Coolidge Greets Morticians, Thinks They're Bricklayers
A crowded engagement calendar left the chief executive without knowing who his visitors were, so as 200 undertakers filed past his desk he asked an office aide to identify them. The answer given by Everett Sanders, secretary to the president, was "morticians," but by the time it reached the desk the aide relayed it as "bricklayers," and the delegation continued past to the end.
Washington, Sept. 28.—(AP)—Morticians are "bricklayers" to some unnamed aide at the White House. And the misunderstanding, relayed to President Coolidge as he received 200 undertakers yesterday, left him in ignorance of the occupation of the men with whom he was conversing.
A crowded engagement calendar prevented the chief executive from knowing the identity of his visitors before they began filing past his desk.
"Who are these men?" he asked one of the office aides.
The question was transmitted to Everett Sanders, secretary to the president.
"Morticians," he replied. The recipient of the information, who was to relay it to the president, looked slightly puzzled, but by the time he reached President Coolidge's desk the problem had been solved.
"Bricklayers," he told President Coolidge sotto voice and the delegation continued past the desk to the end.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Yesterday's paper
September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.
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Today's paper
October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.
You do.
Coolidge Greets Morticians, Thinks They're Bricklayers
A crowded engagement calendar left the chief executive without knowing who his visitors were, so as 200 undertakers filed past his desk he asked an office aide to identify them. The answer given by Everett Sanders, secretary to the president, was "morticians," but by the time it reached the desk the aide relayed it as "bricklayers," and the delegation continued past to the end.
Washington, Sept. 28.—(AP)—Morticians are "bricklayers" to some unnamed aide at the White House. And the misunderstanding, relayed to President Coolidge as he received 200 undertakers yesterday, left him in ignorance of the occupation of the men with whom he was conversing.
A crowded engagement calendar prevented the chief executive from knowing the identity of his visitors before they began filing past his desk.
"Who are these men?" he asked one of the office aides.
The question was transmitted to Everett Sanders, secretary to the president.
"Morticians," he replied. The recipient of the information, who was to relay it to the president, looked slightly puzzled, but by the time he reached President Coolidge's desk the problem had been solved.
"Bricklayers," he told President Coolidge sotto voice and the delegation continued past the desk to the end.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Yesterday's paper
September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.
Receive the original news from the press of 100 years ago, daily, weekly or monthly. Subscribe by December 1, 2026 and get
20% off for life!
Today's paper
October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.
You do.
Coolidge Greets Morticians, Thinks They're Bricklayers
A crowded engagement calendar left the chief executive without knowing who his visitors were, so as 200 undertakers filed past his desk he asked an office aide to identify them. The answer given by Everett Sanders, secretary to the president, was "morticians," but by the time it reached the desk the aide relayed it as "bricklayers," and the delegation continued past to the end.
Washington, Sept. 28.—(AP)—Morticians are "bricklayers" to some unnamed aide at the White House. And the misunderstanding, relayed to President Coolidge as he received 200 undertakers yesterday, left him in ignorance of the occupation of the men with whom he was conversing.
A crowded engagement calendar prevented the chief executive from knowing the identity of his visitors before they began filing past his desk.
"Who are these men?" he asked one of the office aides.
The question was transmitted to Everett Sanders, secretary to the president.
"Morticians," he replied. The recipient of the information, who was to relay it to the president, looked slightly puzzled, but by the time he reached President Coolidge's desk the problem had been solved.
"Bricklayers," he told President Coolidge sotto voice and the delegation continued past the desk to the end.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Yesterday's paper
September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.
Receive the original news from the press of 100 years ago, daily, weekly or monthly. Subscribe by December 1, 2026 and get
20% off for life!
Today's paper
October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.
You do.
Coolidge Greets Morticians, Thinks They're Bricklayers
A crowded engagement calendar left the chief executive without knowing who his visitors were, so as 200 undertakers filed past his desk he asked an office aide to identify them. The answer given by Everett Sanders, secretary to the president, was "morticians," but by the time it reached the desk the aide relayed it as "bricklayers," and the delegation continued past to the end.
Washington, Sept. 28.—(AP)—Morticians are "bricklayers" to some unnamed aide at the White House. And the misunderstanding, relayed to President Coolidge as he received 200 undertakers yesterday, left him in ignorance of the occupation of the men with whom he was conversing.
A crowded engagement calendar prevented the chief executive from knowing the identity of his visitors before they began filing past his desk.
"Who are these men?" he asked one of the office aides.
The question was transmitted to Everett Sanders, secretary to the president.
"Morticians," he replied. The recipient of the information, who was to relay it to the president, looked slightly puzzled, but by the time he reached President Coolidge's desk the problem had been solved.
"Bricklayers," he told President Coolidge sotto voice and the delegation continued past the desk to the end.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Yesterday's paper
September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.
Receive the original news from the press of 100 years ago, daily, weekly or monthly. Subscribe by December 1, 2026 and get
20% off for life!
Today's paper
October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.
You do.
Coolidge Greets Morticians, Thinks They're Bricklayers
A crowded engagement calendar left the chief executive without knowing who his visitors were, so as 200 undertakers filed past his desk he asked an office aide to identify them. The answer given by Everett Sanders, secretary to the president, was "morticians," but by the time it reached the desk the aide relayed it as "bricklayers," and the delegation continued past to the end.
Washington, Sept. 28.—(AP)—Morticians are "bricklayers" to some unnamed aide at the White House. And the misunderstanding, relayed to President Coolidge as he received 200 undertakers yesterday, left him in ignorance of the occupation of the men with whom he was conversing.
A crowded engagement calendar prevented the chief executive from knowing the identity of his visitors before they began filing past his desk.
"Who are these men?" he asked one of the office aides.
The question was transmitted to Everett Sanders, secretary to the president.
"Morticians," he replied. The recipient of the information, who was to relay it to the president, looked slightly puzzled, but by the time he reached President Coolidge's desk the problem had been solved.
"Bricklayers," he told President Coolidge sotto voice and the delegation continued past the desk to the end.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Reproduced unchanged from The Bismarck Tribune, September 28, 1926, page 1.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.
Yesterday's paper
September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.
Receive the original news from the press of 100 years ago, daily, weekly or monthly. Subscribe by December 1, 2026 and get
20% off for life!
Today's paper
October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.