Evening star., 1928-12-16
Capital Sidelights

President Coolidge started something
the other day when he suggested that
Summer or vacation home should be
provided for the President. Senator
Fess is now drafting such a bill and
Representative Woodrum of Virginia
has asked the House committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds, of which he
Is member, to give early consider
alton to joint resolution he has intro
dCced for the establishment of such an
auxiliary White House in Virginia.
The President called attention that:
Three or four years ago some
thoughtful- l-minded person left legacy
of 100000, which should judge would
have been ample to provide a place OF
this kind within go or IS miles of Wash
ington. 1t had a proviso that 1t should
be accepted by Congress. 1 did not give
the matter any thought at the time and
the Congress never paid any attention
to it.. Had it been accepted, country
house would now be available"
Search in the Congressional Record
discloses that in 1923 that matter was
brought to the attention of the Senate.
The Senate received letter from the
President showing that the will of j.
Wilson Leakin of Baltimore. Md, con-
tanned bequest of 100000 ito buy
land and erect a Summer White House
for the use of the President within au-
tomobiling distance of Washington, such
legacy being contingent upon acceptance
bu Congress within 18 months from the
death of the testator." The letter was
referred to the committee on public
buildings and grounds of the Senate,
but no action was taken and, of course,
the time limit having expired, the lega-
cy has lapsed.
Inasmuch as President Coolidge sug-
geSted that in case of action being
taken the home should be located with
in IS miles of Washington, there Is al
ready a discussion of the matter in
Maryland and Virginia. In reply to an
inquiry, Representative Moore, who rep
resents the nearest Virginia district to
Washington, says that he has not Of
fered, nor has he thought of offering,
any bill at this time, although he had
heard of one or two localities in his
district being mentioned as suitable.
There is no doubt" he stated, that
in the country lying between Washington
and the Blue Ridge Mountains, which
includes several counties of the eighth
Virginia district there are various
points meeting all the requirements in
respect to accessibility, climate and
beauty of scenery" Three of the PreSi-
dents-Washington Madison and Mon
roe-in the early days had homes in
that territory, to which they frequently
resorted during the Summer and at
other times, and the fourth-Jeffer-
son-had such home at Monticello,
which is in the adjoining district. From
the health point of view they must
have found conditions pretty satisfac-
tory. Those Presidents lived to an aver
age age of more than rs years, the
youngest at his death being Washing
ton. who was 81, and the oldest being
Madison, who was SO. Monroe reached
the age OF II and Jefferson 83.
y X X X
Representative Vestal of Indiana. the
Republican whip of the House, who has
been a member of Congress for II years,
got lost in the Capitol Building during
the past week, when he was trying to
find his way through a labyrinth of
corridors in an infrequently visited part
of the building to the joint committee
on the library.
X X X X
Representative "Dick" Elliott, whose
name will be emblaZoned on the tablets
of Washingtonians' memory because of
his leadership in the extensive program
establishment Of the Capital City, isn't
a raving beauty. and frankly admits it,
even though he has one of the most
genial and jovial countenances in all
Congress But when he was a mere
youth Dick" was so dissatisfied with
the looks" of the gentleman after
whom he was named that he deliberate
ly changed his own name. He was
christened Richard Horace the
Horace" being in honor of Horace
Greeley. One day after he had reached
the age of reason, young Dick" saw a
picture of Horace Greeley and was not
at all pleased with his looks He pro-
ceeded forthwith to the family Bible,
hunted up his birth record there and
taking ont his jack-knife cut out the
name Horace" and wrote in Nash"
which was his grandfather's name. Since
then he has been known as Richard
N. Elliott. He still treasures the Bible
which is mute evidence of his youthful
Self-determination