Calvin Coolidge: “Said Town Topics: ‘The G. O. P. slogan next summer may be: “Keep Coolidge!” ‘ “
The Duke of York: “The baby Crown Prince of Yugo-Slavia, born to King Alexander and Queen Marie on Sept. 6, was christened in Belgrade. I traveled from London to officiate as godfather.”
Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson: “Newspapers dubbed me ‘America’s hostess’ because I have entertained during the past two years at my home at No. 127 E. 73rd St., Manhattan, Lady Astor, Georges Clemenceau, David Lloyd George.”
Evangeline Booth, Commander of the Salvation Army: “In Manhattan, I was operated upon for abscesses of the nasal passages.”
Samuel Goldwyn (originally Samuel Goldfish), cinema producer: “The Goldwyn Pictures Corporation (formerly headed by me) unsuccessfully sought an injunction restraining me from using my name in any private cinema enterprise. The name is legally my own, although I was born ‘Goldfish’ and later acquired the ‘Goldwyn’ by process of combining the first syllable of my name with the last syllable of the surname of Edgar and Archibald Selwyn, my business associates.”
Manuel, King of Portugal, who abdicated in 1910: “A despatch from Paris stated that I ‘hold my own’ there, described me as a welcome guest to highest political circles because of my shrewdness in observing, my constant correspondence with German, Italian, Spanish notables—a semi-aesthete, a brilliant conversationalist, an amusing and instructive host.”
Charles (Chick) Evans, Jr., former amateur and open golf champion; who was accused in August by a Chicago Board of Trade man of giving him a bogus check for $7,500: “In Chicago I offered to file a voluntary petition of bankruptcy, putting my liabilities at $275,000, my assets at $50,000. In two years I have lost about $385,000 speculating in grain. Largest of my debts was $200,000 lost to Arthur W. Cutten, wealthy grain merchant, who did me many favors early in my career as a golfer. Mr. Cutten crossed this debt off my list and was quoted as saying to me: “Keep out of the grain market from now on’.”
Charles Evans Hughes: “A Chicago nose specialist said that upon my face and upon that of Miss Mary Pickford reposed the two most perfect nasal appendages in the world. ‘Miss Pickford’s,’ said the doctor, ‘is approached only by that of Diana, Roman goddess of the chase.’ He stated that mine was ‘of the perfect Grecian type.'”
Gabriele d’Annunzio, Italian soldier-poet: “In a chapel designed by me in the garden of my villa at Lake Garda I held night rites alone, burned laurel, scattered the ashes over the grave of an unknown soldier there. A newspaper despatch said that the ceremony excited artistic circles, that it was proposed that others perform similar rites for me when I die.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Your Vote Is Safe
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- How the Electoral College Actually Works
- Robert Zemeckis Just Wants to Move You
- Column: Fear and Hoping in Ohio
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Contact us at letters@time.com