The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-10
THE BOY NOBODY KNOWS
John Coolidge Sinks Identity in Work
BY HORTENSE SAUNDERS
NEA Service Writer

NEA Service Writer
NEW HAVEN, Conn. Dec. 10
~ His father holds the most i'm
portant Office this country offers,
but John Coolidge goes his incon-
spicuous way-the young man no
body knows.
1T don't know him mySelf-but
he's really a fine young man-and
he ought to be allowed to forget
his position" is the answer you get
usually, if you ask the townspeople
here about him.
When he was hired as clerk in
the Offices of the New York, New
Haven g. Hartford railroad, the
company sent out three-line item
to that effect; that is all they made
of it.
After all, he's just clerk, and
no different to us than hundreds of
other clerks we employ" depart
ment official declared.
Bad to Be Celebrity
"If he were constantly being
pointed out, and treated as a &C.
lebrity, it would be bad for him and
for his immediate associates. He
wants to make good, and he can't
unless he has at least an even break
with the other fellows"
For the first few days after his
arrival in New Haven, crowd used
to gather at the station restaurant
where he usually eats his lunch
often sitting on stool at the coun-
ter with others from his Office.
But conspiracy of silence
stopped that. Now if you ask the
manager of the restaurant about
John Coolidge, he will say:
1--WE can't give out information
about our patrons-that'S not bust
ness, you know"
They're ''Not Interested"
Ask a waitress if she ever has
waited on the presidents son and
she will reply, with whitening dig
nifty:
Being a waitress is most i'm
personal occupation. We have hun
dreds of people in here during the
day-we can't possibly know who
they are. You can't become inter-
ested in personalities, you know"
In the personnel office of the rail-
road, several people told me they
never had even seen the young man.
eyes, guess I've seen him" said
the elevator man, who probably
takes John up and down each day,
'but he's no different from the 9TH
er fellows. Nothing high hat about
him. We never think Of his being
the Presidents son. I guess he's
glad to forget it himself. He's
quiet, you know, like his father"
"At first he had a secret service
man with him." the red-haired
youth at the information desk told
me, "but they let him go after a few
days. Just think how guy would
feel with a secret service man pa
trolling outside his door all day."
Works in Constant Din
Young Coolidge works in a ramb-
ling yellow brick building that over
looks the railroad yards. From his
window he looks upon a network OF
telegraph wires and signals-smoke
covered shanties and tracks. There's
a constant din of rulmbling trains
and shrieking whistles.
He lives a mile or so away, over
in the section around Yale unlver-
sity and he rooms and boards" with
Professor Benjamin w. Bacon, re-
tired professor Of the Yale faculty
who, until this year taught New
Testament Interpretation.
eyes, Mr.. Coolidge happens to be
a member of our family, and most
delightful one" Professor Baker
said. "But he wishes to be most in
conspicuous, and we respect his
wishes in this extent. You can see
the sort of a life he leads here
most quiet"
He indicated the living room with
a sweep of his hand-an old-fash-
Toned, big room with delightful old
furniture, lots of books and every
expression of quiet, scholarly tastes.