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Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929

Boone Papers. Chapter on President Coolidge from the Memoirs of His Physician, Joel T. Boone.

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(Taped
15'JAN65)

July 14th was the third anniversary of my wife's mother's death. It was the third year that we had spent the summer, or a part of it, on the beautiful north shore of Massachusetts.

On Sunday, July 15th, we learned that the Secretary of Commerce and Mrs. Hoover had arrived to visit the Coolidges in Wisconsin.

It was the first time that President Coolidge and Secretary Hoover had met since the latter had been nominated by the Republican Convention for President of the United States.

A few days later, July 17th, 1928, was my wife's 39th birthday. Suzanne surprised her by giving her for a present some of the dear little girl's own money. This gratified my wife and me very much indeed. It was that day that Helen received a very fine letter with much news from Mrs. Coolidge written from Wisconsin and dated July 15th. It was written on White House stationery. To quote the letter:

"Dear Helen:

"It seems to be your turn, this time. We have been sitting out on the front porch (Sunday evening) and the big fish have been jumping and splashing like all possessed so the President could resist no longer and he is out there now fishing from the landing and the bank.

"Well, tomorrow is the day and business will be humming. The Hoover train is due in Superior at 8:30 and, after the Superiorites consider the party sufficiently welcomed, Secretary and Mrs. Hoover

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will proceed to Cedar Island Lodge by the Brule. Can you imagine the train that will follow in their wake? There will be the newspapermen and photographers assigned to 'cover' the President and the horde detailed to note every move {begin inserted text}of{end inserted text} the p {begin inserted text}P{end inserted text} residential c {begin inserted text}C{end inserted text} andidate. All the cars are to be numbered and marked "Official", all others will be stopped at the outer gate, two miles out. Upon arrival at the gate, some little distance from the lodge, all cars stop and passengers alight. The Secretary and Mrs. Hoover will then be escorted to the inner portals, all others remaining outside until summoned. I am keenly interested to see how it will all works out. It is going to be great fun to sit on the sidelines and watch the fun. Probably this letter would be more interesting written after the event than before, but I am owing Mother Stearns a letter and I will write to her wh {begin inserted text}e{end inserted text} n it is all over.

"I hope you had good weather for your trip over the Mohawk Trail. It is lovely country. I do not suppose you had time to stop at 'Sweetheart Inn'. It is one of my old favorites but I have not been there since the new house was built. I haven't thought I should like it as well as the old rustic one.

"All goes well here. It was a little difficult until we got adjusted and made up our minds to overlook some inconveniences. I must say everybody has been very considerate and I have heard of little grumbling. There is almost nothing to do. The President is getting a good rest and that is what we came for.

"John has been to Duluth twice and to Superior once for golf and, tomorrow night, he goes to a picnic three miles up the river.

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"Doctor Boone asked about my health in the letter which he wrote about Mother. Would you tell him, please, that it is perfect? I have regained the pounds I lost and feel fine. I am resting faithfully every afternoon and walking a little. There are some lovely walks through the woods covered with bark and pine needles and the 'smell' of the pines, the balsams, and the cedars is delightful. King Cole is a fine dog to take for a walk. (I cannot say as much for all my companions!) He keeps close by and if he runs ahead of you {begin inserted text}a few{end inserted text} yards he soon turns and walks back to meet the pedestrian. Bob or Tim get the scent of some animal and run off into the bushes. It requires some time and effort to recall them. Tim got a rabbit, the other day, in no time at all. Bob always goes in his canoe with the President when he goes fishing.

"Bed time--the President had no luck with the jumping, frolicking fish.

"I hope this will find everybody well. Give my love to the family and here's some for you.

"Sincerely your friend,
"Grace Coolidge."

On {begin inserted text}When{end inserted text} July 18 arrived I was deeply conscious that it was the tenth anniversary of the Soissons battle of World War I, the day of the great attack we made out of Villerets-Coterets.

