Coral Gables Riviera

CORAL GABLES RIVIERA

AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 16TH YEAR NO. 33 CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, AUGUST 29, 1941 PRICE FIVE CENTS

Gotta Minute, Mister?

—Photo by Manley Brower Studios I know I'm just a mutt, and you're awfully busy, but I just want to put in a plug for Mr. Pusey and the Humane Society. They're a lot of help to us pups and they need your help. Any little bit you can give we'll sure appreciate. Thanks.

Gableites Respond Warmly To Humane Society Appeal

Coral Gables residents came to the aid of indigent animals this week, responding "warmly" to a drive for funds for the Humane Society of Greater Miami. The local committee will continue its efforts to secure contributions during the coming week, Mrs. Lloyd W. Park said yesterday. Mrs. Park, with Mrs. Alfred Kleupfel and Mrs. Stuart McKenzie, is conducting the Coral Gables campaign. "The response to the drive has been very encouraging", Mrs. Park stated," and contributions are coming in every day. We have set a quota of $550 for Coral Gables, and are extremely [?hopeful?] of obtaining that amount by the end of next week." Coin boxes have been placed at many of the business houses in the Coral Gables area, and the ladies are making personal solicitations. Since the drive was launched last Monday, contributions have been received from several residents, now in the North, Mrs. Parks reported. An appropriation of $1,800 for the Society was voted Wednesday by the Miami city commission. The Coral Gables commission had previously voted an allotment of $25 per month, while Miami Beach is giving $50 and South Miami and Miami Shores, $10 monthly. Charles W. Pusey, superintendent of the society, said: "It was the most heart-warming response we have ever received."

COURT'S GOOD WISHES TAKE PLACE OF FINE FOR R.A.F. FLYER DIBBLE

The good wishes of the Criminal Court replaced a fine for Flight Lieut. N. C. K. Dibble, commanding officer of the R. A. F. navigation cadets, Monday when he appeared for driving without a Florida driver's license. L. J. Hamel, Assistant County Socilitos, withheld making this charges when Dibble explained that his English license had recently expired and that he understood he could wait until September 1 before applying for his Florida card. Hamel, in withdrawing the charges, said the flight officer was engaged in duties of national well-being. Dibble appeared before Judge Ben C. Willard in Criminal Court Monday, but only to hear the judge say, "There is nothing on the record against you, lieutenant. That's all—and good luck."

Phil Lehman Hurt in Wreck

Phil Lehman, 222 Avenue Calabrla, was reported much improved yesterday at the University Hospital, where he has been confined following injuries sustained in an automobile accident on Tuesday afternoon. Lehman suffered chest injuries, a cut left foot, a cut on his nose and other bruises and contusions when his car jumped the curb and crashed into a utility pole at Ponce de Leon Boulevard and the Tamiami Trail. Because there was no evidence of the brakes being applied, Officer E. H. McGough, who answered the wreck call, ventured the opinion that Lehman had fallen asleep at the wheel. The car was demolished.

Father Soper Passes Away

The Rev. Benjamin William Soper, who for 25 years was pastor of the St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove, died at his residence, 3439 Main Highway, Wednesday night after a long illness. He was 69. Father Soper was born in London, England in 1872. After coming here he became one of the area's best known churchmen and an outstanding religious leader. For several summers, he held the pastorate at Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, Mass. He is survived by the widow, Mrs. Effie M. Soper, and a son, Harold. Funeral arrangements had not been completed at press time last night. The body was taken to the Combs Funeral Home.

YOU CAN'T PULL THE WOOL OVER MY THIGHS!

THAT isn't quite as funny as it sounds—it's really quite a serious problem in some places. Read Jim Moore's OUR TOWN for an honest treatise on shorts for women—or men for that matter. See Page 6. EASY AS PIE! When that was first written it meant eating pie—but Mrs. Joe Whitley, our Mayor's wife, means making it—and we do mean lemon meringue. Page 2. DON'T KEEP IT QUIET! If you know a story about someone or ON someone you owe it to humanity to send it to the column pilot of THIS ONE'S ON YOU. Turn to Page 6 and chuckle through this week's collection of thisa and data. These and other features appear every week in The Coral Gables Riviera, your paper.

