McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1922-01-13
yNASHIN GTOM
--LETTER-AN
By Lindsay S. Perkins
Washington. d. c.,
Jan. 2, 1922.
Editor Independent:

ASfAoSt AAoCPCttdChL.
Seeing an occasional copy Of
your paper, and reading the fam
liar old names therein Gas for
example. q recent reference to
Jim Ds Perkins and other well
known people,, reminds me that
perhaps your readers would like
/; afew lines again from this great
city, now playing perhaps the
lexding role of all cities on the
globe.
! saw Jim" Wilmeth, director
Of f!the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing. the other day and had
q long talk with him and took
lunch with him and his assistant,
Captain Fisher, a Virginian. We
ate in q private dining room at
.tached to Jim's Office and the
s'eats" were plain but very good,
and you can bet there was no
wine on thetable, for the director
isp Q Baptist and teetotaler.
Nevertheless. there was plenty
Of, good cheer and that gentlsst
and best Of stimulants, good
.humor and heightened conversa-
ton. for both Of these gentlemen
are men OF wide reading and in
formation and way up on litera-
ssture and science. to say nothing
rdftechnical knowledge connected
with the work Of printing money,
stamps. etc. Jim still sits tight
.Njth this administration, in spite
ycf bard efforss Of sore.heads to
have him removed, and he may
wei hold on, for that Office never
k4d % much work on hand as
NAV, nor was the work ever kept
up ido well. James Wilmeth, as
one Of your correspondents has
truly said. is one Of the really
'big. men In this city Of greatmen,
md his native county of McNairy
inSylwell be proud of him. In
!, addition to being director Of the
J mSbt important printing Office on
I TIE globe. Jim Is mayor of Takoma
4 Patk. one Of the toniest suburban
towns adjoining Washington, and
mol doubt keeps up his church
work as well.
& attended the presidential re-
saflon at the White House to-
& md saw President, Harding
& hn good wife. It was the
Gs1t affair Of the kind in about
nh years. and there was 4
rec}td-breaking attendance. The
aiEsras keen, but the sun shone
brfkhtly on the gold lace and
dsDFations Of the \ foreign d.
p,gpiats and the many-hued
df(rbss Of the ladies. When l
fa}lly got into line There was at
leaSt ! quarter Of q mile Of people
aiikSd Of me. walking two abreast,
but very slowly. as the stream
had TO be fed through the White
HSuse one by one. It was just
an hour later when my half
!. frGSen feet reached the doorway
tot the executive mansion. and
even within its snow-white walls
there was considerable chill till
W. rot way indoors where the
reSeivir& couple stood. In the
big entrance hall, banked high
with palms and hot-house flowers,
the Marine Band played marches,
with the cold air streaming over
their Athin red uniforms, and
don't see how they stood it.
There were perhaps sixty instru-
m9nts going. with the precision
of one single instrumant.
When we were well inside an
array officer told us to fall into
siRi.le file and another man told
ukao give our names in a distinct
voice to theN officer standing al
the Presidents left hand. There
our nations chief stood at the
entrance to the famous greer
roSm. oad-shouldered and smil
ing, with. rather dark face ant