Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-23

for the inauguration Of President Taft.
Indeed, for a time Il shrewd old hawk.
which is making its home in the tall
tower of the building Of Maine granite
where the postoffice department is
housed. has been attracting as much
attention from all Washington. official
and unofficial, as has Congress. The
hawk has been living on carrier
pigeons and other prey that came his
way. People have been climbing to
the very top of the great building in
the hope of getting a view OF the ma
raudcr at close range. All sorts OF
tales have been appearing in the local
newspapers about the hawk devourinG
little kittens and other forms of animal
life
Every morning during the two hours
preceding noon, the department is
visited BY many members of Congress
Who come on errands connected with
the postal service in their districts.
They are as human as other people.
of course. and have become very much
interested in the operations of the
hawk, that was clever enough to Sc
lcct such Il choice home for himself.
some have wanted to poison him; all
sorts of ingenious methods have been
suggested for Kidding the peak of tho
postofiice building of its undesirable
resident. But others think it would be
unwarranted cruelty to shoot the dar-
ing bird and there you arc. The whole
town has become excited about the
matter and the hawk, 50 to speak. oc-
cupieS the center of the stage even
as against q Congress in the busy
hours of its session and as against q
prcsident-elect in town. His birdship
.t.,s rrt HrpCar tn be concerned by the
pr, .'a.t - i; given but keeps on his
contcItrd Way, bouncing upon any I'M
suspecting pigeons that come his way
and looking out for morscls which
might contribute to good square
meal almost any time of day or night
Senator Hale Won a great big VIC
tory with the Senate the other day
when he got the marines returned to
the battleships. He championed their
cause with unusual carnestness.
pleaded it forcibly before the Senate
and won atfhererts by his arguments
1t seemed an uphill fight to make, be
that Marines shall be gradually re-
moved from battlcships and stationed
on shore The fight is an old one be
tween the marines and the navy, of
which the marines are part.
Maine has something more than 4
sentimental interest in the marines
While, as a corps, they are century
old,-quite as old as the Republic the
corDs was built up to it's present eff
ficiercy by Watervilie man. Maj.
Gen. Charles Haywood, long command
ant and now on the retired list He
was a very formidable champion Of
the service in his active days and was
able to thwart the navy officers in
their plans to be rid Of the marines
on ship board
once Senator Hale was able to get
the clauses restoring the marines ad-
opted by the Senate, he had virtually
won the battle: for the House wanted
to do tho same thing. but the provision
went cut in the House on a point of
order. The House enforces rules af-
fecting new legislation on appropria-
ton bills more vigorously than does
the Senate. but there the young Re
publican senators, who are Willing to
make a little trouble occasionally, took
the opposite tack Because Of the out
come the entire Marine Corps of eight
thousand and more men look upon
Senator Hale as the biggest friend they
have, and their gratitude knows no
bounds