Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-18
CAPITAL CHAT.
CONTINUED from page ~

CONTINUED from page -
calities and have weight in the molding
of congressional opinions.
The quarrymen of Maine have reason
TO feel grateful to Senator Hale lot ms
efforts at this session in getting large
contracts for granite. 1t often requires
influence before the departments to
pull big contracts through. IL senator
Hale and Governor Burleigh succeed
with the task they now have IN hahd IT
will make something over million DOL
lars they have been instrumental III as
suring for Maine contractors IN the last
two or three months. That is pretty
large item. when one comes to think
of it and means not only great many
months Of extra employment for the
men who work in the Maine quarries
but also activity in many other kindred
industries.
lust at present Governor Burleigh is
striking few effective blows for the
Mount Waldo Granite Company, the
lowest bidder in a contract for several
hundreds of thousands Of dollars on
the new custom house for Baltimore,
and Senator Hale is helping him. AL
by $4,000 there is an effort on foot To
keep the Treasury Department from
awarding TO it the contract. 1t was
orly a few weeks ago that Senator
Hale went to the Navy Department
and persuaded Secretary Long to give
q $500. 900 contract for granite at the
Annapolis, Nd, Naval Academy to W.
S. White of Rockland. That con-
hat fItII
Mr. White is busily preparing to fill
It, These two contracts alone, pro
vided the Baltimore contract goes to
Maine as is quite likely, will be two
immense monuments in Maryland to
Maine granite as building material
They will be by far the two finest
buildings in the state. State Senator
Albert Pierce of Waldo. has been here
looking after the Mount Waldo con-
tract. He dined the other evening
with Governor and Mrs. Burleigh at
the Richmond. Governor Burlegh has
made several trips to the Departments
on the Mount Waldo contract and has
been consulting with Senator Hale
about it.
The considerable number of publ"
brildings in prospect this year by
authoii zation of Congress should make
good times in the granite industry for
some time to come. The Maine men
Will in all probability get their share
of the quarrying, especially for the
eastern section Of the country. The
bids are all made through the Treasury
Department in this city. for which
reason Congressional influence on be
half of the bidders is often invoked by
qUaIrymen living in the different
states.
In the view of Representative Rixey
of Virginia, who made an ardent
speech this week in the House, favor
ing the opening of homes for disabled
volunteer soldiers to acknowledgements,
there is little chance that the veterans
in the home at Togus will ever be un-
der the same roof with the wearers OF
the gray. What we would like,
said Mr.. Rixey, whose father was a
Union man in sentiment but who
went over to the Confederate cause.
as soon as Virginia decided to secede.
rs he talked today with the Journal
correspondent lis the construction of
more branch homes. like that at Togus.
in the South. our Virginia veterans.
many of whom are now absolutely
helpless and living on their families,
could not Withstand the rigorS of n
II gus winter however delightful IL
might be in summer. But if Congress,
one of these days. allows the old Con
fedoratcS to enter the homes for Volun-
tecrs We hope not only to have addi-
tiOnal homes built in the cOngenial
climate of the South but also to have
financial support for the veterans in
some Of the state homes, just as Con-
gIcsS now gives aid to state homes for
lnion soldiers
Mr.. Rixey. whose district lies along
the Potomac, adjoining Washington
tells many pitiful stories of the suffer
ingS of the aged and decrepit Con-
federates in his section. He repre-
.Sents, among other countries, those of
Fairfax and Culpepper. which We're in
the sphere of hostilites during much
Of the war and which sent every
available man to either the Union or
the Confederate army.
Mr. Littlefield had as n caller this
week at the Capitol Mr.. f. T. Hodge.
civil engineer from WiScasset. ac-
companed by his daughter. Mrs. w. S.
Il. Fogg of Springvale. Two of Mr.
Mrs. George T.. Morrison of Saco.
They have q son. Joe Ralph Morrison.
who is n cadet at the Naval Academy
AT Annapolis and spent last Sunday
there visiting with him. ANNAPOLIS is
only about one hour distant from
Washington nv rail