The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-02-25
Volume Of white House Gossip
Soon to Be Out; Promises Interest
Deals With Our Own
Times; Successor to
gSeventy-five Years Of
White House Gossip"
By JEAN ELIOT

NlEHE Fourth OF March has been
appropriately chosen as the date
Of publication Of Edna NJ colrnan's
white House Gossip, from Andrew
Johnson to Calvin Coolidge"
A successor to her popular vol.
urne. ''Seventy-five Years Of White
House Gossip the appearance Of
the new book is awaited with un.
usual interest both because Of the
charm OF its predecessor and be.
cause It deals for the most part
with times and personages which
linger in the memory Of the present
generation.
An advance notice says. Here
are those really interesting stories
that 90 to make history, but are
left out of all histol les. Among them
Of Booths capture. with copy OF
tempt to impeach Andrew jackson;
the story Of the Jefferson Davis
tea set; d White House mistress and
her milk pans: the brilliant White
House weddings - Nellie Grant,
Emily Plat, Grover Cleveland, Alice
Roosevelt and Jessie Woodrow viii.
son. Behind these stories appear
the personalities of the Presidents,
their wives and families, and closest
associates; in short OF the signifi.
cant figures OF American public life
since the Civil War
Harmless Gossip"
To Judge from the previous vol.
ume, the term gossip" as used in
the title, has rather pleasanter
meaning than we usually read into
1t. For, although "Seventy-five
Years Of White House Gossip" con-
tains many racy anecdotes and is
writtin in amusing style, it gives
no hint of scandal mongering and
Is the result Of extensive historical
research. The new chapters have
been attacked in the same spirit.
Indeed, heard Mrs. Colman say
that she had read I'm almost
afraid to say how many, but /
think it was over 300--books on
Andrew jackson and HIS times be-
fore writing the story of his adj
ministration. And in compiling her
new work she has had the great
many OF the men and women she
writes about. as well as association
with members OF their families and
of their immediate encourages.
The wife of Harry Colman, vet.
eran newspaper man. Mrs. Colman
has an intimate knowledge OF Wash.
ington and its ways. Moreover,
she ID herself an experienced writer
who has contributed articles on
scores Of subjects, many Of them
historical, to newspapers and mag
azines.
Fruit Of = Dozen Years
For a dozen years she has been
compiling the material for these
two books. But after the first
volume was published there came
two years when she was pressed
into service as president OF the
League of American Pen Women
and had little time for literary
work. The publication of her new
book marks her re-entrance into
the field and understand that she
has two more volumes ION the
fire, one Of them historical
sketches Of Americas great men
written for children.
White House Gossip from An
drew johnson to Calvin Coolidge"
begins with the pursuit Of Booth
and the story Of the effort to inn
peach President and closes with
President Coolidge's second inaugu-
ration. II found the perfect end.
ing to my book on that day." the
author says, for, as President
Coolidge was reviewing the parade
in the midst Of great enthusiasm,
some one cried out God bless the
Coolidges, to which Mrs. Coolidge
made reply with equal fervency,
He has"