Requiescat

In the early part of 1825, amid a great outcry and no little bitterness, the House of Representatives chose* a President of the U. S. It passed over a western general by the name of Jackson and pointed its finger at a gentleman from Massachusetts. On March 4, 1825, there was an old man in his 90th year who had great joy in his heart. He had been retired for 24 years but in his time he had had a career--been Ambassador to Holland and England, been Vice President of the U. S., yes, and President. But March 4, 1825, was a greater day than March 4, 1797.

He was the first American ever to see his son become President of the U. S. And John Adams was glad. It is averred that like joy never entered into a father's heart until March 4, 1921, when Doctor Harding of Marion, Ohio, saw his son Warren made President.

But the pleasure of swearing his own son in as President and living to see that son inaugurated for a second time was reserved for Colonel John Calvin Coolidge of Plymouth, Vt.

There is little to say of Colonel Coolidge, save that he was a man of affairs in a tiny Vermont village. He was born on March 31, 1845, schooled in the neighborhood at the same schools his son later attended. He began his career as a wheelwright, then he rented the general store. At 27 he was elected to the state legislature, served six terms, and added to them one term in the state Senate. His title of Colonel came to him when Governor Stickney appointed him to the gubernatorial staff. He was local tax-collector for 38 years, postmaster for 49 years and deputy sheriff for a "very long time." He married twice and had one son and one daughter (who died young). He was an influential man in his community, a good citizen and he reared his son to be President.

Not until he was 80 did his fatal illness manifest itself--an affection of the heart. That was complicated by other troubles, which required an operation last summer. During the fall he lost the use of his legs, two weeks ago his condition became worse, and in the last few days before his death he sank rapidly until his faintly beating heart ceased altogether.

All funeral arrangements were made before his family had arrived. His headstone, marked "J.C.C.," stood with those of his wives and his daughter. He left instructions that there be no music at his funeral and that an Episcopal service be read, the briefest possible.

At 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon his son, his grandson, his daughter-in-law and numerous old friends, including Attorney General Sargent and the Governor of Vermont, assembled in his home and heard the service read. It lasted only 14 minutes. Officers of the National Guard carried his body to a sleigh hearse; other sleighs followed to a little graveyard on the hillside close to his ancestral acres.

* In the election of 1824, the vote of the states was so split that Andrew Jackson got 99 electoral votes, J. Q. Adams 84, William H. Crawford 41, and Henry Clay 37. Since no one had a majority, the election was thrown into the House of Representatives to choose among the three leaders. Clay turned his influence to Adams, who was then elected on the first ballot.