The next two or three days I was very much absorbed thinking about all the occurrences of those mid-July days in intense battle. Life for me was almost terminated momentarily on several occasions.

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Newspapers began to have articles about the visit of Secretary Hoover and Mrs. Hoover to President and Mrs. Coolidge on the Brule, together with photographs of the four principals. One of the photographs had John Coolidge standing with them. From left to right was Mrs. Coolidge, President Coolidge, Secretary Hoover, Mrs. Hoover, and John, apparently standing in front of some part of the lodge the Coolidges occupied on the Brule. The picture, the President was dressed in blue coat and white trousers with white shoes, while Mr. Hoover was in a dark business suit with vest and carrying a Panama hat. Mrs. Coolidge was in a white dress, white shoes, no hat. And Mrs. Hoover was in a flowered what seemed to be a silk dress, dark shoes, and a hat. The President was looking very sour with one of his dour expressions, first photograph I am describing.

Then another one from a rotogravure, Sunday edition of one of the newspapers, photograph apparently taken by the Associated Press showed President Coolidge and Secretary Hoover sitting very comfortably in {begin inserted text}draw?{end inserted text} straw high-backed chairs with arms. Both looked relaxed. The President had a little smile on his countenance. Mr. Hoover was, seemed to be chatting. There was no evidence of strain on the part of even the {begin inserted text}se{end inserted text} principals, the incumbent of the presidential office and the aspiring successor t that office.

Then there is another rotogravure picture, taken, no doubt, by the Associated Press. It shows Mrs. Hoover sitting on a large rock, holding a fan, and Mrs. Coolidge sitting on a bench or edge of edge

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of {begin inserted text}a{end inserted text} few steps in the garden. John is sitting between them. He's got a broad grin on his face. Mrs. Hoover is smiling, and Mrs. Coolidge is pointing out, apparently, something of interest to Mrs. Hoover. All three of these principals in the photograph look very well, and it was indeed gratifying to see that Mrs. Coolidge's cheeks had filled out. John looked particularly well, better than I had seen him for quite some time. The climate on the Brule must have agreed with Mrs. Coolidge, and also a very important contributing part to the improvement of her health, no doubt, was that the Republican Convention was over, that a man had been nominated to succeed her husband, and now she could look with definiteness to termination of being the First Lady on {begin inserted text}when{end inserted text} March 4 would roll around next year. It cheered my heart very much to see these photographs now well and cheerful, for the most part, those in the photographs were looking.

Mrs. Boone and I gave a dinner for 31 guests aboard the MAYFLOWER, which was our custom whenever the ship was in the Boston-Swampscott-Marblehead area. We would like to have it particularly for Mr. and Mrs. Stearns who always were very fond of being aboard the presidential yacht. The guests were composed principally of our intimate friends living in the area of this beautiful resort. They included this time practically all of the officers aboard the MAYFLOWER. We were extending reciprocal hospitality to these many friends of ours who had entertained us, not once but many times during the summer. Besides the Stearns on this occasion were Esther and Morris LaCroix,

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the {begin inserted text}Ward{end inserted text} Paine, Steve and Priscilla Paine, Edwardses, Lodges, the Viles, the Megans, Bredenburgs, Prescott granddaughters of the Stearns, the Ebbitt girls, Miss Bailey, Rushes, my shipmates Wiltse, Johns, Griswold, and Hipp.

We had music and movies after the dinner. Everyone who was it entertained aboard the MAYFLOWER at any time considered {begin inserted text}it{end inserted text} one of the highlights of their lives, and us officers, able, by entertaining aboard the MAYFLOWER to do so an atmosphere and under circumstances far superior to any hotel or club to which we might invite our friends for dinner or any kind of entertainment as we were able to provide aboard the MAYFLOWER.

