Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-15
COL. COOLIDGE

v
is prolonging his life. Only little
liquid nourishment can be taken,
and the weakness of the 80 year old
patient is extreme. DR.. Cram. who
preserved close reticence in the earl
Ter stages of the colonel's illness, now
has lifted the veil, and the neighbors
who gather each day in the Plymouth
general store to hear reports from
the sick room, believe that the end
is but a question of time. Todays
bulletin read:
"The condition of Colonel Coolidge
has remained unchanged during the
past "a hours except that his heart is
a trifie slower. His temperature and
respiration are normal. He is very
quiet and in no pain but weaker than
yesterday. All possible is being done
for his comfort"
Asked to enlarge on his brief state
ment, DR.. Cram said that early today
Colonel Coolidge's pulse had been IA
but by afternoon it had receded to 60.
He admitted that sedatives were be-
ing administered to relieve the pa
TENTS suffering.
Il could have phrased the last SEN
tence of the bulletin in other words"
the physician said. However, it is
understandable as it isl
For the most part the physician
has confined his visits to the Cool
1dge home to one each day, keeping
In touch with the coloners condition
by telephone between the calls Last
Thursday when sinking spell fol-
lowed digestive disorder, he re-
manned in Plymouth until after mid
night, and today, on leaving for the
seven mile drive back to his Bridge
water home, he said he probably
would return here tonight. From
this the neighbors deduced that the
situation was more than usually
critical.
In spite of his weakness Colonel
Coolidge was cheerful this morning
after restful night. For some time
visitors have been excluded from his
room, but an exception has been
made in the cases of a few relatives.
Today Mrs. John j. Wilder, aunt Of
President Coolidge, and affectionately
known in the village as Aunt Grace"
was admitted to see the sick man.
The colonel was able to tell his WIS.,
AeOA liAeiS nv was lCSllIo well anu Ildu
rested comfortably during the night
Mrs: Wilder returned to her home
which adjoins the farmhouse firmly
convinced that the colonel was much
better, but her optimism was not
shared by her husband, who is I'm
Gle John" to Plymouth folk. AUNT
Grace" took out her scrapbook and
worked for an hour FASTING up news
paper clippings and pictures relating
to Colonel Coolidge, bringing up to
date a record begun long since of
the coloners activities. Y g
For some time the diet of the sick
man has been restricted to liquids,
and great difficulty has been met in
finding food that he can assimilate.
He has suffered much from attacks
of hiccoughing. Many messages
have been received with suggestions
for counteracting these. One tele-
gram from person in Pittsburgh
said that lemon juice was a sovereign
remedy.
DIR. Cram has held several CONSUL
tations with Boston specialists who
have been interested in Colonel Cool
1dSe's case, also with Major Coupal,
the presidents personal physician.
Those in close touch with the
said today that in it's early stages the
hardest thing for him to endure was
the enforced inactivity. A man of
great strength and spirit, his life has
been busy and full of affairs up to the
past year. In his day he had held
every office in the gift of the town,
including a term of one year as
selectman. For many years he was
postmaster and he was succeeded in
his office by his wife. Neighbors
said that when he sold the general
store IS years ago to Miss Florence
Cilley, its present owner. he was re-
luctant to take the step because it
would cut him off from the duties of
the postoffice.
After the condition of his health
forced him to take to bed, the colonel
chafed at the fate that held him
helpless. He continued until recent
ly to follow closely the doings of the
village folk, maintaining this inter-
est until the time when he was pro-
nounced too weak to talk to visitors.
No progress was made today to-
ward clearing the road to Ludlow in
preparation for a possible visit by
the president, but the neighboring
town of Woodstock offered to send
assistance for the work If needed.
The tractor snowplow which broke
down in the drifts at the Ludlow
end, had not been repaired. A five
ton tractor owned by the state was
brought today from Rutland to help
in clearing the 80 miles of highway