Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-05
WILLIAM 7. HAINES AND HIS
PUBLIC CAREER IN MAINE
A Long Time Acquaintance, a Former Mayor of
Waterville, Gives Some Interesting Inside
Facts of Our Governors Life

| lobby largely dominated a Maine Legis-
lature. He fought this bill to a finish
but 1t was voted down by a majority in
! both terms. However he made it so hot
for the railroad interests, that before the
end of the last session, the M. c. R. R.
management, through its attorneys,
promised a two-cent mileage book, which
promise was kept and the book issued
soon after the adjournment of the Legis-
! lature.
| Mr.. Haines while always a hard fight
er. took everything in a good natured
way. He was good loser and never dis
| couraged by his defeats, and his fights
made him friends with the masses, and
the leaders learned to respect him.
In 1895 Mr.. Haines thought he would
like to represent Waterville in the Legis-
| lature. Haines was unpopular with some
| of the most prominent Republicans, but
| they thought there was no chance of
! electing a representative on their side
| and 1t was a good time to let Haines run
and get buried, and out of sight, but
they did not reckon right. Haines was
elected by about the same majority Mr..
Brown had the previous year. 1t was
during this session of the Legislature
that Mr.. Haines laid the foundation for
| his subsequent election as attorney gen.
eral. He was appointed on the Judiciary
Committee and became an easy leader of
the House. As usual he had one ad-
vanced measure out of tune with the ma
jority of the Legislature He favored
woman suffrage, and with Hannibal
Hamlin of Ellsworth, made a minority
course was defeated, as there was no
sentiment then to sustain such a meas
ure.
While in the House he did a great
amount of work to bring about laws fav-
oring the protection of fish and game. In
1880 he organized the North Kennebec
Fish and Game Association. In it were
many of the leading men of Waterville,
| Augusta, Gardiner. Oakland. Belgrade
and Winthrop. For three summers he
gave a clam bake on the shores of one
of the lakes, either in Belgrade or Win
throp. and every winter a banquet either
in Wateryille or Augusta. At these
meetings he preached the value of the
inland lakes. His text always was IAN
acre of water is worth much as an
acre of land" He built hatchery at
| North Belgrade which ran three seasons
fby the personal care of the late William
P. Blake of Oakland who was president
of this association. Mr.. Haines was sec
rotary and treasurer and collected over
$4,000 by private subscription to carry on
this work. He employed Mr.. Clark of
Smithfield, the first warden to do special
work, looking after poachers around the
| Kennebec lakes. So successful was this
organization that 1t was thought advis-
able to make 1t State association and
it was turned over and re-organized into
what is now known as the Maine Sports
| mems Association.
speak of these things for the benefit
of the younger generation. many of
whom are not familiar with them, but
the splendid condition of our inland fish
| and game owes more today to Mr.
Haines than to any other man except the
Hon. L. T. Carleton who worked all
through these years in connection with
Mr.. Haines in this enterprise.
Mr. Haines was the first champion of
! improved highways. He introduced the
| first bill for State highway commission
when in the Legislature in 1895, and he
has followed 1t ever since. This work
has been so recent and up-to-date that
everybody knows what he has done and
is doing in this line without my retelling
it. He has been the most progressive of
the Progressives. As attorney general he
made splendid record. He was also a
very active member of the executive
council under Governor Hill for four
years.
In private life Mr.. Haines Is best
known to us here in Waterville. He is
our largest real estate owner and next
to the corporations pays the largest tax
AS he says, he has earned his money out
of Waterville and spent 1t here to build
up our city. AS a landlord he is liked by
his tenants. AS a citizen he is respected
and honored by all. His word is always
as good as his bond. No one ever needs
a writing to make sure what Mr.. Haines
says he will do.
OF late years he has been largely
interested in logging. buying and selling
ltimberland, buying stumpage on other
peoples land and cutting logs, associat-
Ing with him many partners in such work.
among whom are his brother, F. E.
Haines of Portland, who has charge of
their large Deadwater business. In con-
HcCtiOH with Geo. Il. Learned or this city.
and Mr.. Moore of Boston, he has built,
or financed, so that they could build
water works in six villages in our State,
Oakland, Searsport, Machias, Newport,
| Lincoln, Island Falls, and also in Scit-
uate. Mass. OF late he has taken a re-
newed interest in farming, and when he
is not in his Office or attending to politi-
cal duties, he may be found in one OF his
two orchards in Waterville, pruning ap-
pie trees, picking brown-tail moths,
spraying his trees migrating young trees
or picking and packing fruit, all of which
he does himself with his own hands, and
personally directing the work of others
who work for and with him. Or, he will
| be found at his new farm at Mt. Ver-
non for day or two at time when he
has what he calls vacation, where you
may find him riding cultivator. plant
ring corn, caring for his apple trees, or
pitching on hay. There is no kind of
farm work that he does not know how to
do or that he does not like to do, and he |