Under date of July 20th Mrs. Hoover {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}Coolidge{end handwritten}{end inserted text} wrote me from the Brule with a letter mailed from Superior, Wisconsin. The letter was written on White House stationery and stated:

"Dear Doctor Boone:

"Your letter has just come (Thursday afternoon) and I certainly appreciate your writing in detail, as you did. I do not feel sure that this letter will reach you before you leave Red Gables, but Mrs. Stearns will have your forwarding address and I am sure that she will send it on to you.

"A letter from Mrs. Hills arrived in the same mail with yours in which she told me that the drain had been removed from Jack's leg (that's Jack Hills). The doctor felt confident he it was healing properly. I hope that he will l be able to go to New London as planned.

"My letter to Helen must have reassured you as to my own health.

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I am perfectly well. My specimen test yesterday was perfect. Doctor Coupal said he would give me "honorable mention". I continue to take the medicine which he gave me three times daily, before meals, am eating well and have egg albumen every afternoon in addition. I weigh 119 pounds stripped. I am sorry your own weight is becoming so alarming. One must consider one's wardrobe.

"Such an amusing letter from Mrs. James Davi d {begin inserted text}s{end inserted text} in which she wrote, 'I have been told by different people that you have diabetes, tumors, tuberculosis, cancer, change of life, etc., and since I know that you have recovered from all of them,' etc., etc. She says it has been 'awfully hot' in Washington.

"Delighted that Suzanne is really swimming. Too bad there hasn't been more ideal swimming weather.

"John gets on very well out here and is getting to the place where he wants to begin to work. He said today that he was going to get a job working on the road.

"Many events of interest are transpiring daily. It was great fun having the Hoovers here. The {begin inserted text}A{end inserted text} message came late Monday night, after we had all retired, and Mr. Hoover was called to the telephone. It was to the effect that Mrs. Hoover's father had suffered a shock and was not expected to live through the following day. He did not tell Mrs. Hoover because she couldn't get there any faster than they were traveling and he thought there was no necessity for her worrying about it.

"I take Mr. Fitzgerald for a walk nearly every day. There are some lovely walks and trails laid out through the woods. I have

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managed to elude him about 2 or 3 occasions and get off by myself with King Cole as companion, guide, and friend. He is a good dog to take for a walk, as he stays close by and when we are on the road he knows what to do if an automobile comes along.

"It seems hardly possible that we have been here five weeks, tomorrow. We shall soon be packing up to leave. The weather is delightful--just raining enough to settle dust and keep everything fr om {begin inserted text}esh{end inserted text} and green. We do not entertain very much. Secretary and Mrs. Wilbur and Mr. Cochrane are expected next week Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Glen Frank lunch with us next Wednesday. Senator (ex) and Mrs. Lenroot were here for lunch, today. So it goes.

"I hope all goes well with thee and thine.

"Glad tidings,
"Sincerely,
"Grace Coolidge."

"July 19, 1928."

It was very gratifying to hear from Mrs. Coolidge that they had such a delightful time with the Hoovers when they were visiting them. Also that her health had returned to normalcy. What she said confirmed what I noted in the photographs of her taken when the Hoovers were visiting them on the Brule. I also felt that John was enjoy h {begin inserted text}i{end inserted text} ng himself up at the Brule, as he had not been able to do when his parents were at Swampscott in the summer of 1925 or in the Adirondacks when they occupied White Pine Camp in the summer of 1926. As with Mrs. Coolidge, the photograph of him taken in the newspapers evidenced

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that he was looking well and seemed happy, which did my heart a lot of good.

Very gratified that Captain Pleadwell of the Naval Medical Corps? in the Swampscott area ? week in July of 1928. I liked him very much. Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy, fine student, perfect gentleman, and was very kind to me before I went to France and when he visited France during World War I.

Sunday, July 22nd, Helen and I had the pleasure of having lunch with our dear friends, General and Mrs. John Archer Lejeune at Gloucester, Massachusetts. He and I reminisced a great deal about World War I and the Fourth Marine Brigade and the great Second Division, which he commanded latter months of the war. I had the most tremendous admiration for him. Mrs. Lejeune was a very charming lady, a sister of other f friends of ours, Mrs. Robert M. Kennedy, wife of Rear Admiral Kennedy of the Naval Medical Corps.

