The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-22
COOLIDGE AIDS
JOB CRISIS BY
GIVING IS JOBS
Cal Does His Bit in Fixing
Up Old HomeSteadS at
Plymouth, Vt.
BOSSES WORK HIMSELF
Former President GraSpS at
Opportunity to Make
Many Repairs.
BY HENRY MINOTT
United Press stah Correspondent

United Press stan Correspondent
PLYMOUTH, VT, Oct. 22.-Calvin
Coolidge, literally applying the
"give-a-jo job" formula, is doing what
he can to bring back prosperity.
For weeks, here in the hill ham,
let where he was born, the former
President has kept ten to fifteen
men at work renovating his two an
Cestral homesteads. So unOstenta-
tiouSly has he carried on the re-
pair program that this years $1,000
summer visitors to Plymouth failed
TO grasp its significance.
Keeping fifteen men busy repair
ing my farm buildings is harder
work than being President of the
United States" Mr.. Coolidge told
Miss Cora Roberts of Kennebunk,
Me, recent visitor. CARRIED in
work-day farm clothes, with knee
length rubber boots, the 59-year-old
retired chief executive was survey
ing the operations of his workers.
Still on Vacation
Last July it was rumored that
Mr.. Coolidge for the first time in
his life might visit Europe during
the summer. Instead he and Mrs
Coolidge came to this village of $50
inhabitants for what was reported
TO be brief" vacation. That was
thirteen weeks ago and they are
still here.
With one or two exceptions the
men employed are Plymouth resi-
dents. They include carpenters,
painters, stone masons and farm
hands. Their tasks have been null
tiple.
First, they gave the historic Cool
idge homestead, where Calvin was
sworn in by his father as President,
new coat of white paint. The eel
lar walls were re-cemented and
other minor repairs made.
Next the Workmen turned to the
old Coolidge farmhouse, fifty rods
to the north, a seven-room dwelling,
where the former Presidents grand
father, GaluSia Coolidge, lived and
died. In recent years this has been
the home of Lynn Cady, young
farmer with a wife and two chill
dren, who enjoys the distinction of
having Calvin Coolidge for land
lord
Kitchen Is ReflOOred
Here, more extensive repairs were
made. One end of the century-old
home, weather-beaten, required new
clapboards. Fresh paint trans
formed the house from brown to
light gray New flooring was laid in
the kitchen, where Calvin spent
many a happy hour as a boy,
sampling molasses cookies baked by
his grandmother, Sarah Coolidge.
The big barn, heretofore paint
less, was made CHEEKY red. The
rotting log supports were replaced.
The stable was rebuilt.
Outside, one large pasture on the
l25-acre estate was reseeded. New
fences were erected in place of
warped and broken ones. From an
old lime kiln, half mile away, lime
was hauled to fertilize the farm
lands. The kiln was willed Mr. Coo
lidge by his grandfather.
Within week, foresterS will en-
large the pasture area by cutting
several hundred Christmas trees.
They will be given the trees at the
nominal price of about IS cents a
bundle. A bundle may be only one
large tree or five or six small ones.
In any event, this rate will allow
generous profit to the cutters when
they sell them for Yuletide use.
Personally Bosses Job
Much of the repair work has been
done under Mr.. Coolidge's personal
supervision. He has been seen to
take the brush from a painters
hand and by a few sample strokes
demonstrate how he wished the job
done.
When Mr.. Coolidge leaves Plym-
outh on business, his secretary,
Harry Ross, becomes foreman" in
addition to his regular job of time
keeper.
1t hasn't bAen all work and no
play, however, for the former PreSi-
dent. During the first part of his
vacation he hiked along familiar
streams casting for trout, with good
luck. Now, these crisp autumn
mornings find him, sometimes alone,
sometimes with Ross, stalking
cartridges in the wooded highlands
surrounding Plymouth.
On his hunting trips, Mr. Coolidge
wears Norfolk jacket, Knockers,
high boots, and felt hat. He car
ries double barreled shotgun.
When he returned home one recent
morning, two fine cartridges bulged
in his jacket pockets.
All the work on the Coolidge
Plymouth property should be COM
pleted within a fortnight. After
that, it is understood here, the for
mer President will return to his
Northampton, Mass, home and re-
sumo his daily newspaper articles.