Milford chronicle., 1923-08-10

Executions were Tuesdays and Fri
DAYS which were Cabinet days" when
he was often absent from the opening
of the Senate.
Aside from the social duties which
require a Vice President and his wife
to dine out about six evenings OF the
week, Mr.. Coolidge was in wide de-
mand as a speaker on public occa-
sions in many parts of the country
He was somewhat reluctant in accept
ing those because of a feeling that ne
must speak in guarded fashion owing
to the Office he occupies.
His inaugural speech was one OF the
briefest on record. 1t was less tnan
500 words long and was devoted large
" to a eulogy of the Senate as leg
islative body with a record for WIS
dom which had never been surpassed.
Since his Inauguration he has made a
score of notable addresses in different
parts of the country, in some Of which
he was President Harding's spokes-
man. He took an active part in the
Congressional campaign last year.
Early Massachusetts Ancestry
The ancestors of President Coolidge
settled in Massachusetts about 1880,
or ten years after the arrival Of the
Mayfower and the Pilgrims, the ter
centenary of which event Mr.. Cool
idge recently helped to celebrate. A
pioneer community on the Charles
River, known as Watertown, saw the
first John and Mary Coolidge. Some
fifty years later the Coolidges, who
lived there, removed to the hilly coun-
try on the other side Of the Connect1-
cut River which afterwards became
the State of Vermont, where some
acres were wrested from the wilder
ness and placed under cultivation by
those sturdy pioneers.
Until the present head Of the Cool
idge family grew up TO study and
practice law the Coolidges for gener-
ations had been farmers. The father of
Calvin Coolidge, in later years, ran
country store besides being farmer.
President Coolidge was born on In
dependence Day, July 4, 1872, at Ply
mouth, VT, a little town situated
among the hill, twelve miles from a
raill oad. 1t has been tue birthplace OF
four Governors, one United States
Senator and several Congressman.
Mr.. Coolidge received his early edu-
cation in the public school Of his home
town. Later he was sent to the Black
River Academy at Ludlow, VT, and to
the st. Johnsbury Academy to pre-
pare for college. He entered Amherst
in 1891, worked his way through the
college and was graduated in 1895.
While in his senior year at college he
won a gold medal offered by the Sons
of the American Revolution for the
best essay on "The Principles Of the
American Revolution"
After being graduated he went back
and worked on his fathers farm for a
Summer, afterward going to North
ampton, Mass, his present home,
where for twenty months he studied
law in the Office of Hammond & Field.
He was admitted to the Bar and be-
gan practicing law in 1897. He was
twenty-three years old then.
Served on Political Committee
1t was in the same year that he en-
tered politics, though inconspicuously,
having been elected an alternate dele
gate to a convention which was to
nominate a State Senator. The follow
ing year he received a place on ward
committee of the Republican City
Committee of Northampton. A few
years later he became Chairman Of the
City Committee.
He was first elected to Office in 1899
as a member of the City Council.
The following year he was elected City
Solicitor and served in that office two
years. In 1902 he was elected Clerk of
the City Court. The Republicans were
but he declined.
1t was in that year that they picked
him for Chairman Of the City Commit
tee, which left him some time to prac-
tice law. In this position he began to
attract the attention of the State lead
ers of his party. He had become
clever politician, having learned the
game from the bottom up.
In 1907 Mr.. Coolidge put his foot on
the lowest rung of the ladder that
landed him in the Governors office
and afforded him the opportunity that
made him known throughout the ma
tion. He was elected a member of the
Massachusetts House of Representa-
tives. AS first year member of tho
lower house in the Legislature he did
to rivet public attention upon
him. He was reelected and served
another year, during which as a MEM |
ber of the Committee on Banks and
he took conspicuous part |
in codifying the banking laws of Mas |
sachusetts.
During the Summer of 1908 he took
part in the work of legislative COM
mittee investigating labor problems
which finally reported bill which |
would have done away with injunc- |
tions in labor disputes. It was regard |
ed as a radical labor measure, but Mr.. |
Coolidge, though known as a conser-
vative, fought hard for its passage. 1t |
failed to come out Of committee, how
ever. but a less radical measure was |
passed with bis support.
Mr.. Coolidge retired from the Legis-
ature, as he was anxious to devote
some time to his law practice. He !
worked at that for one year, when the
of Northampton picked
him as their candidate for Mayor.
Coolidge was elected and at the end
If his first term was reelected for
He succeeded in reducing the
ak rate and cutting down the debt Of
he city, although he brought about
in the public schools
ind salary increases for the teachers,
who received only meagre pay when
le took Office.
President of the State Senate