Mrs. Stearns was having her ups and downs healthwise. I knew she overdid, but was full of zest and liked to be on the go, even beyond her physical capacities. I was having quite a time in mid-July with Mr. Stearns, because he became irritable. He curtailed or stopped his smoking. I advised him to stop. I had strongly advised him to stop it completely, because I knew it was harmful to him, and also injured himself very much by his over-eating, but get him a bit irate, seemed to have more influence on getting him to curtail his smoking and cutting getting to the point of cutting it out and reducing his food intake. Getting irate didn't disturb me, but

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I never liked him to get irate and hypercritical of people, [???] those whom I liked and admired.

July 23rd my wife and daughter went alone to G {begin inserted text}loaned{end inserted text} Lieutenant Griswold's automobile. As a matter of fact, he wished them to drive it ba k {begin inserted text}c{end inserted text} k to Washington for him, as he could not take it on the MAYFLOWER. He and I set had sailed {begin inserted text}set sail{end inserted text} on the MAYFLOWER from the Boston Navy Yard at 9:30 that morning. It was good to be back aboard ship and underway. I was always happy during my Naval career to cruise on whatever ships I was assigned to {begin inserted text}to{end inserted text} duty. While calibrating our compass off Gardner's Island at anchors, we officers had a chan d {begin inserted text}c{end inserted text} e to swim over the side, which was very delightful. Gardner's Bay was a beautiful body of water in which to swim. I always got a lot of work done when I was ab a {begin inserted text}o{end inserted text} ard ship and we were cruising and also was able to accomplish a lot of reading and writing. I was able then to get my Naval house in order, it seemed, and not be distracted by obligations ashore any nature, professional care of people, or for social events, as pleasant as they w all were. Officers attached to the MAYFLOWER at the time of our trip to New England in 1928 and returning to Washington were very delightful, and we were all compatible one with the other.

We spent two days in the bay off Gardner's Island [???] calibrating the compasses, drills, simulated maneuvers get under way. Period from the time we left Swampscott to arrive at New London was one of accomplishment for me, made me happy to get caught up in my accumulated work, which had been put aside for other

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things. I was really getting things done that I had not had time to accomplish elsewhere.

It was on July 26th while we were at Gardner's Island listened on the radio to the Tunney-Heney (?) fight while we were simultaneously watching the movies. We didn't have T.V. in those days could seen the fight and rather than listened to it on the radio. This was a very brutal fight. Tunney was given decision of "a technical knockout".

Getting underway and leaving Gardner's Bay off Gardner's Island we cruised to New London, Connecticut, arriving there at 9:45 a.m. on the 27th of July. Commanding Officer, Captain Brown, made his official call on Admiral Brumby, the senior officer present, and Admiral Brumby in return calling on Captain Brown aboard the MAYFLOWER. There was lots of activity in the New London area.

After an inspection aboard the MAYFLOWER, I left for Swampscott. Stopped to see the Stearns Jack West, she the daughter of Doctor and Mrs. Irvine, Stearns for dinner, so I had very profitable and pleasant chat, very serious nature, for Hart and Jack in relation to Mercersburg and Hart's mother. Happily, Helen and Suzanne had not gone directly to Washington, but they had gone for a visit up in New Hampshire, a long way around from Swampscott to Washington, so I had a chance to visit with them.

I left with them at noon for Concord to go to see the Herbert Hoover, juniors , . Unfortunately, they were away for the d day.

From Concord we proceeded on to New London, having a very beautiful ride. The three of us dined that evening with Captain and

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Mrs. Andrews. He was then commanding the New London Naval Base.

The next day, July 30th, Helen and Suzanne left in Griswold's car to New London for Pottsville. Felt Helen looked very tired, but I realized that I had been forcing her on long drives and with too much activity in between stops. The MAYFLOWER sailed that day for Gardner's Bay. We again had some swimming off the side, which all of us enjoyed very much, except it was quite rough with some high winds. That gave us more exercise to swim in rougher water.

