The Unique Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge, America's 30th President, at Plymouth, Vermont, August 3, 1923: The Swearing in of 'Silent Cal', by Vrest Orton (TPB, 1998, $1)
These days who cares about Calvin Coolidge, but in August of 1923 people sure cared. President Harding had just died in San Fransisco, and someone had to tell the Vice-President, but how? He was vacationing at his father's Vermont village home. Colonel Coolidge, Calvin's father, had no phone. The only phone in the village was at the general store, and it had long closed for the night. So everyone, wanting to be the first to reach the new president, raced their cars to the village.
The first to get there, by three minutes, was the Western Union agent's husband. Then came the big time reporters, who were disappointed to find the "president" asleep. With nothing happening till morning, they all raced back to town to phone in the story. All, that is, except the inexperienced one, Joe Fountain.
All this time the country had no president. This couldn't be, but what could be done? Normally the Supreme Court's Chief Justice administered the presidential oath of office, but he was in Washington. But wait, didn't it only have to be a government official, and Calvin's father was a government official, even if he was only a notary public. But what was the oath? It was sort of important to get it right. Ahhh, the Coolidges owned a copy of the Vermont Statutes which included the oath.
So by the light of a kerosene lamp, Calvin Coolidge officially became president, and standing right behind him was Joe Fountain.With that done, the new president just wanted to get some sleep, but more and more people kept arriving. Major arguments erupted about how and when he would go to Washington, and who would guard him. ( His first "guard" was a railway mail clerk and his tiny gun!)
You can read the rest of the story here, just look on the new non-fiction table. (L-AH)
