Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-01
CAPITAL CHAT.
Maine Men Of Note Among
the Weeks Visitors.
Governor Hill and Sec. Of State Boyd
Pay Short Visit.
Mana's Sons in the Senate-Erjoying
the sIeishins.

--hdInt H'SlI lldNc OctI lnlcE III liz
press OF notables at the Capital this
week. Gov. John F. Hill and Hon.
| Byron Boyd came down q few days
ago, as already told in the Journal. the
former packing his grip 10 the Airing
ton Hotel. where he is only two blocks
away from Senator Hale, two blocks
from Governor Burleigh, and three
blocks from Senator Frye and Mir. Lit
tlefield. In fact the present Governor
Of the Pine Tree State can be said to
have located within signaling dis
tsance of nearly the entire Maine dele
cation. Right in his room at the Ar
linston ne could call up Governor
Powers by telephone and talk right
into the latters room at the New Will
lard. both hotels having the talking
| machines in the rooms of all their
guests.
No Governor of Maine ever comes
down to Washington without being
well cared for by the delegation on the
ground and Governor Hills present
visit has been no exception. He is on
cordial personal and political terms
with every man of the six and they all
FASTENED to assist HIM as much as
possible while he tarried in Washing
ton.
The memory Of another Maine Gov
ernor, whose entrance into office gave
long life to famous bit of doggerel, is
| revived here this week by the appoint
| ment Of his son, Mr.. Edward Kept, to
lie chief justice of the territory of
Arizona. Judge Kent is now a resident
of Colorado. where he is assistant dis
trict attorney for the United States and
succeeds Chief Justice Webster Street,
Il Connecticut man, of distinguished
appearance. who has been in Washing
ton a great deal in the last few
| months looking after charges filed
| against him. Judge Kent will enter
| upon his new duties in March.
Still another Arizona official. who
halls from Maine, Gov. n. O. Murphy,
has been here this week. He was born
down in Lincoln county, and has had to
pay the penalty for holding office.
which falls to the lot of practically
every offfceholder in the territories of
| the Southwest in the present day. This
Is the facing of all kinds of charges,
senerally trump up charges. against his
personal and official conduct. Cover
nor Murphy has been accused of pur-
chasing furniture for private use out
Of the funds of the territory. He ap-
peared before President Roosevelt and
frankly asked that the report of a COM
mittee of investigation be made public
but President Roosevelt saw that there
was so little foundation for the charges
that he directed that no further action
be taken. Governor Murphy stops at
! the Arlington and there he met Cover
| nor Hill. the two finding opportunity
for pleasant acquaintance.
As presiding officer of the Senate Mr..
Frye has opportunity often to call diff
ferent Senators to the chair. In the
House only men Of the political party
in the majority are allowed to preside
but in the Senate it is different. At
various times of the day as many diff
ferent Senators WELD the gavel while
Senator Frye has other duties engage
ing his attention. But he nevertheless
has his favorite presiding officers and
one Of these is Maine born man, Sem
ator Perkins of California. Senator
Perkins has proved himself an excel
lent presiding officer, deliberate in his
rulings and careful in the preservation
of order and in the observance of prop
er etiquette in debate.
In the last year there has been a
decided increase in the number of
Names native SONS in the Senate
Paris Gibson has come in from Mon
tana. a native of Brownfield. and in a
few days Senator Dryden, of New
Jersey, a native of Franklin county,
will be in his seat. That makes a
total of five Maine men in the Senate.
out of a total membership of 80, which
is certainly a good proportion of the
whole--one fourteenth.
The federal Capital is having its first
experience with snow this winter and
those of the statesmen who see but
little of that kind of weather have
been Improving the opportunities for
a sleigh ride. There Is no rural COM
munity in the Pine Tree State that
could turn out q greater variety of
runners than appear on Pennsylvania
Avenue. as soon as sufficient snow has
fallen here to make the Sleighng good.
Every kind of an antiquated sleigh is
trotted out to enjoy the fun while 1t
lasts. However. the sleighs do not in
clude the Jumpers and pungs. ia
miliar to New England people. to any
great extent.
Gov. Burleigh has received letter
from Mr.. Thomas J. Lynch, of Augusta.
stating that the Togus people are
much pleased with the closed pouch
mail service between Augusta and
Togus. which. at the Governors re-
quest. the post Office department re-
Gently authorized
The matter of making contract
with the Augusta. Hailowell and
Gardiner Street Railway Company for
the carrying uf the postmasters and
letter carriers within their limits has
been taken up at the -postoffice de-
partment by Governor Blrleigh, who
expects q definite answer before long.
The advantage in a contract of this
kind is the better facilities it will give
for the carriers. In many of the West
ern cities the street railroads agree TO
transport the carriers on their coliec-
lions of mail for stipulated sum an
nuaily. That is cheaper Tor the post
Office department than paying straight +
Continued on page 81