We sailed almost every day with some of the officers, particularly Thebaud, Reese, and sometimes Captain Brown. Became very fond of sailing. It was so rough one day that we cracked the mainsail. -- time once before we had to row back to the MAYFLOWER, a distance of several miles. It was tough going. In order that I gain a great deal of sun shine {begin inserted text}burn{end inserted text} , I just wore shorts.

The next day we remained at anchor all day so that the crew could have ri d {begin inserted text}f{end inserted text} le practice . under Captain Bayard Bell's instruction. He was the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps guard on the MAYFLOWER at that time. Perfect gentleman and a very splendid officer. We all liked him very much aboard the MAYFLOWER. Liked Edgar Allen Poe, his predecessor too. Both were delightful shipmates. Even had my two hospital corpsmen, Lucky and Black, take rifle practice. Made them feel really a part of the combat element, as it were, of the crew. Lieutenant Reese told Captain Brown that wardroom officer so pleased with me as a shipmate that they voted 100% that I be retained after a new president came in office

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forthcoming March. I considered it a very high compliment, coming from my shipmates wardroom brothers on the MAYFLOWER.

August 3rd left New London for Northampton, traveling by bus as far as Hartford, then by train from there. After supper at the Hills', spent the night at the Coolidges' home at 21 Massosoit Street. I found Mrs. Goodhue not so well as when I left her on my previous visit. She seemed very pleased to see me, for I had returned to Northampton for that purpose. She was having considerable nausea, quite a little pain, requiring larger doses of morphine than heretofore. She brightened up when I entered her sickroom, then became very quiet.

The next day she told me that she was very, very tired. Looked thinner and was taking no nourishment whatsoever. Terribly hot in Northampton with a high humidity.

I wired Mrs. Coolidge in Wisconsin: "Went Northampton from New London Friday (August 3, 1928). Intense heat probably accounts for condition not quite as satisfactory. Do not feel necessary to remain beyond Saturday. Keeping touch with Hayes. Letter follows."

While I stated that the {begin inserted text}intense{end inserted text} heat may have contributed to appearance of failing health in my telegram to Mrs. Coolidge in order not to unduly alarm her, yet Hayes and I doubted that that was the reason for her losing ground. Realized she was not as well, but asked me not to give her daughter Grace concern, saying that she believed she would be feeling better in a few days. I felt there was no reason

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for me to remain longer in Northampton, as she was having excellent nursing care and the problem became pretty much one just for that. Doctor Hayes had been at his summer place and very kindly came to Northampton to confer with me when he learned that I was going to be there. Always most considerate, courteous, made me feel very much a part of the medical team in caring for Mrs. Goodhue. He assured me that he would keep in touch with me radio every few days. I was aware, of course, that should this intense heat spell continue, Mrs. Goodhue may not rally, but I really considered, in the main, that this phase was all a part of her illness. She was worsening. She was passing through a process well known to me declining health . which could not help but terminate in her death. How long that would take, nobody should predict it.

I learned from Mrs. Goodhue's case, a woman of advanced age and with an incurable ?ty not to prognosticate when death would occur. Life continued to exist long after it had been thought she could live. Then to her local physician it seemed that death was imminent, he would notify us, {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}telephoning{end handwritten}{end inserted text} Mrs. Coolidge and me in Washington. We would return to see Mrs. Goodhue again. Terrible ordeal for Mrs. Coolidge, separated from her mother, to find that she should from time to time return to Northampton to be present at the terminal period of life. It did not occur as surmised. No one, no physician can predict life will be terminated, certainly not in an old person. It's not only unwise, but a dangerous thing for a physician to so make a terminal prognosis.

