Evening star., 1933-01-05

which his friends said was reflected IN
his marked ability to see through a
given situation to the fundamental basis.
Mr. Coolidge also was a man Of re-
markable poise, q poise that was un-
disturbed when he was aroused in the
middle of an August night in his father S
little Vermont farm house to be told
that he was President of the United
States. He was unruffied through that
experience, walking quietly down the
stairs, greeting newspaper correspond
ents, carefully obtaining an official copy
of the presidential oath, being sworn
in by the dim lamp light by his aged
father, a notary, and then leaving
quietly for Washington, where for many
days he was to 60 through most trying
experience, in connection with the
obsequies of President Harding.
Considered All Sides.
1t was in accordance with his out
standing characteristic that he heard
all sides Of question before taking a
position. There was no haste, there
was little talk on his part, but when all
OF the factors were at hand the deci-
sion was made and adhered to.
Nor was there undue worry in the
face of any situation. After he had
been President a few weeks and had
passed through the trying time of the
funeral of the late Chief and then was
dealing with a threatened suspension
of, work in the anthracite coal fields, a
friend said to him:
"Mr. President. you appear to be
standing the strain we'll"
Haven't been under any strain yet, }"
he replied.
The former President was quiet and
determined and not given to display or
parade; man who did not create sit
uations, but rather met them as they
arose. He was won't to make his own
decision after careful analysis and
study, but he never failed to avail him.
self of the views and advice Of his
friends and advisers.
Mr.. Coolidge was great reader and
devoted much of his spare time to works
of law. government and history. In
fact, reading was his one recreation. If
it could be said that he had a hobby,
it was constitutional law. lie was a
profound student of the Constitution.
At time before he became President,
when it seemed the demand for changes
in the fundamental law was regarded as
the only cure for most of the existing
ills, he declared that it was mot a
change that is needed in our Constitu-
tlUIl dIIu law oO HULL DO J1lClC 10 1lISh
IF living in accordance with them"
Walking Chief Recreation.
The former President never had
shown any aptitude for athletics even
during his earliest school days. The
growing national passion for golf left
him untouched. After he assumed the
presidency he sought recreation and ex-
ercise occasionally at horseback riding.
but generally contented himself with
brisk early morning walks as means
of keeping himself fit for the arduous
tasks of his office, which had broken
the health of more than one President
before him. Upon leaving the White
House he prided himself on the fact
that he was in better physical condi-
ton than when he entered it and bet
ter physically than most of his pre-
6ecessors when they retired from the
Office
Interest in Mr.. Coolidge's activities
continued for Scme time after his re-
turn to Northampton. There newspaper
correspondents and photographers gath
cred and for sseveral days interviewed
the former President in the same fash
ion as at the regular press conferences
in Washington while he was President
Mr.. Coolidge good-naturedly continued
these daily meetings until he believed
they were no longer necessary. He en-
phasized his desire to get back to the
routine of private citizen and the
press representatives, respecting his
wishes, dispersed.
For vacation diversion Mr.. Coolidge
turned to the patient, quiet sport of
angling. Each year while he was Presi-
dent he and Mrs. Coolidge spent the
Summer months in section where Mr..
Coolidge indulged in his favorite out
door pestime