The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-01-10
COOLIDGE BECOMES
PASTIME DEVOTEE
President Will Enjoy Many
Care Free Days Out of
White House
MISSED FUN AS A BOY
Will Leave Office March 4 in
Better Physical Condition
Than Predecessors
(By George IF. Author in
MINNEAPOLIS Tribune)

washington, JAN. OHlueTc Is
something extremely pleasing in
the picture of the man Calvin Cool
idge, expanding IN the prospect of
retirement to private life. Every
day that cuts off the interlude be-
tween now and March 4, seems to
reveal a new Coolidge, a man
happy and more carefree, and 60
ing backwards to the boyhood
which apparently the trying cir
cumstances of his early life caus-
ed him to miss.
1t begins to look as though no
man ever enjoyed an eX-presidency,
the way Mr.. Coolidge is going to
enjoy his freedom from office.
Those who have seen Mr.. Cool
-idge from the time he assumed the
office of president, have been i'm
pressed with the realization he has
of the cares and responsibilities of
his office. No man has ever oc-
cupied the White House who ever
had a higher conception of the
presidency.
After his election, following the
period in which he had filled out
the term of Warren G. Harding,
there was note of greater assur-
ance. But the real Coolidge did not
emerge until after he had typed
out his famous 81 do not choose"
statement at Rapid City.
But even before that, there were
indications that President Coolidge
was learning to play. On one oc-
-casion he remarked that he had
fished as boy, but regarded fish
ing as boys sport.
There was CONSERVATION in the
cabinet when this was reported.
Most of the cabinet officials are ar
dent fishermen.
Apparently John Garibaldt Sar-
gent and a few others took the
President to task on this subject
and the next summer, at Paul
Smiths he started fishing. Once
started, there was no stopping him.
He fished and he fished.
He took to it like duck to wat
er. At first he used the lowly worm
as bait, but soon sensed the debase-
ment of the art of fishing with
such inducement to the fish and
took to the aristocratic fly.
When in the Black hills, almost
daily, he stormed the trout streams
and demonstrated his "catch" with
pride and joy, both to the report
ers and the photographers. Just
before leaving for the Black Hills,
he was asked if he would do any
hunting.
Rather whimsically he explained
he had hunted a little when a boy,
had killed a rabbit or something
equally ferocious. But last sum-
mer, reports came out of his Wis
consin summer home, that he had
made record shooting clay pi-
geons. No one had ever heard be-
fore that the President ever used a
gun or that he knew which end to
place at his shoulder.
1t is not only because of these
evidences of love Of sport which he
had never permitted himself to
crafty before, that the new man.
ner of the President is evident. He
is in better health than ever be-
fore, he is happy IN getting some
thing "off his chest" as in the case
of the Armistice day speech when
he talked frankly to our European
critics and his smile is easier and
more natural.
The President is going out of of
flee healthy man and happy one.
1t is suggestive of his genial atti-
tude that in the closing months of
his administration he has sought to
make things easier for his success
sors who will continue into time.
Answering an inquiry of the Post
Dispatch, of st. Louis, he advises
that the government purchase for
its Presidents and their wives a
summer residence, within easy ac-
cess of Washington by automobile.
This suggestion had in mind the
health and well being under the
wear of the presidency. He did not
mean by this that a place should
be provided in which a president
should spend his summer vacations.
What he meant by it was the pres
adent should have a summer lodge,
or a winter lodge, for that matter
to which he could GO and have pri-
vacy and comfort and rest from the
monotony of living in the capital
city.
The President has spoken, from
time to time, of the inroads made
upon the health of a president. Not
directly but indirectly by saying
he is not oblivious to the fact there
is only one living expresident. That
exception, Chief justice Taft, has
endorsed the Coolidge suggestion
for summer home.
With such a home provided, the
president would De free to spend
his summer vacations in any part
of the coun ~ he pleased and t,e,e
is well de,. opcd sentiment that
eeing about ire country in the
SIMMER is a good FIJI g. The pee
ple like to ee .re President. 1t
brings the government closer home
to every one to feel that the Pres
ident is likely to take up few
months sojourn in this section or
that.
But in Washington, the president
is a virtual prisoner in the White
House. He cannot move without
attracting attention and it has been
aptly said of him, that his privacy
is comparable to that of a gold
fish. To go from place to place
is an affair of considerable inn
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