Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-01
CAPITAL CHAT.
Bills Of Interest to the
People Of Maine.
The River and Harbor and Pub
lie Buildings Bills.
Gov. eurleieh's Successful Fight for
the Maine Items.

Washington. D. g., FeE. 2S.-(Spa-
cjal. )-Certain Of the Maine items on
IN" River and Harbor Appropriation
bill. which iililly got through III =
House last Meek and which senator
Frye is speeding through the House
this week. awe Il more or less
Interesting history. In the item for
the survey of the Kernehec River from
prospects for y considerable expendi-
t'lre Of money eventually. Ex-Gov.
nIrleish. who has been very active in
favor nf the appropriation, thinks it
will ev.n,uallv lead 10 an appropr.-
alton o: 500 o,o or $500. 900.
On the last two River and Harbor
appropriation bills Gov. Burleigh Sc
cured a total of ssh. coo TO. the improve
rient Of the river fetwc Augusta AMI
Gardner. So ne OF that money is still
uneyp.nded and the Improvement of
thc channel is Still in progress. The
proposed further improvement from
Gardiner to The sea has been cham
r;"ned both NY Gov. Burleigh and
Representative Battlefield as the pro-
posed project is within both the second
t:ictS. Some months ago both Con-
.sressinen made 4 careful personal in
spec ton of til" river all tho way down
10 The Atlanii" oceai. and were quail
fed to give Chairman Barton. of the
River and Harbor Committee. detailed
information, when they FIST called on
him. with reference TO Incorporating
t;rat item in the then pending bill.
There was a funny little incident of
the way Chairman Burton spelled the
name Of Gartiin AZ. There are two or
three members OF thu House, named
"Gart!;lrr" one is Washington Gard
ner OF Albion. Mich. a former Meth
odist preacher who turned into the
slickest politician that ever came down
he Michigan pike. and another Is
Augustus p. Gardner. OF Massachu-
srtts. cor-in-!aw of Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge. lIr. Burton. thought the
name of the Maine town was spelled
the same as Michigan and Massachu-
~etis Congressman spell their names
and no put il 50 in the bill. Gov. Bur-
leigh Gpied the error and Chairman
Burton proposed an amendment in the
House by which the spelling was cor
rerted.
The proposed improvement OF Center
Harbor. at r'rooElin. Hancock county.
is also looked upon as important. If
the army engineers. Al their survey.
find the project feasible. it is promised
that Center Harbor will become the
best small harbor. with one exception.
between Portland and Ear HarbOr.
There are several summer residents
there from Washington. Among them
is Mr.. William y. Thompson. Treasurer
for years OF the Republican Congress
sional Committee. Mi. Thompson
owns Yacht. which he takes to Maine
every summer 3nt he has t. look for 4
harbor for it. outside of Center HarbOr
The chief difficulty is Il rock that is
three or four feet above the wafer AT
low tide and three or four feet unde,
the water at high tide. This makes
navigation there difficult. At Gov.
Eurleighs request the River and Har-
Dor bill was amended in the House SO
as to provide Cor Il survey for the re-
noval of this rock. Second Assistant
Postmaster General w. S. Shallen-
berger was also one Of the prominent
residents of this city who joined Gov.
Burleigh in 4 petition for the improve
ncnt of Center Harbor. Gen. Shallen-
berger was formerly a member of Con-
grrss ana in his present position has
supervision If &ll the transportation of
mails IN the different parts OF the
United States. He returned from 4
trip 70 Europe a few days ago and OK
4 G,.,f on In .ynsr IN
that the item for a survey OF Center
Harbor had been put in the bill.
Another amendment that Governor
Bureigh had put in the River and
Harbor measu in the House was with
reference to the proposed survey of the
Penobscot river. The governor had
added to that provision the words:
south Branch Of the Penobscot river
AZ and near Frankfort Mr. Pierce
of Frankfort. member Of Governor
cobb's council. was Interested in hay
ing that survey authorized.
Chairman Burton did ynennan service
for Governor Burleigh on the River
and Harbor bill. for which Maine men
generally are thankful. but Governor
Rurleigh also did yeoman service for
Chairman Burton on the omnibus pub
lie buildings bill. Chairman Burton
comes from Cleveland, Ohio. For two
or three wears there has been bitter
fight on in Cleveland, as to whether a
fine new public building for that city,
.utborized 4 long time ago should be
corstructed of sandstone or of granite.
rho ,ote Senator Hanna became in
vo,vaa in the quarrel and so has
chairman Burton. There are large
onarries of sandstone near Cleveland,
the owners of which. including people
nrl,oinont in public life. naturally
want their building material adopted.
A. first Senator Hanna and Chairman
burton were for the sandstone. but
ho,h after studying the question care
fnl,v changed their minds. The fight
,ras hapded over to the committee on
n,,h,i,. buildings and grounds, whereof