The Washington times., 1926-07-20

pick out any number of available
nnent upon one Of the most pictur
Merriam Curtis.
For Mrs. Jimmie" Curtis, IL you
please, is avowedly out for the job
She's not merely a receptive candi
date, but has already lined up con
siderable backing among influential
people. And she gave evidence OF
political astuteness when she let
her aspirations be known upon the
heels of the stories from the sum
ner White House that the .Presi.
dent was considering a woman and
that, with the Fenning fiasco in
mind, he was likely to take counsel
with others than the professional
Republicans of the District OF
Columbia.
Well, Why Not?
Ones first reaction to the news
that Mrs. Curtis was a candidate
was WHY, Mrs. Jimmie Curtis
the next, We'll, after all, why
not?" She would probably poll
considerable support among women.
both because she is a woman and
because she Is a canny and clever
citizen. Moreover, there is no one
in Washington who has more
friends among influential men and
women in the Capital.
Bred In the Bone Washingtonian
A bred in the bone Washington.
ian, Laura Merriam left the
Capital when she married, but she
resumed residence here, more than
the necessary three years ago,
owns property in the District and
In q taxpayer. She knows her
Washington and its problems, too.
Moreover, since her return, she
has been active in all manner of
civic and welfare work. She is on
the board of sthe Children's Hos
pftaI, the Emergency Hospital and
the Children's Country Home. For
several years she has been actively
interested in party politics Of the
Republican persuasion. She is q.
member OF the Republican Women's
Club Of New York, was one Of
the organizers of the Republican
Women's Club Of Washington. and
may be said to have instigated the
pilgrimage to Washington which
many Republican women leaders
made when the World Court legiS-
lation was under discussion.
Her father, William r. Merriam,
was twice governor OF Minnesota,
but he came to Washington in the
Mckinley AdminiStrat ton TO take
the post Of director of the census
and Laura Merriam grew up here.
Her mother was for a long time
president Of the Board of Lady
Visitors of the Children's Hospital
and her daughter is carrying on
her work with the organization.
A Picturesque Parsonage
NShe certainly has a flair for the
matron, who is unanimously voted
more fun" than any woman in
society in the Capital. In her girl
hood days in Washington she cleo.
trified her friends by breaking her
engagement to Theron Catlin, Of
st. Louis. then a member Of Con-
gress and very wealthy, to marry
an impecunious young assistant
Secretary of the Treasury, because
she simply couldn't live without
Jimmie Curtis"
Years passed, the Curtises dis
agreed, a divorce was granted and
Mrs. Curtis brought her four chill
dren back to Washington to make
her home. Her engagement to
Harrison Williams, fabulousIy
wealthy New York scientist and
man about town. was rumored and
finally announced. Two days later
she ran off and remarked her first
husband. Apparently, Mrs. Curtis
found again that she couldn't live
without Jimmie Curtis"
Mr.. Curtis, by the way, is nc
longer impecunious, but has won
both fame and fortune as a lawyer.
Beside their fine, old-fashioned
house in F Street, once the May
fair Of Washington, the Curtises
have a lovely summer place at
Rosiyn. L. l., which was long the
home of the late Mrs. Aaron Ward
and is famous for its rose gardens
Mrs. Curtis had been at Roslyn
Tor several weeks, but came to
Washington q few days ago to take
up in deadly earnest her campaign
Tor the Commissionership.