Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-28
CAPITAL CHAT.
Secretary Long Entertains the
President and Friends,
Additions Assured for Maine Public
Buildings.
A Long Session LikeIy-Maine People
in Washington.

tSpeclaD secretary Long loves the
old-fashioned fiddling such as he used
10 near at country dances in Maine
when ne was a boy. Not a violinist
with all the modern fourishes, but a
good old-fashioned tiddling with
straight out jig time
SO 1T was that when the secretary,
who is soon to retire from his position
in the cabinet, had President Roosevelt
and Mrs. Roosevelt and a prominent
company at dinner on the Dolphin, an
chOred at the navy yard the other eve
ming, he arranged Some postprandial
entertainment. Swords and foils were
prepared and several of the 125 well
trained seamen on board the yacht
gave an exhibition of their expertness
in handling those weapons for the edi-
ficatiOn of the President and his cabi-
net. There were several musicians
from the Marine Band to render artis-
tic music during the dinner. But above
all Secretary Long, true to the tradi-
tions of his old home in Buckfield, Me-,
whittier he will retire this summer for
Il long rest, had a sailor man and a
fiddle, who were sandwiched in the
performance for several selections.
Further the secretary took good care
that the sailor man should give jigs
with the oldtime ring and the digni-
fled officials and the gracious ladies of
their families tripped the light fantas-
tic in the cabin to the music of this
sailor man and his fiddle. The secre-
tary was in the height of good spirits,
the President likewise, for no one more
than he loves a jolly, good time, free
from restraint. And with this sailor
man and his fiddle, the bow well
rosined as the chief attraction of the
performance, Secretary and Mrs. Long
had a most successful entertainment.
The sound of the jig tunes rang out
over the placid waters of the Potomac
till near midnight, when the waiting
carriages were filled with their nota-
BILE owners and drove two or three
miles up town to the White House and
to the cabinet residences.
Washington, official and otherwise,
will sincerely regret the departure of
Secretary Long. He is whoIe-souled
and honest in his intercourse with
men; high official honors have not
puffed him up with conceit. He is as
plain and unassuming today, as when
he first came to Washington, many
years ago as a young congressman.
He has graced the office of secretary
of the navy and thousands of warm
friends will wish him well on his re-
tirement to private life and to the !
practice of the legal profession.
Col. and Mrs. Martin v. B. Chase Of |
Augusta, are here on a visit to their |
son, Fred w. Chase. He Is employed |
in the census bureau. There are quite |
a number of Maine visitors in town |
just now, this being by far the prettiest |
season of the year in which to visit the |
federal capital. Spring has come to
Washington in all it's bloom. The |
parks, that dot the city on every turn /
and beautiful with crocuses. hyacinths,
and tulips planted in artistically de-
signed beds, and the fragrance of some |
of the flowers is already noticeable in |
the air. The long rows of naples that !
line most of the thoroughfares are now |
well in leaf. Warm sunshine in the |
last four or five days has developed |
vegetation wonderfully and before long |
the city will be in full summer attire.
The presentation of the Omnibus |
public building in the House where It
will probably be passed Tuesday will
undoubtedly be watched with no little
interest by the large granite firms of
Maine, for the structures in the eastern
section of the country will furnish lots
of opportunities for contracts. There
will be some large contracts in that bill
for the granite quarries and the bid
ding for the work WILL without doubt,
be spirited. The money will not be
available till the next fiscal year
probably. but it will be several months
before the routine Of preparing plans,
advertising for bids and the like has
been completed. The bill carries about
SIG, 000, 900, a large part of which will be
expended east of the Mississippi river
A good many Of the buildings will be of
granite and it is safe to predict that
several millions of the money will go
into quarry material. The State Of
Maine alone will furnish something In
the line of contracts for granite work
for Bangor and Augusta are both to
have additions to their postoffices, ac-
cording to provisions which ex-Gover-
nor Burleigh has had inserted in the BILL
CONTINUED on page 80