Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-23
CAPITAL CHAT.
The Activity in the Free Rural
Delivery Department.
Maine Men Active in the Washington
G. A. R.
The Work Which Keeps the Maine
Members Busy.

Washington, D. c., Jan. 22.-(SpeciaD
If there is one busy corner in the
ldepartments of government at the
federal capital these mornings it is in
| that corner Of the postoffice depart
ment. where the offices of the rural
free delivery are located. Along be-
tween 10 o'clock in the morning and
moon. the hour when Congress usually
meets. this office, where Superintendent
Machen sits at a fine desk of deep
green. almost drab color, there is
general gathering of members who are
seeking a portion of the recent appro-
Ipriation for the extension of rural free
delivery routes.
Congressman great and Congressman
small turn their steps towards that
office, which, in the last two or three
Years, under the enterprise of a Re-
publican administration. has grown
from nothing to one of the very largest
bureaus of the pcstoffice department.
Representative Payne of Auburn, N.
Y. the floor leader of the majority,
portly looking man of immense girth
and with the snow of many winters
upon his head, drops in to see how
things are getting along with that pro-
posed route up at CORTLAND, N. Y. He
waits while a clerk is summoned to
secure the desired information from
the files. In the meanwhile a Demo-
crat from one of the rural districts of
Missouri comes around to know what
is being done towards several routes
out in his section. The Missouri RE-
|publicans manage most of the post
office matters but the people have COM
plants about the routes, which the
members OF the state committee cam
not attend to and SO the Democratic
members have to have O. say. The
Department listens to their statements
and whenever it seems for the good or
the service to follow their recommcn-
dations. that is DONE
Perhaps the next man to enter that
big corner room is Col. pete" Hep
burn. the vigorous debater from
Clarinda. Iowa, now well advanced in
years but a tremendous fighter and as
erect as young pine. Like the other
members of Congress he has to do his
department errands and Col. Pete"
wants to know how the proposed
routes in county adjoining Clarinda
are progressing and what the special
agent, who in his district happens to
be a little. fellow by the name of Mills,
who. although quite unknown to the
world. is the man who furnished suf1i-
cient information to lead to the ex-
posture of the Cuban postal frauds some
years ago. He was eventually reward
ed by place as special agent where he
has continued to show his efficiency.
nj :.
to be brought him and in the mean
time Representative Claude Swanson,
a Virginia Democrat of slender build,
who is very anxious to be governor
|of the Old Dominion comes \ in. He
has had many rural free delivery ia
vors from the Postoffice Department,
for rural free delivery is quite as popu-
lar in Virginia as it is in Maine.
Finally in comes Gov. Burleigh, who
has been the rounds of the depart
ments in the morning and is getting a
word with superintendent Machen, be-
fore going to the Capitol for the ses-
sion. The third district representative
wants a part of that extra appropria-
ton and he is sure of getting it, It
was his idea of having the county sys-
tenn of rural delivery put in at Kenne-
bee and Mr.. Machen is almost as much
pleased as is the governor to hear the
good reports that come from that sec
ton of Maine. The county system is
very popular and Congressman are
clamoring for it all over the country.
Were that not the case Gov. Burleigh
would be able to get it into some more
counties Of the third district but the
department is going slow and thinks
for the present it is sufficient that the
county containing the capital of the
state should have the complete rural
free delivery facilities
Gen. Q. O. Howard, who commanded
a Maine regiment in the war before he
was promoted to be a general officer.
has been in Washington for several
days. attending reunion of the Young
Mems Christian Association. He has
been several years on the retired list
but Gen. Howard is not aging very
rapidly and looks as vigorous and as
keen mentally as do most men at fifty,
although he is nearing the SEVENTEEN
milestone. He comes down to Wash
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