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After I returned to the MAYFLOWER I found that Captain {begin inserted text}Colonel{end inserted text} Latrobe had written to Captain Brown a rather stupid letter in reply to his {begin inserted text}an{end inserted text} inquiry that Captain Brown had made pertaining to tentative funeral arrangements for Mrs. Goodhue following her d {begin inserted text}e{end inserted text} ath. Latrobe suggested very pointedly to Brown that he, Brown, and I sit tight about any arrangements unless ordered what to do from the presidential headquarters at Sup {begin inserted text}e{end inserted text} rior, Wisconsin. My directions, given to me by Mrs. Coolidge, were entirely different from those and others were seemingly thought to. Latrobe said that the Brule was a very stupid place unless one liked to do nothing but fish.

The MAYFLOWER left New London at 9 o'clock a.m. August 6th, anchoring off Gardner's Island in the afternoon. It was so cold that all of us officers enjoyed an open fireplace in the wardroom.

The next day we stayed at anchor all day south of Gardner's Island because of dense fog.

The next day we came to anchor between Gardner's Island and Montauk Point. Storm warnings had decided Captain Brown to sail for New York, leaving late in the afternoon. All of us aboard the MAYFLOWER regretted leaving New London and the Gardner's Bay area.

We arrived in New York on August 9th at 2 p.m. Very interesting trip coming up from Ambrose Light through a great deal of shipping, approaching New York , and departing from it. We anchored off 79th Street dock.

Before leaving New London, I had had a wire from Lenore Ulric that Sidney Blackmer had been operated on; that he was very anxious to see me, and for me to please telephone her that evening, which I did.

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I found that Sidney had had a s {begin inserted text}r{end inserted text} uptured appendix with peritonitis. Until the day before she sent me a wire, there was little hope that Sidney could survive. Then Sidney showed some improvement and there was hope for his recovery. Lenore was terribly upset about Sidney. She wanted me to get in touch with her just as soon as I reached New York. Sidney was a patient at the Harbor Hospital (I suspect it was the Harlem Hospital, not knowing the names of the hospitals in New York but a very few).

As soon as I was able to go ashore after we anchored, I went to see Sidney Blackmer and Lenore Ulric with Mrs. Blackmer, Sidney's mother, very charming Southern lady from Salisbury, North Carolina. We had dinner at Lenore's home that evening, when she took Mrs. Blackmer and me to the Cotton Club.

The next day I had Lenore, Mrs. Blackmer, Sr., and Sidney's brother Luke Blackmer aboard the MAYFLOWER for dinner. Humidity was awful, improved after a very terrific rainstorm. At least, we thought it had, but it was only {begin inserted text}a{end inserted text} temporary release from the awful humidity, because the next day it was horrible again when I again went to the hospital to see Sidney, when I had dinner at Lenore's where I listened to the speech of acceptance by Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover. I was very, very much interested in hearing this address. I was annoyed that others, that is, Lenore and the Blackmer e family who were rabid Democrats, were not interested and were not quietly attentive so that I could hear it as fully as I wished to. I was invited to visit Lenore . {begin inserted text}and{end inserted text} S {begin inserted text}s{end inserted text} he had Mrs. Blackmer and Luke Blackmer as guests, to

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spent the weekend in her home at Harmon.

Doctor Hayes telephoned me that Sunday to the effect that the condition of Mrs. Goodhue was unchanged and that she had been able to take only about a half an ounce of milk at any one time since Thursday, and that she had no recollection of my having been to see her the previous Saturday. Hayes th r ought he would have to ask me to return to Northampton.

I told him to wire me the next day, {begin inserted text}which was Monday,{end inserted text} which was Monday, or Tuesday. He wired me on Tuesday to the effect, "Condition much improved." I was able to transmit to Mrs. Coolidge in Wisconsin the latter message from Hayes that her mother's condition was much improved as of that time. I was gratified to give Mrs. Coolidge a lift and ease some of her strain. I knew how badly she felt to be so far away from her mother. Followed my letter up with a radio to her so that Mrs. Coolidge would have it, as I timed it just about after she received my air mail letter.

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