ups and downs here
than in most any place I ever saw. Many,
OF her streets are several degrees more than
perpendicular. Hills! such hills though at
present the biggest hill here, is the Hon
| John F. Hill, which Hill, by the way, will
| lead directly to the State House in the year
| 1901, if l then adhere to my determination
not to allow my name to be used.
| The street commissioner here has lots of
sand and is not afraid to use it on the side
walks and crossings, so that the good as we'll
as the wicked, can stand on slippery places.
l never felt that it was quite right to dis
| crlmlnate against us good people, and only
allow the other kind to be able to stand on
ice without creepers.
The Augusta House is again opened, hav-
ing been closed for some time. I heard an
Irishman enquiring, "Who is kapin the Au-
goosty House?' and echo answered Capen,
who formerly run the Bay View in Camden.
The property was recently bought by P. o.
Vickery and ]. F. Hill, and big pile of
money spent on it, and it is now in good con-
dition. The Legislature is held here, and
consists of eight or ten men from different
parts of the State. After they make the
laws, enactments, etc, they go over to the
State House and adjourn.
The house when we arrived was nearly
full, most of tie rooms holding candidate
for Congress from Mr.. Dingey's district.
l feel quite certain that if some of them step
into his shoes they will not be troubled with
corns on account of the shoe not being big
enough for them. There are many notables
stopping here, the Governor, the Speaker
| of the House, the Insurance Commission
er and Senators and Representatives galore.
| The Governors hair is very dark "com-
plected," and if be did not cut it. it would
outrval the Sutherland Sist ers in years
time. But as bountifu as is the hair the
outside of his head, the inside is about as
we'll stored with brains as one mans head
can be, and his mouth is as we'll trained as
any l ever saw engaged in conversation.
Whenever a remark comes out of that
oritice it is dressed in taior-made suit of
language, so to speak. If there is anyone
who could get out of a dentists chair, after
having had an liberated tooth "yanked"
out, and fifteen minutes later make better
speech than did Gov. Powers to the Press
Association / would like to send him my
hat, express paid.
While some of the members Of the Asso-
citation we We're in the habit OF meeting
were not present, there were many familiar
faces here. P. o. Vickery sat at the receipt
of customs, and collected the dues from the
memb bers, with pleasant word for each as
he scooped in his money. He has only been
treasurer a few years, and yet to-day he is
one of Augusta's richest men! Bro. VcS-
cry is an arde ut sportsman, and has been
heard to say that he had rather shoot d
woodcock than be President. He asked me
if there We're any woodcOck over at Belfast,
and I told him L knew where there were
three, and he said he would come over and
kill them | explained to him that it was
close time with them and he had better not
attempt to murder them-at present, for we
! had rather he would be President than kill
our Woodcock.
The exercises in the Senate Chamber
Thursday afternoon were very interesting.
! Bro. Norton of the Portland Evening Ex-
press delivered very bright and witty
poem. and if he will write book full of
aa at Ia ma a m
for a copy. Before going up to the meeting g
| | met Fran Rich at the Augusta House,
and he was buckling a belt about HIM con
tanning two revolvers and a lot of cartridges.
l asked him if he was going on bear hunt,
and he looked at me with sad smile and
said, "No, George, but am to read the es-
say at the meeting this afternoon, and I ex-
pect to be mobbed, and l am going to sell
my life as dearly as possible" l told him
knew just how he felt, for 1 had been there
| myself and | we'll knew how hard it was to
stand in that historic room, 50 rich with
memories of Fessenden, Morrill, and Blaine,
whose speeches had thrilled their listeners,
and filled that chamber 50 full of eloquence
and things that l had to actually clear away
| a lot of it so as to have place to stand be-
fore l could deliver my impassioned lines.
Well it was a false alarm with Frank, for
he gave us one of the III ost interesting es-
says that the Association has listened to for
many a meeting.
| called on Fred Plaisted of the New Age
like to call on him, for he always acts as if
he was glad to see me. He gave me cordial
reception no, come to think of it, wa
didn't have any "cordial,'' it was cigar.
Fred was in his sanctum, which is just big
enough to hold him and two column edl-
torial / also ran in to see Capt. Chas. E
Nash, of the Farmers Almanac. | made
his acquaintance when the Press Associa-
ton went to Plymouth. and if you can rake
up better fellow than he is, you want to be
sure that there are no teeth broken out of
the rake l should hate to make an alma
nae. If | wrote book, l should want one
that had an end to it--and so would my
reader-but an almanac goes on year after
year, and as far as l have seen the fellow
never marres the girl and lives happily ever
afterwards. An almanac maker must wait