The Somerset reporter., 1905-03-16
President Goodwin of the Maine
Senate.

When | want to be soothed by the
! music of voice and lulled into that calm
and genial Indifference to the rude re-
6utfs OF this cruel world | drop down
upon one OF those green plush sofas in
the Senate Chamber and hear President
Goodwin intoDe the mass-like measures
OF that parliamentary song, whose clos
ing words are these: "Aud what hour
will the Senate assign for the considers-
ton of this act-to-morrow morning,
at ten O'Clock %
AS president of the Maine Senate, Mr..
Forrest Goodwin is living example of
power in repose. He resembles q time
fuse OF smokeless power. He Is bundle
of contradictions. He has the smoothest
manner, the keenest tongue; the most
lanquid air, the quickest wit; the kind
liest eyes, the most searching glance
He speaks between hslf-clipched teeth
and bis voice has the texture of velvet
When he has said thing he shuts his
jaws, draws his lips into thin horizon
tai line across his teeth, and thus EN-.
phasiZes the fact that the incident 10 clos
ed. He has rowing watchful eye yet
without trace OF nervousness. When
he dispatches business In hurry it Ia
like the soag Of the brook; rhythmic,
melodious; running on and on automatic
but genial In its flow. Amid the rancous
voices Of the lobby and the high-pitched
oratorical voices OF the spell binders, his
is like low, sweet song.
History records that Mr.. Goodwin has
gotten what the world has given him by
going after 1t. He used to play base
ball good many yeap ago. Here he
learned guile; for he was pitcher. Be-
ing an expert, he pitched 'em either curv-
ed or straight. He has had the same
habit politically--to suit the strenuous
game ; for this is a green goods world
and the prudent man Is essentially wise
to the game.
la Colby College, say 10 to Is years
ago, he WAS a Tecogniz d class leader by
pure magnetic force OF leadership. IL
is said that revolution began after each
class election which Mr.. Goodwin calmly
and perspicsciously ran but that when
the next election came the revolutionists
all fell over each other in captivating to
the natursl-5Orn leader II is no dis
grace to him that when he wanted funds
for college expenses, ne bought out an
ice business in Skowhegan cornered the
market and covered in profit enough TO
pay his way. He could play baseball :;
run his class; lead in scholarship; Guilt
vate the arts of OratOry and sit at the
feet of the Gamaliels of politics all nj
the same time. He has had the habit
ever since of getting the net result. He
studied fine arts in Washington as
committee clerk he was duly passed To
public offices in SkOwhegan; he became
postmaster amid tremendous upheavals
of Somerset bile and guile; he accumu-
lated more friends and enemies than any
other man in Somerset and most of
them stick. He has accumulated COM
potency AS an attorney and a business
man, and has had time to reason humbly
on many things current in public rec.
ords. Two years ago he gained atten.
ton by saying several things that he
ought not to have said as well as by
saying several things so well that they
passed Tito proverbs in Needy bemps.
He makes positive statements with
marked force. He is proficient in debate,
unusually epigrammstc, able to Guilt
vate fi)ral effects in perorations but
above all and before all he is h man of
power.
And this is why ! enjoy most of all
sitting there on the green plush For
now and then he sparks up like the big
dynamo with an extra load suddenly put
upon It,
And then he sinks back into that low
minor, the hum OF reserve strength; the
HYMN of "get there"-Augusta Cor.
Le,uistOn Journal.