THE PRESIDENCY: The Plymouth Week

¶Mr. Coolidge stayed up late one night at his father’s home in order to hear by radio General Dawes’ speech, accepting the Republican nomination for Vice President.

From Plymouth to Evanston a telegram winged its way: GENERAL CHARLES G. DAWES WE CONGRATULATE YOU HAVE JUST HEARD YOUR ADDRESS WITH GREAT SATISFACTION I OFFER YOU MOST HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS CALVIN COOLIDGE.

¶Thomas A. Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and the latter’s son, Russell, motored into Plymouth and stopped at the Coolidge farmhouse. The President took them through the local cheese factory, of which his father is part owner, and gave Mr. Ford a sap bucket, of pine with ash hoops, capacity 16 quarts, which had been made for and used by John Coolidge, a great-great-grandfather of the President, who died in 1822. Everybody’s picture was taken; and the President’s words were gobbled up by reporters.

¶In a thunderstorm, lightning struck near the Coolidge farmhouse. It got into the headlines.

¶The President at one time, his son John at another, pitched horseshoes on the local court.

¶Although tourists haunted the environs of the Coolidge house at all hours of the day, the neighbors generally kept at a modest distance. So the President and Mrs. Coolidge sent out word that everybody should drop around at three o’clock on Saturday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge walked out and stood under the shade of maple trees, while a long line of neighbors formed, had their hands shaken and received a few words each, depending on the degree of their acquaintanceship.

¶The President accepted, on behalf of the Government, a flying field and grounds of 4,500 acres, presented by the citizens of Dayton. Said he by the citizens of Dayton.

¶The President entered his motor car with C. Bascom Slemp and drove about a mile to the home of his cousin, Edward Blanchard. There he put on a pair of overalls, removed his collar and tie, loaded a hay wagon. Pictures were then taken; and the President retired.

¶At a press conference in the executive offices above the village store, the President told correspondents that he was not prepared to press the question of another Disarmament Conference until European nations began to get on their feet following a Reparations settlement.

¶A rainstorm visited Plymouth and with it General Dawes. The two running mates sat down to luncheon, discussed campaign policies (Agriculture, Europe) over their food. Later, cameramen stood patiently in the wet, waiting for the General to light up, puff up, give them a good picture of his famed, non-backfiring pipe. During this performance, the General, whose matches sputtered in the damp, sputtered a “damn.”