The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-01-09
Washington Correspondence.
New e. ID. Routes In Somerset Maine
representatives. and senators Pen
sion Matters, etc.
Especial to the RnpoRTER.)


equipped of any county in the State, In
that regard. A little typewriter bul.
letine, announcing the establishment OF
route out of Arson, just across the
river from Madison, where route has
been in operation for some months,
came from the Post Office Department
last week. This new route will be in
operation Feb. 1. Down in the lower
end of the county there Is to be one of
these routes of Gov. Burleigh has been
assured of service out of the town OF
Fairfield. Never doing anything by
halves Gov. Burleigh has had Mr.. +. T..
Boutelle, brother of the late lamented
Congressman from Bangor, now special
inspector for the establishment of rural
routes looking over the ground in other
sections of Somerset. such treless
worker in Washington as Gov. Burleigh
is, always on the go to accomplish some.
thing for his constituents, can be depend
ed ON to extend these modern mail fac.
ilities to more localities in somerset
before many months roll by.
1t requires perseverance and persist
ance to persuade the Post Office Depart.
routes of this kind in a county of the
size and population of, Somerset these
days Although the appropriation for
rural free delivery is getting very large,
the country is much larger and every
morning, soon after the sun creeps up
over the Potomac, scores of members of
Congress can be seen entering the swift
y running elevators Of the Post Office
Department and turning their footsteps
down the corridor that leads to the of
flee of Mr.. Machen, the chief of the
rural free delivery division. They are
all on denteally the same errand-the
establishment of more routes in their
own districts. There are many counties
in different states in the union, some of
them as populous as Somerset, that to-
day know of rural free delivery only by
reputation. The bringing of mail to
ones own door is popular with the
farmers from one end of the United
States to the other and naturally the
scramble is great. Chief Machen has a
big file index, within his reach, wherein
are written the hundreds of requests for
more new routes Gov. Burleigh has
some Somerset names written there and
in due season they will come out as an
nouncemeuts from the Department for
the service TO begin
A former Skowhegan man, John w.
Fogler, is one of the numerous sons of
Somerset now making his domicile in
the federal capital He hopes to enter
the customs service of Porto Rico.
After serving as cashier of bank in
Augusta, he went est and lived for a
time in Leavenworth, Kansas, where he
became the cashier and vice president of
the First National Bank in that city and
won the esteem of numerous prominent
Republicans. Through the efforts of
Gov. Burleigh and members of the
Maine delegation, aided by the six or
seven Republican Congressman from
Kansas, Maj. Fogler was appointed pay
master in the Volunteer Army during
the Spanish War. After that he hoped
to go to Porto Rico as Secretary or
Treasurer but President Mckinley had
already selected his men for those pc.
sitiOns.
The Maine delegation has recently
endorsed his papers for "a position in the
customs service and he may eventually
be appointed, as he is we'll qualified by
previous training for customs work
Meanwhile he is in the business office
of the Washington Times, owned by his
long time friend, Mr.. Frank A. Munsey
as stated in previous letter to the RE
PORTER, native of Mercer, and pro.
prietor of several very successful maya
zines. When Maj. Foger was in the
bank at Augusta some years ago Mr.
unsey was in charge Of the telegraph
office down the street. They became
fast friends
Those Somerset soldiers who are
getting the long awaited notices
of pensions, granted or increased, have
IN thank their representative in
Congress for his vigorous work in theiI
behalf before the Pension Bureau dur
ing the last month Instead of going
home to Augusta during the three
| weeks holiday recess, Gov. Bulleigl
remained in " ashington and paid sew
eral visits to Pension Commissioner
Evans in the big brick building, the
largest of it's kind in the world, sur
rounded by wonderful panorama OF
marching men in martial array. There
he called up several Somerset cases anC
urged that they be considered as early
as possible. The commissioner is MOI
only a very eongenial man, anxious tC
accommodate, but he and Gov BurleigE
are very cordial friends. 1t means 9
good deal in getting things accomplish
ed in Washington TO be next to those
in authority in such matters. Gov
BuTleigh keeps a big book, in which are
indexed the names of soldiers in his
district, who have written to him about
their pensions, and just as fast as he car
get around to them, even TO the detri
ment of other duties as member OF
s ongress, If that becomes necessary, he
goes to the Pension Bureau, writes ouI
IA statement of the case on little slips
prepared for the purpose, has the papers
brought from the bulky files, empha
sizes The facts before the Commi ssionei
and requests action. 1t often happens
that the evidence is incomplete or thai
there are defects in the papers. The
applicant is then informed by the De
partment and the visits of the Con
gresham thus makes the granting OF
The increase of pension "A matter OF
weeks or months, where otherwise by
the long routine of the office it would
be years and perhaps would never be
reached during the life Of the applicant
| The list of veterans on Gov. Burleigh s
book runs INTO thousands for Hancock
kenuebec, Somerset, and Waldo, the
four counties that comprise his district
Every name means at least one visit Ia
the Pension Bureau, perhaps three OF
four or five visits during a session OF
Congress. Who says the life of mem
Der of the House from the Third Con
gressonal district is easy? The pension
work is only "A small portion of his duties.
1t is iare event that Congress IS IN
sessinu wit hnur all SIX of Mainn's anln