Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-08

1890
can just get to them. They
nearly always agreeable and gra-
cious about it if you can break
through the crowd of people about them. Only
few are shy and hesitant." At least that
is what Edward Ernest Jordan, a Senate page,
thinks about it.
Former President Calvin Coolidge and all
the members of his cabinet have signed up in
Edwards album. So have Chief Justice Will
liam Howard Taft and all the associated JUS
tees of the United States Supreme Court. Ed
ward also has the autographs of every Senator
now sitting and the signatures of every other
man who has sat in the upper house of Con-
gress during the four years that Edward has
been in Washington, including those Senator's
who have died and those who have retired
or failed of reelection.
He has the autographs of the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, perhaps thirty or
forty members of the House Jimmie Walkers
John Hancock" the autograph of Ramsay
Macdonald, of. Doug" Fairbanks and Mary
Pickford, of Big Bill Tlden and numbers OF
others.
Senator Hefflin, of Alabama who talks about
as much as any other man in the Senate was
little hesitant- about writing his name in Ed
wards little book of distinguished names, and
when it came to Will Rogers time to sign up,
there wasn't wisecrack in him.
EDWARD JORDAN is brown-haired young
- ster who came to Washington from South
Carolina about four years ago, when he had
just turned IL years old. During every session
of Congress since that time he has been in the
Senate to answer quickly when Senator on the
floor beckcns and do his bidding. 1t is easy to
understand after talking with Edward just why
the great and near-great would sign their
names in an album just to please the boy
He is a self-possessed lad, although a bit
shy He is dignified, quiet and courteous, and
r1nYk To inn Nnyifh
polite, "Yes. ma 'am," and mo, ma'am." He
has been serving as a page in the Senate, going
to school at night and preparing himself for
his entrance to the United States Naval Acad-
envy at Annapolis, to which he hopes to be
appointed His hobby has been collecting auto
graphs.
He has made the best of the excellent oppor-
tunity he has had for meeting celebrities, for
not only is he working daily among the most
distinguished Government officials in the
United States, but nearly every celebrity in
the Nation at time other comes to
Washington and the Capitol.
A celebrity would have hard time escaping
recognition among the alert pages of the Sen
ate. When celebrity is recognized word is
passed along and Edward grabs off auto
graph BY thus adding from day to day and
from year to year distinguished names to his
list, he now possesses one of the most inter-
citing collections of autographs in America.
THE boy of course can't be carrying around
an autograph album with him all the time dur
ing his work, so the signatures written
pieces of paper, on cards, on Senate memo
randum pads and in pocket-sized albums when
Edward happens to have one of his several
small booklets in his pocket. Some of them
are dated, and occasionally individual has
expressed special interest by adding motto.
Perhaps the most interesting signature I
got was the last official signature of President
Coolidge-the last time he signed his name
0f tho TT,osfa Cfnfn
Edward said.
He explained that on the last day of Con-
gress at the close of his term of Office the
President comes to the Capitol to sign bills
which have been passed at the last minute.
That day is, of course March 4. On March A.
1929, President Coolidge arrived at the gorgeous
presidential room the north side of the
Senate chamber shortly after IL O'Clock. In
a little while he was joined by all the members
of his cabinet
At that time it is customary for one Senate
page chosen from each of the political parties
to act as official pages of the President on that
day. Edward Jordan chosen from the
Democratic side of the Senate. The honor
shown him by that choice also furnished him
an ideal opportunity to get the autographs of
the President and his cabinet.
And So during the dying minutes of his
administration the President wrote his name
in the little pages autograph album. So did
Andrew w. Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury
whose signature is not easy to get. Then fol-
lowed Secretary Frank B. Kellogg of the State
Department-the same signature that appears
the world peace pact; Dwight F. Davis
Secrstary of War: Harry S. New, Postmaster
General: Curtis D. Wilbur, Secretary of the
Navy; William NJ. Jardine Secretary of Agri-
culture, and the others Attorney General
John G. Sargent added his best wishes
It Is rather pleasing to think that one of the