Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-04-04
CAPITAL CHAT.
Movement to Establish a Ninth
Soldiers Home.
Some Washington Automobiles Com
ing to Maine.
The Lawrence Claim Tor Constructing The
.Wassuc" Goes to Court Of Claim.

u
There has been considerable agita-
ton in Washington this winter in
favor of establishing another branch
of the National Soldiers Home. The
ca stern branch Of the home, as is well
known to readers of the Journal.
is at Togus. There are other branches
at Hampton. Va. Columbus. Ohio.
Marion. Ind Santa Monica, Calf.
Topeka. Kan. and Washington, u. g..
ard not long ago Congress authorized
the construction of still another branch
at Danvlle. Ill. which is the home Of
Uncle Joe" Cannon, chairman Of the
House committee on appropriations
and one of the veteran members of
Congress A bill to establish another
branch at or near johnson City. Tenn.
was introduced in the House some
time ago and has been faVorahly re-
ported from the committee on military
affairs. The number Of aged veterans.
recurring a comfortable homc, in
crcaScs year by year. as the soldiers
of the civil War grow in years ana
the acCumm datlonS are already quit"
iuadcuuatc. Even at the great Sold
ivrs Home III this city. which is about
a mile from the Capitol building. there
have been enlargcments Of the accom-
modations in recent years. which are
not now sufficient To meet the demands.
The new home ut Danville is not ytt
completed and there is little probable
ity that Congress will for a while vote
money to construct still another nome.
However. only few days ago the
House added an amendment to the
Army Appropriation bill which allows
veterans II the Spanish
War admission to the var Gus
homes over the country on
the same arrangement. as applies
to veterans Of the civil War. This
will still farther tax the conveniences
of the homes ana will ensure event
uallv the construction Of an additional
branch. Tn" Senate can be expected
to acuuesce in tha amendment for
Spanish War veterans and before very
long it is probable that the home at
Tugus will have it's quota of men. who
serve i in the war that added Puerto
Rico. Cuba. and the Philippines to our
possessions
An interesting feature Of the spring
season in Washington. is the large
crop Of new automobiles. With its
miles and miles of asphalted streets,
as smooth as the floor Of the stat
House at Augusta, Washington is an
ideal city for this manner Of travel.
When one rides down Connecticut
avenue. the most fashionable thorough
fare in the city. of morning. all
along the way in front Of wealthy
residences are the automobiles await
ing the occupants, who are going for
drive" 1t is worth mentioning
that many Of these new automobiles
are Of Maine invention, being the ma
chimes by which the Stanley Brothers,
formerly photographers Of Lewiston.
but now settled in Auburndale. Mass.
have become not only rich but famous.
A good many of the Washington auto
mobiles are likely to have a trial at
Maine roads before the summer is
over. because a large number of Wash
ington people spend the summer in
Maine resorts. Mr.. 7. l.. Page. the
proprietor of the Capitol restaurants
and Of the Mooselookmeguntic House
in the Rangeley Lakes who always
has an eve out for the prospects of
Names summer travel. says that the
season promises to be a large one from
a Washington standpoint. He gener-
ally knows something about the people
who intend to spend the summer. or a
portion of it. in Maine. The big cleo
tromobileS. however. are not likely to
venture into the Pine Tree State very
extensively because it will be difficult
to charge them with electricity. The
Stanley automobiles. however, run
with gasoline and are fitted for cOun-
try travel
1t is understood here that Mr.. Ash"r
Kinds of Portland. who is clerk to the
Speakers table in the House of Rep
rcsentativcs, will be urged next June
or July at the meeting of the corpora
tionn of Colby College. as one Of the
trustees. There is a movement within
the faculty in favor of him and some
of the members will urge Mr.. Kinds
appointment. He has been here sever
al years as clerk to the Speakers table
and is a very efficient official. The po-
sition is one Of great importance ana
Mr.. Kinds had filled it most accepta-
bly,. both TO the Democrats and Re
publicans Of the House. Few men are
better versed than he in the parlia-
mentary law and precedents of the
House He has devoted q great deal
of attention to that question in the last
four years. Speaker Reed referred all
questions Of a parliamentary ch1rac-
ter to Mr. Kinds for information as to
precedents and the like and only about
year ago Mr.. Kinds published an ex-
hauStivp book. in which there was a
large fund of hitherto imprinted ma
terial He has the respect Of the
House to an unusual degree
A bill introduced by Gov. Burleigh
some weeks ago. to refer n claim of
the estate Of George w. Lawrence for
something like 81 900 to the court of
claims. goes to the President this
week. for signature. Senator Frye in
trodnced the bill in the Senate. where
it passed quite long time ago. The
claim is for payment Of money ex
pended on the sunbOat WasSuc during
the Civil War There are large
number Of these claims before Con-
eress. on account of the construction
of gunboats. built on lines mapped out
bv the Navy department, but that
Continued on page g.