Fuel Crisis Threatens Bus Fare

TWO-WEEKS SCHOOL QUARANTINE SET Increased Gasoline Cost Plus Labor and Parts Rise May Cause Hike In Rate Increases in the price of gasoline, automotive parts and labor may eventually lead to the hiking of bus rates in Coral Gables, The Riviera learned yesterday. City Manager A. B. Curry revealed that not only had the city's gasoline allotment been cut 10 per cent, but that the contract price for gas had increased 25 per cent in the last month. "Thirty days ago we were paying 13 cents per gallon for gas," Curry said. "Now we are paying 16, with no guarantee that the price won't be reopened again." Curry said that bus drivers' wages had been increased in the new budget and that costs of automotive parts had gone up. "While we do not anticipate raising the bus fares at present," he said, "if prices continue to rise, it may be necessary." The City Manager said that other bus operators in the area were faced with the same problem, and a one-cent raise in fares had been discussed. The city purchases its gasoline on a bid basis, with Shaw Brothers Oil Company holding the current contract.

City Adopts Measure as Health Guard

Children returning from the North to attend Coral Gables schools will be expected to be in the city two weeks prior to their entering classes, city officials announced yesterday. The quarantine period is being adopted as a general health measure, City Manager A. B. Curry explained, and will apply to all children arriving home from other states. Curry said that the measure will guard against any and all communicable diseases to which the children might have been exposed. Several Florida county school boards have adopted a similar measure, the city manager said, and the Dade County Board of Public Instruction is expected to take the matter up at its next meeting. The Coral Gables Elementary School and the Merrick Demonstration School will open on September 15 and Ponce de Leon High School will begin sessions on September 12. The St. Theresa Parochial School will open September 9.

Stores Will Shut Doors Labor Day

While no official local celebration is planned, Coral Gables merchants will close their stores Monday in observance of Labor Day. Both Andrew Houston, chairman of the Merchants' Bureau, and Frank N. Holley, Jr., president of the Chamber of Commerce, stated that the majority of the stores in Coral Gables would remain closed all day giving employees the benefit of a long week-end. Many Gableites are planning to attend the festivities mapped by the Central Union Labor Day Committee in Miami. The program will start at 10 A. M. with the dedication of the blood bank building on the Jackson Memorial Hospital grounds. The building was erected by union men as a civic contribution. A barbecue, at the Miami Police Benevolent Association park, will start at 1 P. M., with children being admitted free. A band concert and speeches by Congressman Pat Cannon, Miami's Mayor, C. H. Reeder, and James Barret, Atlanta, public relations director of the American Federation of Labor, will follow at Bayfront Park. A beauty contest at Flamingo Park at 9:30 P. M. will be Miami Beach's contribution to the program. The winner will not only receive a trip to New York, but will be given a part in one of the pictures being made in Coral Gables by Colonnade Pictures Corp. She will also be named the Miami Beach official hostess for a year.

Optimist Official

Lucien L. Renuart, governor of the Fourth District, Optimist International, will represent the national organization at the founding of the Gables chapter tonight.

