The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-07-03
Our Washington Letter.
Congressional Adjournment. Campaign
Speakers. Pension and Mail Affairs.
visitors to Maine.

Speakers. Pension and Mail Affairs,
visitors to Maine.
Especial to the RERoRTER
Washington, d. c., July Mot for
many years has a session of Congress
closed more quietly than the present
one and after having accomplished SO
much work. Usually there is a great
hurly burly in the closing days, wild
scramble to get bills through. This is
more the case at short sessions, which
end by constitutional Limitation on
March 4, than at long sessions. Speaker
Henderson has managed the work this
year with rare tact. He had quite a
long talk with Congressman Burleigh a
few days ago about legislative matters,
they having been very good friends
long time and possessing mutual con.
fidence in each other. Only recently
the governor was requested to preside
during a session of the House, he hav
ing been enrolled on the list of the
members whom the Speaker occasion
ally calls upon to take up the gavel
when he himself cannot be in the chair
There are about fifteen or twenty of
these members on the Republican side
and the honor is naturally regarded as a
high one.
Senator Hale and Representative Bur-
leigh have talked over together quite a
bit the names of orators for the State
and Congressional campaign in Somer-
set and other counties in the Third
District. These will be selected from
quite large number, who have already
promised to visit Maine during the CAM
paign but the names have not been al
together determined upon because OF
the uncertainty of members about just
what time they can give to speaking and
because the State committee will be
consulted as to its plans for these
speakers.
Gov Burleigh left here on one OF
the earliest trains after the adjournment
of Congress, Mrs. Burleigh accompany
ing him to Augusta. This has been the
busiest and most exacting session Of
Congress the Representative of the
Third District has ever had but he will
not leave his Congressional work be.
hind him when he gets to Maine. Two
or three big boxes of papers and let
ters have already been shipped to Au
gusta, containing records in pension
cases now before the Pension Bureau
and records in rural free delivery cases
All the mail that comes to the House OF
Representatives for him now and hence.
forth will he forwarded to Augusta
and these letters and many more which
are directed to him there will be an
swered from that point. AS he always
insists on prompt answers to letters, the
mail from the Third Congressional dis
trict will occupy his attention for part
of almost every day during the summer
The prosecution of business, still un
finished, before the several departments
in which his constituents are interested
will require no little correspondence
during the summer.
This week will mark a great exodu,
of Washington people, for not only will
the 445 Senators and members of thu
House leave town as rapidly as possible
but they will take their families will
them. Then President Roosevelt plan,
to vacate the new White House, which
is of red brick, by the way, located OF
Lafayette Square and move his office tt
his summer home at Oyster Bay. There
will be large influx of visitors to Maine
this year from ashington, large por
ton of them natives of the State en-
poyed in various departments of the
government. They have months va
cation and the quick communication by
rail established by the fast train from
New York makes visit to all parts Of
Maine now considerable easier thar
heretofore. All the professions are
generously represented here by Maine
men. One of these Mr.. s. w. Wood
ward, the merchant prince of Washing
ton, and native of Damarscotta, Me.
left here last week for a journey tC
Europe. Although he started in bust
ness with comparatively nothing he has
built up a large fortune. His passage
across the ocean for himself and family
only cost him 81, 600, for he bought the
best the ship afforded
The session of Congress that has just
come to An end is very important one.
eve have accomplished vas. deal of
far reaching legislation, said Gov. Bur
leigh yesterday. "rhe canal bill
which the President has just signed
would alone be suffici to make the
Congress a memorable one for the agita.
ton for canal has been before Congress
for fifty years and this is the first time
in history that legislation has been
achieved by the United States to con-
struct it. Not only does it mean vast
expenditure of money, with great results
towards the advancement of commerce
and shipping, but it will be the mon
umental engineering feat of the world.
Maine has Jared we'll in the amount OF
appropriations secured. Our delegation
has worked here shoulder to shoulder.
We have been a unit whenever the
interests of the state we're affected. That
means great deal, for six men united
can do much more than six men, each
working separately"