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Show UNCLE TED, WITH COOLIDGE RIDES CHANKS' MARE "I wish you would play golf, Uncle Un-cle Ted, and let us have some of your old golf balls to play with," said Jack, as the three pals sat on the front porch after supper. "There goes Mr. Brown, Just coming back from the country club, and I saw his golf clubs sticking out of the side of y his auto. He lets George Brown have his golf balls to play with after they get too badly Injured to be good to play golf with." "Yes," chimed in Ruth, "we could lat the balls around here on the lawn and then we could bounce them on the sidewalk. It Is wonderful how a golf ball will bounce." "Why don't you play golf, Uncle Ted?" continued Jack. "Well, kiddles, I have often thought of it, but never could see how I could find the time. But I'll get you some golf balls to play with if you want them. "The matter of time Is not the only on-ly reason I do not play golf, but it is the principal reason. You see. I am pretty busy with my work. I'm still a comparatively young man and have to keep pretty close to the job to make a success of my business. There is not much pleasure in playing golf unless a man plays often enough to play a fairly good game, and I never ' felt that I could play that often." "But our physical director at the school says that everyone should take some regular exercise." interrupted Ruth." "Well, I do take regular exercise," replied Undo Ted. "I walk down town every' morning and back, every night, and then my work takes me out on the street a great deal every chiy. That kind of exercise does not take any time away from my busi ness, it wouin take me practically a half day to go out and play a game of golf. "Just to put myself in good company, com-pany, I am going to remind you that I take the same kind of exercise that the President of the United States takes. President Coolidge does not play golf, but he goes for a walk every morning. He walks two or three miles, or even more, sometimes before breakfast but always before office hours. That does not take any time away from his work and I judge (hat it is all the exercise he needs in order to keep fit. for I read in tne papers the other day that President Coolidge had been examined by physicians phy-sicians at Walter Reed hospital and had been found In line physical condition. con-dition. "I don't know what other reasons Mr. Coolidge may have had for not playing golf, but I suppose they are pretty much the same as mine. The game is quite exensive and neither M.r. Coolidge nor myself ever seemed inclined" to form expensive habits.. While he was practicing law in North hampton, Mass., and while he was governor of his state yes and while he was vice president, Mr. Coolidge used to go back to his old home on the farm at Plymouth, Vermont, every ev-ery .summer, for his vacation. He put in his time helping with the farm work, pitching hay and such other work as must be done on a farm. That was just as good exercise a? playing golf, audi he got more fresh country air and the change of climate cli-mate too. "You remember that Persident Harding died in the summer and when the news of his death came, Mri Coolidge was up there in Vermont on the farm and he took the oath of office there. : "Now I don't want you to understand under-stand that because I do not play golf and remind, you that the President 0 fthe United States does not play. 1 am assuming that e-verybody who does play is unwise or extravagant. There are a lot of pv pie who have plenty of time to plav rrd who enjoy v rt -d can afford it. i is a mighty food ibing for ;he;n. l-nt I also think V is a mighty good f 'nt' for a. lot of people to keep p-v..ty close to the job and live eeonci 'cUly. "That is what President Coolidge has always done, and he is putting his personal habits into practice in managing the country's business. Before Be-fore he went to Washington he lived i none half of a double house for which he paid $36 a month rent. He probably could have afforded something some-thing more elaborate and expensive, but he did not see the need of it. You remember I quoted to you once his talk to the Massachusetts Staie senate when he was elecied presiding officer. He started.: out with the words 'Do the day's work. "Getting the work done and avoiding avoid-ing needless expense seem to havt been life-long habits, of President Coolidge and they have helped a lot snice he has been President. About a month ago, you remember, he addressed ad-dressed a gathering of the head of departments an dbureaus in Washington Wash-ington and urged upon them the importance im-portance of giving people , of the country good service and keeping down exenses. He has been able to secure the hearty cooperation of the government employees in this work and I think is is because he has been setting them an example, and all the others are glad to help. However, President Coolidge does not believe in all work and cently appointed a national recreation recrea-tion commission, which will devise plans to enable people to get more enjoyment and use from our national nation-al parks and other recreational opportunities. op-portunities. "I have heard a saying among my golf friends that if work interferes with golf, cut out the work. Now I'm going to get you two some golf balls to play with here on the lawn, but I want you to promise that if play interferes in-terferes with the few little tasks that mother has for you to do, you will postpone the play until after the work is done. "We'll promise," exclaimed both of the children. "All right, then, good night." |