Optimists Will Install Gables' Club

Optimists of Greater Miami and Fort Lauderdale will meet at 7 o'clock this evening at the Country Club of Coral Gables for a dinner meeting to celebrate Founder's Night of the new Coral Gables Optimist Club. Sponsors of the new club are members of the Optimist Clubs of Miami, Miami Beach and Miami Shores, whose major objective as service clubs is youth and boy's welfare work—the slogan of the Optimist International being "Friend of the Boy." Harold U. Zimmerman of Coral Gables and member of the Miami Shores club, has been appointed by Optimist International as a founder member, and as such will be the temporary chairman during the organization period, which has been set for six weeks. Joe W. Whitley will give the address of welcome. Dignitaries of the Optimist Clubs who will participate in the rites are Stanley Axline, president of the Dade County Bar Association; Judge Henry L. Oppenborn, past district governor; Dr. George H. Wunk, president of the Miami Club; Louis E. Fesler, president of the Beach Club; Paul R. Thomas, president of the Shores Club, and Francis R. Hamilton, president of the Pompano-Broward Boys' Work Committee of Dade County. Lucien L. Renuart, governor of the Fourth District (Florida and Georgia), Optimist International, will represent the parent organization and will present the authorization for the new club. Dr. George Henry Bradford, educator and member of the Miami club, will be the principal speaker. Edgar L. Keuling, secretary of the Shores Club and International co-ordinator, will act as toastmaster and will guide the new club through the organization period.

Air Raid Warden Volunteers Will Be Called Next Week

Volunteers to fill the Coral Gables quota of Air Raid Wardens set by the Dade County Civilian Defense Council after a meeting of municipal chiefs of police and fire departments and head of service organizations from municipalities throughout the county recently, will be called for this week, it was announced following a meeting at City Hall attended by Mayor Joe Whitley, City Manager A. B. Curry, Commander W. Edward Krueger and V. E. Lambert of the Gables Legion Post and others assisting in the air warden organization. At the regular post meeting to be held next Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock at the Legion home, volunteers for this service will be called for by Chairman Lambert of the post's national defense committee. These volunteers will be in addition to those selected by city officials from citizens who volunteer. It was stated by the officials in charge of this organization work, that those serving as air wardens must be well known in their communities, be well informed regarding fire-fighting arrangements and other emergency protection facilities, patrol their areas during blackouts and prevent lights from showing and many other responsible tasks "should the war come to us".

Ken Beegle, Gun Expert, To Lecture

An exhibition of fancy shooting with rifle, pistol and shotgun will be presented at 4 P. M. Sunday by Ken Beegle, nationally known marksman, at the Palmetto Pistol Club range, west of Coral Gables. Beegle, appearing under the Palmetto Club's auspices, will also deliver a lecture on the safe handling of firearms. No charge will be made. The range is located just five and one-half miles west of Coral Gables and can be reached by either Coral Way or Red Road.

Attendance at Venetian Pool Hits New High

Wednesday the Venetian Pool had the largest swimming attendance it has had this year, when 943 took advantage of the 9,771, or 1,413 more than the entire August record of last year. Wednesday's total was 670, with an estimated 2,000 additional as spectators. According to Russell Ellington, pool director, August will set an all-time record for the pool since 1926, when it began operating under municipal guidance. The average daily attendance for August of this year has been 343, as compared to the 270 average for the same period of last year. Residence privilege cards, which have been in effect only six weeks, already have been distributed to 350 Coral Gables residents. The same privilege cards will be given University of Miami students. The cards, which are procurable at City Hall or at the pool, are good for one year, with no limit on the number of swims. Ellington plans to extend night swimming this year beyond the usual Labor Day closing, so long as weather permits. The pool will sponsor another water carnival Wednesday, September 10.

Seeking Silk Industry in South Florida

County Commissioner Charles Crandon of Dade County conferred last week with Secretary of Agriculture Wicker in Washington in the hope of interesting the government in the proposition of establishing a silk industry in South Florida. Forty-one years of experiments will back the appeal as the proposition of silk production in Florida is not new, and Dr. Thomas de Pamphilis of Coral Gables has devoted a lifetime of study to the problem and has supplied invaluable data as to the practical possibilities that exist. For over forty years Dr. Pamphilis has been planting, testing and working to produce mulberry trees in this area and his established records show that three varieties can be successfully grown, here, the Albomoors, Black English and Morettiani, that are capable of producing as much silk from the cocoons as those of the most favored sections. In 1923 de Pamphilis had under cultivation 120 acres of mulberry trees and had established a thriving enterprise that promised to place Florida in the forefront as a silk producer. Four years later he was wiped out in the hurricane. Biggest problem at this time is that of securing silk worms since the Orient and Italy are cut off and the only remaining sources are Syria and Turkey, but it is believed that a stock can be secured from those areas and that with government aid at this time the industry could be started here. Local people familiar with the work of Dr. De Pamphilis are enthusiastic and are firmly convinced that Florida can become one of the world's leading silk-producing areas.

