Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-21
CAPITAL CHAT.
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time when the pole Will pc redcHeu ny
aerial navigation. Two or three years
ago, when Walter Wellman first
equipped an expedition for reaching
the Pole by a dirigible balloon, Com
mander Peary did not believe such
method Of travel feasible. But con-
slant improvements are being made
in dirigible balloons and it is not be-
yond the probabilities that machine
heavier than air will be perfected
within a short time which will make it
possible, if not aeasy to reach the pole
after a comparatively brief period OF
fight.
Explorer Wellman seems to. have
abandoned his enterprise for the
present. He, too, has been on the
lecture platform, like Commander
Peary, telling audiences about his eX-
periences in the north. In this way he
has been able to earn considerable
money and to a degree to recoup the
men who advanced the money for his
expensive expeditions. AS matter of
fact the lecture platform has contri-
buted materially toward arctic OK
ploration 1t is understood that much
of the receipts from Commander
Peary's lectures have gone to the men
who financed his expeditions Mr.
Wellcan has had the advantage of
Commander Peary in having two ways
of earning money, after returning
from the North, for Mr.. Wellman is
one of the high salaried newspaper
correspondents of Washington and has
been able to turn out a lot of copy,
1vhQy, ha n il,
the States. For as he has travelled to
lecture, Mr.. Wellman has written OF
political and other topics of popular
interest.
Ex-Gov. John F. Hill, of Augusta,
creditably Represented Maine here
during the past week at the conference
of Governors in the East Room of the
White House. He took little part in
the discussions but was an attentive
observer and took back to Maine
numerous ideas about the conserva-
ton of the Nations natural resources.
Washington has seen but little of Gov
Cobb since he was elected to the
executive office and he would have
been warmly welcomed at the festivi-
ties of the week and alike in the
SuUSI dCcI lctl COHlCiCilNS. liz SiictoS CD
his representative here, however, one
of the best known of the States
ex-governors in Washington, for Mr..
Hill makes one or more visits here
every winter and is ALMOST familiar
figure around the hotel corridors of
the National Capital.
Within a few days nearly all of the
Maine delegation in Congress will be
on the way home. for-it is believed
that Congress will adjourn by May %
at least Senator Hale and Speaker
Cannon are cooperating to bring about
adjournment at that date. Some of the
work of the closing Gays has been
postponed because of the additional
'"h"~s put upon Senator Hale, notably
ia the case Of the currency bill The
Maine Senator's hands were full dis
posing of the appropriation bills and
those would have given him as much
as he ought to have done for the re-
mainder of the session. But the
Senate wanted him to serve on the
conference between Senate and House
over the Currncy bill and he re-
luctantly consented. AS the Maine
Senator sits we'll down toward the
foot of the Finance Committee table
because he became member of the
committee only about two years ago
it would have been the usual thing to
have named some other Senator for
the currency bill conference. He.
however, has had much to do with the
framing of a currency law and also
had much to do with it during the
long debate in the Senate, and
Senator Aldrich, the Finance Com
mittee chairman, wanted the Maine
Senator's aid.
Among the Maine people who have
been here recently have been Adjutant
General A. B. Farnham, of Augusta,
Mrs. William 7. Cobb, and daughter,
of Rockland, Messrs. Campbell, Newell.
Burns and others of the Governors
Council, Hon. William Fennelly of Bar
Harbor and Samuel Vose of Madison.