Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-18

the greeting in her handwriting below
the picture was from Lou Henry
Hoover, Weegie and Pat" Other
Hoover CANNES we're: Patrick, an
Irish wolfhound; Big Ben and Son
ME, wire-haired fox terriers; Glen, a
Scotch collie. and Yukon, an Eskimo
that so pinned for the North coun-
tree" that the President had to send
him back home.
DROBABLY the Coolidges had the
queerest assortment of pets Of
any presidential family. They kept a
gentleman donkey. a lady raccoon,
two cats and something like seven
dogs. Just where the donkey came
from seems to be mystery. Anyway.
the First Lady grew exceedingly fond
Of him, named him Ebeneezer and
housed the beast in a special pen.
Official records are conflicting as to
just when the raccoon joined the
White House family. One notation
says Thanksgiving. 1926, and another
asserts that Christmas of the same
year was the proper date. Anyway,
the animal was the gift of an admirer
in Tennessee, who intended her for
the Presidents holiday dinner to re-
place the traditional turkey. But Mr..
Coolidge took a fancy to the little
creature the moment he saw her ar
irving at the White House and named
her Rebecca. Soon this feeling grew
into a real attachment.
Mrs. Coolidge also became fond Of
Rebecca and had house built for her
in a huge tree with a wire fence
around it, in the rear gronds. While
out of doors the raccoon was kept
chained, but inside the mansion she
enjoyed real liberty. Especially did
she like the privacy Of the bath room.
In the tub she often frolicked about
with cake of soap.
A Washington news sleuth, entirely
by accident, achieved peculiar
scoop" for his paper. One day early
in 1927 he was standing outside the
front entrance to the executive man
sion when all at once the official
White House limousine drew up to the
door. Pretty soon the President, car
rying something tiny, entered the car.
Curious, the newspaper man man
aged a closer view and to his sur
prise there was Mr. Coolidge sitting
in the rear seat with Rebecca beside
him. 1t seems that he was moving to
temporary executive quarters at Du-
pont Circle while the real White House
was being repaired and didn't want to
trust his pet with anybody but him
self.
Almost every evening when supper
was over MIR. Coolidge insisted on
having Rebecca close by to pat while
he was reading or working with mem
bers Of his household. But for some
reason or other, after sojourn Of less
than six months, the raccoon lost the
presidential favor. In March, 1927,
she was banished from the White
House animal aristocracy to make her
future home in the Washington Zoo.
Tige and Blackie were the kings of
the Coolidge cats. Tige, gray-striped
tomcat, was the Presidents favorite
During his life of ease and comfort
in the White House Tfge frequently
strayed of, but generally only for a
night or so. Usually he looked trifie
the worse for wear when he returned
from these mysterious absences. But
he never failed to march right back
into MFR. Coolidge's good graces and
in day or so afterward was the same
meek and affectionate animal the
President loved so well.
Strictly speaking, Tige was outside
the pale Of feline aristocracy. Ac-
cording to the judaeneut OF fancierx