Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-05-28
CAPITAL CHAT.
Continued from page IL


comprehensive bill may have many
good features. nev vertheIess believe the
subject should be more thoroughly
aGitated and understood by tie people
before serious attempt is made to
enact it into law.
Those who follow legislation and
political events here are well aware
that the Republican conference. which
assemblies for an adjourned meeting
this week, has little heart in voting for.
the House to lake up the bill at this
session of Congress. Ex-Governor Pow
ers hit the measure a severe body blow
at his ten minute speech in the con-
ference last Tuesday and since then he
has been DONG some active proselyting
against the measure among his col
leagues.
Col. \. IT, Moseley, secretary Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission, and
4 man who was well known some years
ago up ana down the Kennebec valley.
has been a witness recently before the
Interstate Commerce Committees of
Senate and House. Twenty wears ego,
or something like that, Colonel Nose
ley was the boss of q river driving
crew of French Canadians on the
Carrabasset river. They had hard
shift of it for there really wasn't
water enough running over the rocky
bed of the Carrabassett from
Jerusalem Township down to the quiet
lowing Nennebec below Patterson
Fridge. to carry The logs and the result
was that thousands of logs hung high
ana dry on the lodges throughout the
summer. 1t was pretty rough ag-
gregation Of men that handled that
drive of logs and Colonel MOseley had
rough time in commanding them.
Since then he has fiourshed well. He
has a large fund Of information as to
railroads ana railroading. having
served as secretary of the commission
for over decade. Not long ago ne
prepared large volume of information
relating to the railroads of Cuba.
One of the entertaining features of
the exercises of the unvciling of the
I:ochamheau statue here last week was
the craning Of necks. among the cabinet
and high officials to catch the meaning
Of tho French orators. Ambassador
Cambon ana General Rrugere both
spoke in their native language.
There are some Of the cabinet
II 10 understand French slightly,
among thom Secretary Of the Navy
Moody. With head tilted carefully
to the side ana in the attitude OF
trying to catch the import of the words
Secretary Moody drank in every
French word. Secretary of State Hay,
with Il long diplomatic service to his
credit, is fluent in French and he and
his daughters speak it quite as well as
English. Perhaps the most amusing of
all was the attitude of Postmaster
General Payne. He cannot understand
French but h made a bluff at doing so
an tried to be alert with applause at
the riGht moment. Generally, however.
the rest Of the distinguished audience
on the Presidents stand were a little
ahead Of him, just a handicap or two
before the postmaster general could
catch the cue and himself applaud.
Beautiful Lafayette Square, the most
attractive of all the public reservations
in Washington, and located right i'll
front of the White House, across the
avenue from that mansion, is now
adorned with two statues of French
men. On the southeast corner is To-
Gated the statue of the Marquis La
fayette and on the southwest corner
has just been placed the statue of Mar
QUis I,ochainbeau. 1t is favorite
dream of many people here in Wash
inGtOn that the two corners of the
forth side shall sometime be adorned
with the statues of Baron Steub ar ard
Pulaski, so that the square shall have
likcnesses Of the four great friends Of
America during the war for Inde-
pendence.