Urges Painting Of Schoolrooms As Polio Guard

Seeking to prevent a recurrence of any polio cases, the fumigating and painting of all rooms in Coral Gables elementary schools is being sought by Coral Gables Civic club. The Klwanis Club took the lead Tuesday by forwarding a resolution to James T. Wilson, county superintendent of schools, questing that the work be done. The resolution was presented by William L. Gray, who stated that he would seek the support of the other service clubs in the community. "Since the medical profession does not know exactly how infantile paralysis is communicated," Gray said, "it seems sensible and essential to take every possible precaution. Coral Gables helped get the bond issue across for District 2, and so far has received no benefits, while helping to carry the burden. The least the school board can do is to fumigate and paint those rooms." Gray said that if the painting and fumigating would prevent one child from contracting the disease, that it would be worth it. He pointed out that polio had disappeared in Florida with the closing of the schools, and emphasized that everything should be done to prevent any more cases from developing.

Annual Apartment Rate Survey Started By Chamber of Commerce

The annual survey and listing of apartment house rates in Coral Gables was started yesterday by the Chamber of Commerce with a questionnaire being mailed to all owners and managers. "The schools will soon be opening," Mrs. Alvie Lindborg, secretary of the Chamber, said, "and this means an influx of students and their families. We have already had requests for information concerning housing facilities." It is the aim of the Chamber, Mrs. Lindborg pointed out, to maintain a complete list of all apartments available in the Gables, together with rates, both monthly and seasonal, and facilities offered by each apartment. She said that during the season the Chamber had hundreds of calls, daily, requesting information about apartments and rooms, and that many people had been placed through the list-free. If seasonal rate information is not yet available, Mrs. Lindborg has requested apartment owners to send in listings anyway, leaving the rate space blank. This can be filled in later. "The Chamber has also requested that apartment owners and managers urge their guests to register at the Chamber of Commerce. Many times friends and relatives arrive in town and come immediately to the Chamber of Commerce to try to locate them," she said. "If they are registered with us, we can find them immediately."

Gables Jaycees Honor Barrett

An honorary life membership in the Coral Gables Junior Chamber of Commerce has been conferred on A. W. Barrett, 501 Alhambra Circle, Dr. S. Hill Gordon, president, announced yesterday. Only three such memberships have been awarded in the history of the club," Gordon stated. "They are conferred on men who have made outstanding contributions to the benefit of the community."

GOES TO MISSOURI

Harry E. Penney of Coral Gables has completed his initial period of service at the Reception Center and will be transferred to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where he will be assigned to the Engineer Replacement Training Center.

Miss Belasco Returns

Viola Belasco has returned from New York City, where she attended the convention of the Dancing Masters of America at the Hotel Astor.

Gables Theatre Improvements To Cost $50,000

Plans for improvements and remodeling to the Gables Theatre, totaling over $50,000, were announced yesterday by Leroy J. Boone, manager. The work, which will start next week, will include an entire new front for the theatre, new box office, new seats and new carpeting. The theatre will close Monday night. The new facade will be curved and modernized, with the box office placed at the side. The rest rooms will be completely modernized and refurnished. New "super-comfort" seats will be installed throughout the house and aisle carpets, featuring a fluorescent design which glows in the dark, will be laid. A new screen will also be installed and new booth equipment acquired. Mr. Boone estimated that the work will take from six weeks to two months, during which time the Gables' policy will be taken over by the Coral Theatre.

