Evening star., 1924-11-04
Coolidge 'SLuck" Giues Way
To Clean Cut Victory at Polls
President, Noted for Good Fortune IL,
Political Advancement, Obtains High
est Office By Choice of People

Calvin Coolidge of pioneer May
hover stock, born and reared on a
rocky Vermont farm. whose two best
friends are a merchant prince and
town shoemaker, opportunist in
politics and thereby thirtieth Presi-
dent of the United States, now comes
to this greatest political office in all
the world in his own right by the
votes Of the sovereign people He
first came into the presidency by the
death OF Warren c.. Harding, but he
remains in the White House by the
mandate Of the voters.
When he first came to Washing
ton as Vice President he was as
little known throughout the United
States as any man who ever held
nigh office in the Federal Govern
ment.
Career Democratic
The career of no other Presidsn,
of the United States has ever beer
attended with the drama of circum-
stance that has marked the meteoric
rise OF this taciturn, sandy-haired
New Englander from d rocky Yer
mont farm to the most powerful cleo
tive position among the free peoples
of the world.
Ten years ago Calvin Coolidge was
lieutenant governor of Massachu
setts. He had not struggled particu-
larly to get the job. Like SO many
lieutenant governorships in this
hurly-buriy American political Sys-
tenn of ours, it had been more or less
wished on him.
In fact, the same might be said
about every elective Office that Calvin
Coolidge has occupied-from the city
solicitorship of the village of North
ampton. Mass, to the White House
He has never had to fight for Office in
the same sense that other men have
had to fight. Always the Office came
to him--not because of his brilliancy
of achievement or his proweSs as a
lawyer or business man-but by the
favor of that inScrutab bic destiny that
sometimes watches over the careers
of the chosen.
Coolidge Luck" Maxim.
Coolidge luck" has become a
maxim among the friends of Calvin
Coolidge They accept it in the same
matter-of-fact way they accept the
rain, the sun, the snow or any other
natural phenomenon.
Calvin Coolidge's friends have put
him INTO office after office because
first of all, they liked him. and sec
ondly, because they believe him
safe, in the way that business men
like to feel safe about their public
servants. He has acquired through a
lifetime largely spent in public of
flee a reputation for the safe, solid
conservatism that appeals TO the av-
erage business man too busy with
his own affairs to want to bother
watching man in Office.
n o. 8
settled in Massa chusetts about 1880
or 10 years after the arrival of the
MayfioHer and the Pilgrims. A
pioneer community on the Charles
River. known as Watertown saw the
first John and Mary Coolidge. Fifty
years later the Coolidges who lived
there moved west of the Connecticut
River to a hilly country which later
on became the State of Vermont, and
they were the sturdy pioneers of that
section, and for generations the Cool
idgeS have been farmers right up to
John c. Coolidge the father of Cal
vim Coolidge), who was also a coun-
try storekeeper, and who never took
part in politics. The mother. Victoria
Coolidge, was also of old New England
ancestry.
Boyhood UneventfuI.
Calvin Coolidge's boyhood was 10
different from that of thousands of
others in New England. He grew up on
the farm. His father owned the farm
and worked it. He helped his father
as American farm boys usually do,
until he reached the age where he
wanted some higher education than
Is furnished in rural Vermont.
He went to Amherst College. That
was in 1891, and he was 1s years old
He completed the usual four-year
course. graduated in '95 at the age of
23 and, with a lawyers degree and
little money he set up a practice in
Northampton. Mass. His career at
college was not marked with any
particular distinction. His marks
were good. but no better than the
average Frail of physique, he did
not engage in athletics. but led a
studious, somewhat retired life. He
made many friends, but no more than
the average boy.
The career of Calvin Coolidge as an
undergraduate at Amherst College
can be inferred from the humorous
comment in the Olio of 1895, the class
year book. He was a reticent young
fellow, not distinguished by any
number of college honors. either those
attained through popularity or work
for the college organiZa ton
One College Honor.
After his name on the roll of the
senior class there appears only one
item: Grove Orator. 1t is the duty of
the grove orator to present humor-
Gus speech on class day. He is
elected by the senior class. That
was Coolidges only office at Amherst.
The Rev. Tracy B. Griswold. Brook
lyn. says, He was shy fellow, and
the class did not really discover him
until he was senior"
The editors of the Olio of that year
eXclaim in the preface: so here we
are-seniors. Conceive. if you can.
of Booth, Rocker and Coolidge ever
being more than subfreshmen." The
President apparently did not take
things too seriously, although his
name is not found among the more
illustrious bon-vivants of his class nor
on the list of Phi Beta Kappa.
And, although he did not take him
self seriously. he was not obtrusive.
He roomed with Robert II. Manner.
and among the questions put to
seniors in order that they might dis
play their wit was. Why did you
come to Amherst" Manners answer
was, ITO room with myself.
Practice Not Heavy.
In Northampton things were rather
slow for ID young lawyer fresh from
school. He practiced with Indifferent
success for a time and then came an
opportunity to become city solicitor
The job did not amount to much in
Northampton, but it was better than
nothing, so young Coolidge took it.
He made little money, but he needed
little, as his tastes were simple, and
frugality was part of his Vermont
ancestry.
Twelve years passed by and there
was but little about Calvin Coolidge