The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-04-07
letter from Washington.
.,ror Burleigh at the Pension Bureau
0V' ,a IN the Post Office Department.

IF..rrgGnDlubUCt VI hO oOuI hol.
,r,.ulNGroN, D. c., April 4th.
..,.o Governor" exclaimed Repre-
.Y.tiye rawney of Minnesota this
mig DO you live over here in
49,. n4pslon building? You were here
week. when | came. l guess you
,... q lot of pensioners up in that
An district"
.r.ls was one side of friendly con-
..atjon at the big entrance of the
.,..iao building this morning, as Gov
Bnrleigh of Maine was entering
.I..ast at quick step. Under his arm
,..Irrled a big bundle of papers. q
.o.a little late this morning." replied
c,, Burleigh to the Minnesotan. 81
al some work down at the post office
....rtment that kept me longer than l
,.seted. Yes, there are a lot of old
.Iprs III my district. | think this is
-. most expeditions way of helping
....a dong. | take their cases up be-
.-4 the commissioner, ascertain what
..5-ree is lacking for decision of
Oil. .ams, and thus am able to Sc
tensions for some of them, where
wise they might be kept waiting
a- me
raat is right" interposed another
,..-eu member, who came along
,...- the Two were talking. 'The gov
..r has taught me something in that
-n which | am grateful. A year
ago he told me that, in his judg-
... rs the quickest way to get re-
..t-t.r ones soldier constituents and
... u-en following his advice with
....aj effect. | get two or three pen
land increases of pensions for the
s- II my district, where | used to
D. t one. dare say the Governor
r. GOOD deal more than | get, for
.practiced hand at the business
I'VE about every clerk among the
Is i'll the pension bureau knows
t -ogemor personally or by sight.
he comes inside the building
... low it means business. The pa
o.. .r his Maine constituents, which
neen lying neglected in some file
sy have grown old and musty, are
~ out if he once gets an intima-
nj the name of the soldier claim
There isn't member of Congress
u make things hum in that bu-
- he way this former governor
Maine can. | like to be working
ANS for my constituents when he
u working. Then | get the benft
are of his prestige, for as | am a
--a9er of the House also | demand
anne attention they are giving
u the western member and Gov.
Ugh, both in excellent humor,
s. ed mp the long stairs and into the
lUHissioner's office, where they be-
Z. -leir days work in calling up
u.ns and making the pension clerks
busy"
already stated the governor had
1-r ONE from the post office depart
u-- He insisted that it had not been
avery busy day for him, altho ugh for
t ours he had been dashing in and
Il the offices in that department,
qf lie fnr
a> m the various counties of the
District. All the letters and pa
3tfecting these post office cases
Apatly folded, held together by a
rubber band and carefully tuck
ay III his inside coat pocket. He
EN- III order and on the back of
ruVelope were brief notes describ-
lat the cases were. These were
hinged in the order of the several
where he was to call. The gov
lnew the history of nearly every
s0 that the postal officials did not
to consult the files to ascertain
tie facts in each case were. The
NOR promptly told them all that
'elt. His intimate knowledge of
ear tase facilitated the consideration
matter in hand. The directions
DIS 70 what letters should be written on
FAB case were given, the Governor
ly'ed III brief on the back of the same
OK envelope what had been done, so
Hat later in the day when he returned
NhlS residence, after the session of the
a9ase was over, ne could dictate let
ir-s to his several constituents telling
t-ia Of the action contemplated or al
r'4y taken by the department. One
Tie more important postal matters
lad arranged on that visit was to
IT. promise from fourth assistant
master General Bristow that rural
'itt would be ordered into operation
.ockton Springs, to begin May End.
fir lad been coaxing that matter along
everal weeks, had made three or
-'t separate visits to the fourth AS
N.tnt Postmaster General about it,
"- naturally was gratified that he had
npllshed i'll that particular what
' 'rt out to do. That very afternoon
wig OF the bulletins from the post office
Iartment announced that the estab-
'.nent of the route was fixed for