Sixty-five Ponce de Leon Graduates Will Enter Colleges and Universities

By HELEN REYNOLDS The beauties of Coral Gables and South Florida will be cited through the eyes of youth to more than twenty-five universities and colleges this fall, when approximately 65 of our own Ponce de Leon High School graduates go off to institutions of higher learning in the next two weeks. This is the first time in the history of the school that it placed first among the senior high schools of Dade County in percentage of graduates making serious application to enter colleges. Its rating is 75 per cent. Breaking even is the University of Florida and the University of Miami, each getting ten young men apiece. Other colleges named are Duke, Gary, Cornell, Brown, Virginia Polytechnic Case School of Applied Science, Georgia Tech, M. I. T., the Eastern Nazarene, and many others. Tally Rates Second For the first time in the history of Florida colleges, the Woman's State College at Tallahassee rates second choice among the girls, five having made their final plans to attend the state school, against ten planning to attend the University of Miami. Choice of other colleges claimina the girls include Wellesley, La Grange, Duke, Harcum Junior, Virginia Intermount, Sullins, Brenau and others. Entering the University in Coral Gables will be Edison Archer, Harry Burrows, John S. Gibbons, Jr., Charles Mills, Richard K. Motter, Justus Sychon, James Nixon, Forest Baillet and Prince Brigham. Prince had planned to go to Florida, but will take his pre-medical course at the university here, then later go to Harvard. He is the son of Baroness Giorgio Suriani, 521 Avenue Minorca To Gainesville To the State University, at Gainesville, will go Edward Grafton, Carleton Bliss, Jr., Robert Goeser, Stuart Kemp, Edward R. Kirkland, Fritz Myers, William T. Mixson, Jr., Edward Grafton and William McWhorter. Collins Hay will take his credentials from Stetson to enter Providence, Taylor Francis to Virginia Polytechnic Institute at Blacksburg, Va., Julian Dalsheimer to follow the ministry, life work of his father, at Eastern Nazarene College, Wollaston, Mass. Avery to Emory Martin Avery, Jr., who has been working in Atlanta all summer, will attend Emory, where he will take his preliminaries in law. Jimmie Mendel, son of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Peter Mendel, 4320 Avenue Santa Maria, will follow in his father's footsteps and study medicine. Burgess Lee will go to Emory Junior College at Valdosta. Attending Duke University will be Murray (Bud) Thue, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. R. Thue, 808 Avenue Valencia; Ken McCormick, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam McCormick, 380 Alhambra Court, and Sherry Sherwood, whose parents have recently bought the Charles Susong residence on Riviera Drive. These three young men plan to take the Reserve Officer Training Course, in addition to their regular course of studies. Leo Edwards Mudd, Jr., will attend Gordon Military College at Barnesville, Ga. To North Georgia James C. Upshaw will attend North Georgia College at Dahlonega, Ga. Lathan Collins, Jr., will go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Robert Helfrich, Parks Air College, East St. Louis, Ill., and Paul Reiner, Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland, Ohio. Peter S. Herendeen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry S. Herendeen, 3641 Park Lane, will follow in his father's footsteps by taking the hotel training course at Cornell University. Ogden Houston will go to Georgia Tech, George Gary, Columbia Military Institute, Columbia, Tenn., and Jack Garris, son of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Garris, will leave Sunday for Charleston, S. C., where he will enter the Citadel, alma mater of his brother, Milton Garris, now stationed as lieutenant at Macon, Ga. The girls planning to go out (Please Turn to Page 8)

Have you told your story to the home town folks? If not, now's the time to tell it via a Riviera ad.

EXAM ON CONSTITUTION SLATED FOR TEACHERS

A teachers' examination on the Constitution of the United States will be held in Miami on Saturday, September 6. Persons desiring to take the examination should report to the office of James T. Wilson, the county superintendent, at 1:30.