McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1918-03-01

IN conference Win tne director. The
lady asked me to be seated and take
my turn. A card with the unmusical
name of Buck Snort" was sent in,
and very soon the lady notioned that
the Director would see me. You
could have told as soon as he opened
his mouth that he was from oul
country; something in the open,
straightforward and unaffected way
of speaking, the tones of the
voice and the way the words were
spoken. A man Of medium height,
with a massive forehead, a square jaw,
firm mouth and clear brown eyes that
twinkled from lids shrewdly half
closed; a kindly, honest but mighty
firm face; ready tongue that uttered
no useless words nor repeated spoken
words; curly brown hair that threat
ems in time to desert that broad fore
head; and nameless something that
we call Character that is a picture
of Jim" Wilmeth, one of the biggest
men in the government service to-
day, and charged with responsibilities
that would tax the strength and tenn
per of any man. It was near the
close of strenuous day when | saw
him, seated at his mahogany desk
signing papers as fast as colored
clerk could lay them before him and
take them away, although OCCASION
ally his sharp eye would detect some
thing which showed the paper would
have to be looked over more careful.
ly. While signing he talked of Ten
nessee and Arkansas, but it was only
after direct questioning that he would
talk about himself.
We took short trip through part
Of the works, where machines with
rollers dancing a tango over printing
plates were turning out bonds; where
the paper was being dampened for
printing, Just like we use to on the
little country paper, said MIR. Will
meth, for it was part of his educa-
tion to do that sort of work in
Arkansas in his young days; saw two
dollar bills and government bonds be-
ing printed, and saw the wonderful
machine, called the geometris lathe,
which makes that curious curly-look-
ing stuff around the edges of paper
money and around the figures. This
machine was covered with cloth and
was in a room to itself. 1t is sal
that all that curly, spiderweb looking
stuff is one continuous line cut in the
plate by needle which stands sta
tionary while the plate is going
through all sorts of strange motions.
We did not stay long. as it was late,
and Mr.. Wilmeth called his automo-
bile an' invited me out to dinner at
The University Club. A distinguished
company was there, fer the Southern
Commercial Congress was having its
banquet there. While Slowing away
the delicious food that was set before
US, we talked Of poke and turnip
greens, hog jowl and other McNairy
delieacies. Mr.. Wilmeth had to at
tend a meeting Of the board Of d.
rectors Of the Young Mems Christian
Association Of Washington, but told
me to come back next day and he
would take me through the whole
Bureau.
1t would take a week to give fair
outline of what saw there the next
day. All departments were in full
blast, but such was the order and
precision that it moved with the ease
of some great machine we'll oiled.
The smooth, shining steele plates
from which the bonds, six at time,
we're printed, swung around under
first one roller and then another with
the color on them for printing. but it
required the finishing touch of man
with his own hands, who rubbed them
with his palms which had been dipped
in chalk. while girl next to him put
in the paper which came out on the
other side a printed bond. Twelve
hours the man stands there wiping
those plates with his hands as fast as
they come near him, and il he failed
to do his duty the printing would be
bad, and go far no substitute for that
smoothing effect Of the human hand
has been invented. Whole rows of
these machines we're at work, print
ing great stacks of the bonds to keep
up with the demands Of the nation.
In another room the immense stamp