The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-04-21
Letter from Washington.
COLLEGE TIES AND ASSOCIATIONS.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS.
FARMER BURLEIGH. CONGRESS-
MEN PACKING UP.
Correspondence of The Journal.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April IS. An
interesting incident of the late Repre-
sentative Dingley of Maine, long floor
leader of the House under the two last
Reed Congresses, was told recently in
the Republican cloakroom by Ex-Gov.
Burleigh. 1t was told to Gov. Burleigh
by Representative Charles L. Bartlett
of Georgia, one of the Maine mans
numerous good friends in Congress
from the South.
at was one night towards the close
of the first session of the Fifty-fifth
Congress-" said Gov. Burleigh, "when
the finishing touches we're being put
on the Dingley tariff law. Judge Bart
lett in reading fraternity catalogue,
in which his own name was listed, had
discovered that Gov. Dingley, while at
Colby had joined the same fraternity.
Bartlett crossed the center aisle and
told Gov Dingley, who was very well
liked by the Southerners, what he had
found. They gave each other the grip,
as though in their college days.
".'Bartlett,' said Gov. Dingley, I
always knew you were square kind of
a man | want you on my committee
of ways and means. | am going to ask
Speaker Reed to see what he can do for
you"
Not long thereafter Judge Bartlett
WAS summoned to the Speakers desk.
You are giving me a lot of trouble,
Bartlett said he in his inimitable
drawl, on have too many Republican
friends. Dingley wants me to put you
on the ways and means committee
Judge Bartlett, very unassuming
man, was much surprised, for he had
supposed Gov. Dingley's words were
only meant as a compliment to him.
The Speaker, however, assured him
that Dingley was in earnest. Reed
said he could not give him one of the
Democratic places on the Ways and
Means, for all those places had been
bestowed, but offered him the choice of
four other good committee places In
the next Congress, had Nh. Dingley
lived and Speaker Reed remained in
the House, there is little doubt tins
Georgian would have been taken care
OF as Mr. Dingley wished. The incident
only shows how strong college ties and
college associations are upon men who
h0, IN ot11ro ~
All the Senators and members of the
Maine delegation have been watching
the progress Of the Agricultural De-
partment in getting off their quota of
seeds. The planting season will soon
be at hand throughout Maine, but as
Maine is snowbound longer than al
most all other sections Of the country
the quota of garden and flower seeds
for the Pine Tree State are among the
last distributed. The lists of franked
addresses were sent to the Department
many weeks ago to be forwarded in
turn to the great seed establishments
that are under contract to properly ar
range the packages.
Gov. Burleigh took constitutional
one morning this week to the Agricul-
tuTal Department. an old fashioned
brick building, surrounded by numer-
Gus outhouses, standing in the midst
of the Mall, a great public park ex-
tending through the southern side of
the city. He went to ascertain in per
sou thai the seeds for the Third Maine
district had been properly dispatched
and incidentally to renew his acquaint
ance with Secretary Wilson, the best
secretary of Agriculture the country
has ever had and the oldest member of
President RooSevelt's cabinet in point
of service, being the only member who
came in with Mckinley March 4, 1897.
Glad to see you down here with the
Government farmers said Mr. Will
son. as the plain wooden door swung
back and Gov. Burieigh was announced
well, | have done some farming in
my day, Mr.. Secretary" replied the
Governor as he took his seat. 81 am
sure | could turn an even furrow now
with the best of them"
The Secretary did not doubt his word
and the two sat about the big desk
chatting for time about Agricultural
matters. The Governor was assured
that the seed packages for the third
district were now nearly all delivered.
Secretary Wilson assured him that
efforts had been made to send a prime
quality of seed this year into New Eng
land.
Nearly everybody in Washington con-
nected with Congress is beginning to
pack up. The carpenter shops in the
basement of the Senate and the House
are occupied in making the strong boxes
which the government, furnishes to
Senators and members. Into these the
great bundles of letters and papers and
government documents that have ac-
cumulated during the last five or six
months, will be piled. The boxes have
iron bound corners and the lids screw
down at the corners and are also pro-
vided with locks. The name of the
Senator or member is painted on the