Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-24
CITY HALL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Deputy Prothonotary James w.
Fletcher United His knowledge to
Rare kindlness and Love
OF His Fellow Men
by GEORGE NOX MCCAIN
JAMES W. FLETCHER, deputy protb

]
JAMES w FLETCHER, deputy protbon-
otary, solved the great problem II few
| days ago. He had held the position for
/ thirteen years though his experience in the
office covered half century.
| He was Il rare man: a fine sample of tho
| few who go through life helping their fol
! low men in quiet aud transformations way.
| Particularly was he II friend to young law
! NcrS. the fellows who were struggling nm
ward to hoped for distinction.
MIR. Fletcher was n man of bMandlrss
sympathy: never cHusivc, always courteous
ana ever ready to ail n pcrplcxcd young
barristcr over rough place.
Hc was, beyond doubt. from n professional
Standpoint the best informed official in CITY
Ha'I II" was II living encyclopedia ON
Ihe subject of legal documents and forms
There was committed to him the elaborate
detail of subpocnas. contracts judgments.
Ncrdicts. and reports of every kind TO he
made matter of record
statistics of the office show that under
ms direction there were over 37G, 600 pnucrs
hIou IN one year. involving transactions TO
the enormous sum of 500, 100000.
MR. FLETCHER was Indispensable in
the prothonotary's Office In the more
than fifty years of his faithful service
Judges prothonotarics and members of tho
bar came and went. but Fletcher remained
Nuu u was because hc was efficient far
beyond the ordinary. painytakfng and CONF
tCous
lie knew at least 80 per cent of tho mcm
brrs of the Philadelphia bar. for at. sor,o
period in his official career they had found it
necessary TO seek his aid or ask his advice
ABOVE all nc was conscientious in the
ulschargc OF his exacting duties As wears
went by. and courts multiplied, and the
volume of documents issued and received
Increased by leaps and bounds. the demand,
upon his physical strength increased pronor-
tionatcly.
Twice prior to his last fatal illness had
nc broken down under the strain each time
however. he conquered tho weakness and
returned TO his task.
In the course Of half century hc saw
prlehrSs young lawyers rise to positions of
ulGhlty at the bar and then advance 70 thc
bench still holding his friendship as thing
to be cherished
FROM those who knew him best comes
the unanimous testimony that the distinctive
Nual'F Whlch drew men to him. uarticularly
younger members of the bar, was his up-
ialllnS sympathy and kindness He yyns
never TOO busy TO do Il favor: never too
weary TO 80 Il step further in the dischnrpc
business with the office
ms cpitaph should be. Faithful unto fine
end. ''''' '"'
COLONEL HENRY W. COULTER i
- preparing history of tn, 11Otb In.
lahlry OF the famous Iron Division. II
was the old Tenth PENNSYLVANIA. known in
the spanish American war as the "Fightipp
Tenth" ""s
Although native and resident of Greens
purs' Colonel Coulter is occasionally seen
on tnc SFcets OF inns city. tic comes ot a
noted family in western PENNSYLVANIA
have always felt personal interest in
ih' famous old Tenth. I knew many Of
us officers n quarter of century ago
captain Alex. Lear. Major Ncf, Lieutenant
Colonel Barnett and Colonel Hawkins. who
perhaps was its best beloved commander be-
cause he had led his men through rice
swamps aud jungIes of the Philippines.
1t was my fortune to see the regiment
thc tarthcst cast command, cntrain for fine
Philippines ! was in San Francisco when
the transport came slowly through the
Golden Gate bringing them home again. It's
nag was at half mast and the body of Colonel
hawkins lay in a flag drapcd coffin on the
forward deck. I messed with its officers at
their headquarters on the Presidio and in the
celebrated old "Flytrap' restaurant. on
Market street. San Francisco.
.;ti,; m"9 s "latt'' OF surprise TO me to lcari,
w N.Inin 'ne past week that the history of
i,'tio ~ ."'''!,lunu goes pack TO the Revo-
49," 49,, @ ~ nau l'N origin III Two Continental
in ,or~,,unItSi ~ one at drcensburg, the
~ ra.T az w "I ~ IrSouLs'
It lo"s"' throush inc Mexican and Civil
"a,S, s''Itp ,u on tnr me&lcan border. and
u" t%a' ,I sn,i " 5nc IRON DIVISION made history
WV ''''' VI '"n--.
CENATOR ROLES pEHPOsL, d,,,.;.. H.
= roo.+ ,,a,,oaaI.,, '.''o. "u,'hg the
o,,ousod ,hn oo,,"a g I'M "P"'s"' Wneh ne
tho rcgororot;n,, % VI az soUn sIS!rnlnent anq
aotinn r,a" frn,,poI,, " ,Ir i.epuo'l'aa t ofganl-
,I"',o,'tI t,,n ,.,snS rclorfeu TO as an
hateVer criticism may be made of the