Evening star., 1926-11-24
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

President Coolidge Is the grateful
recipient Of as unique a gift as ever
came to the White House. 1t is a
pair Of magnificent gold and white
plaid blankets made Of wool clipped
from the sheep that President Wilson
had grazing on the White House
grounds during the war The donor
Is L. G. Probert, chief of the Wash =
ingtOn bureau of the Associated
Press and superintendent of thai
great news agency's Southern divi-
sion. PrObert, known throughout
American journalism as Dick" Is
q gentleman farmer on the side.
When Wilson left the White House,
he beQueathed his IL sheep to Pro-
bert, who still has them-and their
numerous progeny. Instead OF mar
keting their wool, the reverential
idea occurred to Probert Of accumu-
latirg it and converting it into
blankets for presentation to a few Of
the War Presidents close friends. in
addition to Mr.. Coolidge. The other
recipients include Joseph p. Tumulty,
Rear Admiral Cary T. Grayson and
Bernard NJ Baruch. The blankets
were manufactured with special
ma achinery in Winston Salem, n. c.,
and are pronounced by connoisseurs
to be some of the most exquisite ever
produced.
With each pair of bla nkets. Mr.. Pro-
bert has sent beautiful card en-
blazoned with medallion portrait Of
Woodrow Wilson and a vista show
ing the dome Of tho Capitol. the
Washington Monument and a peace
full stretch Of grassy sward. Then
comes this explanatory text:
President Wilson, during the
great World War. kept on the
White House lawns u flock Of
sheep. Many who saw these
peaceful animals cOntentedly graz
ing there while a world was afiame
little realized that they were doing
war duty. While they adorned the
landscape, they kept the green
sward trimmed down and thus re-
leased for war service the men
who had been engaged In that
work. They performed further
patriotic service. Their wool the
President gave to the American
Red Cross. which apportioned 1t
among the Red Cross chapters of
tho States. At patriotic auctions.
1t brought as high as ten thousand
OOiIHTS u mgr pIlCcu
wool In history. How many Amer
lean soldiers on Flanders Fields
were relieved OF their pain by the
minist trations made possible in part
by these sheep no one knows. The
Great War President. in the dark
days OF that time. found peace Of
mind IN having theses beautiful, doc
lie animals about him. When Mr..
Wilson left the White House, this
nOck Of sheep went to live ut
Homeland Farms, at Olney, Nd,
where they have since remained
and increased In number until in
1925 they numbered more than
fifty None Of their wool ever has
been sold. in the channels Of trade.
1t has instead been carefully pre-
served. to he manufactured into
these blankets. for distribution
among the Great War Presidents
close friends and admirers.
Old sge in the dock. youth in the
jury box. 10 the combinat ton presented
by the Fall.Doheny trial. Fail goes
to judgment on the eve OF his 66th
birthday-he will be e6 years old on
November 26. Doheny was 20 years
old in August OF this year. The
average age Of the men in whose
hands the defendants fate rests is
around 81. The Youngest is 23.
Two are aged 25. Half Of the jury
men are below 80. The oldest is only
43. As a whole, the IL present a
composite Of ordinary homespun
American citizenship. There's not
highbrow among them--clerks.
steam -fitter, a newsdealer. an express
Avfry
trician and a hotel steward make UP
the panel. Their answers to cnunsel's
questions, before ANAL ac-
cAptance, were prompt and intelligent.
and defense seem salts.
04e thay have Q fury eapAhle Of. naas.