FIGHTING THE INSECTS 



has been of great advantage to all of us. Through it we have 

 met many distinguished and delightful people, including many 

 writers, artists, and other persons of note. The children grew up 

 there from babyhood, and I think that during school days they 

 looked upon Onteora as their real home and Washington simply 

 as the place where they had to go to school. I was never able to 

 spend much time there myself until I retired in 1927, since 

 summer was always my busiest time. But every year I usually 

 managed to put in a week or ten days up there during which 

 time I formed many friendships. I need not mention any of the 

 fine people who have been going there for years and who are 

 members of the Club, for it has been done many times, most 

 recently, perhaps, by Hamlin Garland in one or two of his later 

 volumes. 



Inasmuch as we have touched upon the subject of ways and 

 means in this chapter, I must point out that to a certain extent 

 my own experiences and life in Washington for so many years 

 must have been to a certain extent typical of the average govern- 

 ment employee, more particularly of those engaged in some one 

 of the scientific bureaus. And this leads me to say something 

 about the wives of these men. Here and there a man of means has, 

 with his wife, shared the rather odd social life of Washington, 

 but such cases have been rare. Nearly all of the scientific people 

 have been comparatively poor, dependent almost solely on a small 

 government salary. I have known, in one way or another, many 

 of the wives, and I never knew what may be called a "social 

 struggler" among them. They have been wrapped up in their 

 husbands' scientific careers, and have made every necessary sacri- 

 fice gladly, without pointing out, and apparently without realiz- 

 ing, that they were making such sacrifices. I bow before these 

 women with great admiration, and I wonder if their husbands 

 fully realize what their wives have done for them. When one 



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