FIGHTING THE INSECTS 



physically was very striking. White was short and slender, al- 

 ready gray, while Bell was tall, robust, with a shock o£ black 

 hair and a full black beard— a big, strong, powerful man, 

 strongly featured, but with a smile and a charm not to be de- 

 scribed in words. 



I have been trying to remember who were there. There must 

 have been nearly forty of us, but all have died since that time 

 except a few. Of those still living there were Dr. W. H. Holmes, 

 Dr. C. E. Munroe, General A. W. Greely and Dr. C. Hart 

 Merriam. Among those who have since passed away, were J. S. 

 Billings, J. R. Eastman, G. Browne Good, W. C. Winlock, G. K. 

 Gilbert, T. N. Gill, Major J. W. Powell, F. W. True, O. T. 

 Mason, Simon Newcomb, Henry Gannett, Lester F. Ward, W J 

 McGee, W. H. Dall, H. W. Elliot, C. N. Walcott, H. N. Paul, 

 H. W. Wiley, and F. A. Lucas, thus representing the best that 

 there was at that time in Washington science. 



I have forgotten what was said, but I remember that Dr. 

 White greeted us in his charming way, and that the meeting was 

 a most satisfactory one, in that it brought us all together, and 

 gave us an insight into Dr. Bell's character, personality and aims. 



Many times since, I have wondered if this especial meeting did 

 not arouse in Dr. Bell the germ of the idea that developed into 

 the wonderful Wednesday evenings of later years. I always 

 meant to ask him about this, but never thought of it at a likely 

 time. I hope that it is so, for I should be quite proud to know 

 that I was there when the idea was founded. Whether it came 

 then or later, it developed into a charming, interesting and 

 highly important series of gatherings that lasted for many years. 

 I did not know that Dr. Bell had begun to bring his scientific 

 and other interesting friends together at his home on Wednes- 

 day evenings during the winter months, until I met him one 

 night a few years later at a small gathering at his father's house 



[284] 



