Evening star., 1924-08-14
BY EDWARD j. BRUEN.

spelf is the news that is being
flashed through the vast silences of
the Green Mountains this week.
"All het up with Washington, I
reckon" is the cryptic response of a
neighborhood to his Informant, and
both pass along to the arduous tasks
OF winning livelihoods out of the
bleak mountainsides.
Nothing could happen in or around
the township of Plymouth, VT,
that would create public enthu-
siasm. The people there like Cal" as
they persist in calling him, but for
generations they have been training
their souls in the ways of suppress
sion. The main thing is that they
understand the President of the
United States and that he has
brotherly appreciation of them.
Back in the days when he was
student in the Blackwater Academy in
Ludlow, VT, Calvin Coolidge was one
of group of boys. with a grievance
against a certain teacher who placed
donkey in his room over the week
end. This is said to have been the
first effort ever made by the Presi-
dent to compel the Democratic animal
to obey his will and he and his COM
panions were never punished because
of the incident, they having duly ap-
peared before the academy trustees
and obtained the necessary white
Washing.
Two Still Living.
Two of the trustees are still living
in Ludlow and make their morning
pilgrimages to the post office. They
are Grand Army men and the secret
service operatives, who attempt to
prevent them from walking right up
to the train next Saturday and saying
"Howdy Cal" to the President as he
alights are in for a spanking. The
fact is that the whole countryside will
register significant objections to any
efforts made to get between them and
the President of the United States,
who grew up amongst them. They
will contend that "Cal is at home and
needs no such foolishness."
Schoolmates in Ludlow.
There are several merchants in
Ludlow who were Schoolmates of the
President at the academy and in the
little schoolhouse at Plymouth. Two
of the ablest lawyers in New Eng
land-one of whom served Vermont
as it's governor for two terms, and
the other as it's attorney general
will undoubtedly be at the station for
a silent handclasp with their lifelong
friend. Former Gov. William c.
Stickney can be depended on to say
nothing, and to waste no time for the
presidential party. John G. Sergeant.
former attorney general and counsel
for many big corporations, will re-
move his constant jimmy pipe from
his mouth, make his big body COM
Portable and tell Cali the latest good
story. There is a genuine love be-
tween this smiling 2S0-pounder and
the President, although their lives
have touched very seldom during
these later years.
Former State Senator Henry Brown
of Ludlow, who halls from Plymouth
and went to the district school with
President Coolidge, will be among
the prominent greeters of the presi-
Dental party. He will be a hard man
for the secret service men to hold
back once he sees the friend of his
boyhood and early youth detrain.
Must BE Useful.
1t will be the first actual homecom-
ing of the President since more than
a year ago when one night he was
awakened from his sleep to accept
the office of President because of the
sad death of his predecessor. The
mournful journey of month ago for
the funeral of Calvin. jr,, was at
tended with the elements of great
sorrow and haste. During his stay of
two weeks at this critical time in his
career the folks of the countryside
will expect Cal" to become useful
and adopt the working clothes of the
dirt farmer. He will have no other
neighborS with the exception of such
as accompany his party. Reporters
will find themselves compelled to live
either in Ludlow or Woodstock, both
towns being thirteen miles from Ply
mouth. Another thing they will find
is that the automobile liveries in
either town know the most exclusive
New York and Boston rates and ar
range their prices accordingly. The
hotels know how to charge.
There will be a chance of exploring
wonderful historic country offered
to those who accompany the Presi-
dent. Visiting him as Governor of
Massachusetts and candidate for the
vice presidency in 1920 this writer
found that Calvin Coolidge's greatest
enthusiasm was for the home of his
fathers. 1t is one subject he would
always discuss and, from many days
of observation, it is safe to say that
it is a subject well worthy of discus
sion.
Chain of Lakes.
AS the automobile of the seeker
after the beauties of nature mounts
the road from Ludlow to Plymouth he
comes across a chain of lakes, with
the Green Mountains as background,
as beautiful as the much exploited
Lakes of Killarney, which this writer
has visited and has loved since early
boyhood. Some of the wise men and
women of this generation, who have
come in knowledge of these lovely,
lakes, Amherst, etc, and their desira-
bility as summer resorts, have built
themselves cottages in this paradise,
far from the NEEDING crowd" An