Evening star., 1935-09-15
Capital Sidelights
By Will p. Kennedy.

The saga of the village post office and
how Jim" Farley rescued that historic
institution and thereby won crown is
told in his best style by Representative
Louis Ludlow of Indiana, former Wash
ington correspondent. ex-president OF
the National Press Club and author
of several human interest books on
Hoosierland.
Henry WadSworth Longfellow pro-
NOTED the village blacksmith to the dig
nifty of an established institution by
writing poem about him." Louis Of the
facile pen reminds us. Postmaster
General Jim Farley. less gifted with
poetic genius, but stronger and more
adept as a political craftsman. has per-
formed the same service for the village
postmaster by an administrative edict.
There is an old saying among meteor
ologists that weather originates at Medl-
cine Hat, and by the same token the
science OF government originates among
the crackerbarrel philosophers who
gather around the potbellied stoves at
the village post ofices," sagely states
Representative Ludlow. LAS boy Jim
tapped the sugar barrel and played
checkers with the whiskered experts at
lie Nll1dSS POSL O1lCC at III dGoS OAllG,
N. Y, and it was there he imbibed the
first draughtS of the political wisdom
that enabled him in maturer life to
drive the Democratic donkey under the
wire to galloping finish"
Summarized, the story that promotes
this panegyric by Ludlow is that the
post office at Lincoln, Ind, which -four
ished since 1856, now located in Nora
Kitchells general store, was to be abol-
ished-this public forum OF the country
Side-to be superseded by rural free
delivery. In desperation the populace OF
rs inhabitants. reinforced by some TOO
neighbors, appealed to Lincolns most
illustrious son, Everett C.. Watkins,
Washington correspondent Of the Indi-
annapolis Star and diplomatic represent
ative plenipotentiary for Indiana inter-
ests in the National Capital. Watkins
laid such a human-interest brief for the
village post office before Jim" Farley,
emphasizing its political acumen, far
antedating the brain trust" that the
Lincoln Office was saved.
What did Lincoln do? It organized
a Jim Farley day" in celebration. Bands
and drum corps from a far-fung coun-
tryside Joined in a 24-hour jamboree
serenading life-sized portrait Of big
hearted jim" The Republican precinct
committeeman joined with the Demo-
Gratis in telling tree and erecting flag
pole so feet high to the everlasting honor
and memory of Jim Farley.
- **
First hand information Of how the
late and lamented VIII Rogers came
to do his daily comment in newspapers
throughout the country is had by Gerald
B. Dobben, secretary to Representative
Engle of Michigan. Some years ago
Virgil v. McNitt, head Of the McNaught
Syndicate, went to visit his father in
Muskegon, Mich, and Dobben was show
ing him around. McNitt had met Will
Rogers in New York and conceived the
idea of having him as he travelled
around make daily editorial comment
on men and affairs. Rogers couldn't
see 1t, and thought it would be a flop.
but finally consented to meet McNitt
and talk it over. He didn't keep the
appointment, and McNitt was so sure
he had something that would make a
hit with the people that he chased
Will Rogers to the depot where he was
about to catch train. and then and
there persuaded him to stop over and
sign q contract.
Representative George Holden Tink-
ham, Republican, of Massachusetts,, one
Of the real Mayflower descendants. rated
one. of the richest men in Congress,
who has a private museum, who several
years ago was famous for having fired
one of the first "shots heard round the
world" in the World War, who has a
reputation as an amateur boxer and for
his horsemanship, has had two pet
aversions-prohibition and Bishop Can
non-and one special hobby-interna-
tional relations. On letters he sends
out he now has typewriter in the
address corner Moscow on the Po-
tomac."