The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-20
COOLIDGE PnZER
 IN COMP PARIS()N WITH THIS MAN
Shakes Hands With 3,891, But Chittenden Signed
 Name 12,5OO Times

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.--In foHr hours on New Years Day President : Coolidge shook hands with 3,S91 visit ors to the White House. President Harding was once obliged to abandon that part of his program on account of : the actual physicnl suffering which it brought about. Previous Presidents Aave found similar ordeals thrust upon them at far larger receptions than that just held in the White House, nor have other government officials been immune from tremendous physical straips. &
 The register of the treasury under Abraham Lincoln was called upon to sign his name 12,5O0 times at one sitting. It was . clear case of call to duty--to save the Union from the locsinx on the seas ss two armored Con fedefate vessels sS . time when the have meant recognition of the Con-
 At II o'clock in the morning of | day in 1882 Lucius D. Chiftenden, regiHtef of the treasury, was called tos the White Honse. There he found Rresi- dent Lincoln and Secretaries Chase and Seward in consultation. An amAsirg situation was laid before him. Word . Francis Adams, minister to the Court Of St, Janes, that hs had pledged the eovernment to dispatch SIG, 900 in bonds to England by the next steamer.
 In q certain British sshipyard the Confederacy had buildinga pair of war vessels superior in .tonnage, armament and speed to- any fighting craft the Union spossessed. These vessels were te be handed over to Confederate agents at an island in the West Indies, whence they would start out on career of destruction that would threaten to lift -the blockade of the southern ports. Mfr. Adams had protested vigorously to the crown hwyers; he had produced evil dence that the vessels were intended for an unlawful activity, but to little ayail.-
 Denbandcd Million Pounds
 The party then in power in England favored the Confederacy, and Mir. Ad- ans was informed that the vessels would not be restrained from taking the seas unless he could deposit the sum of f1.O00, 900 in gold as a guarantee against possible damage suits growing out of his charges. This was accord ing to English law, and Mir. Adams was helpless. The cable connection with America was broken. There was no way to raise the funds, and the war vessels were on the eve of sailing.
 , An Engiishman came to the rescue of the union in this crisis. By his own request his name has never been made public. He offered to advance to Mir. Adams the required 5. 900, leaving the guarantee of reimbursement to the American minister. Mr Adams gave his word that he would communicate with the government at Washington and have it forward to England by the next steamer $10 ,O00, 900 in bonds, to be used as collateral for the loan. To prevent publicity, coupon bonds instead of registered bonds were decided upon.
 The government at Washington found that the first steamer left on Monday at noon.. It was decided in the hurried conference. that Mir. Chit tenden should start at once to. sign 10000 Sl 1000 bonds, all of which were required by law to carry the registers signature. When he broke under the strain he was to resign. President Lin coin would then appoint another regis ter to go on with the work. It was a crisis requiring desperate measures. At noon Of Friday Mir. Chittenden sat down to the2 most artiuous physical task ever assigned to government off eial, with less than 70 hours of time ahead of him in which to make the boat. .-..+ .. @ 3,5e0 lin Seven Hours
 In the first seven hours he accom- plished $500 signatures. As the eighth hour wore on, muscular cramps began to make their appearance. By noon of Saturday the pain was intolerable, yet he kept -at the task, not daring to cease