Coral Gables Riviera-Times

Forest Fire Can Destroy Potential Home For Vet

By RUSSELL KAY. Let a fire destroy a single building or the small area of a city and newspaper headlines will scream the story in scareheads, but even the greatest of these so-called "terrible holocausts" pale into insignificance when we compare them to the greater conflagration that each year destroys millions of dollars worth of potential timber so vitally needed by our State and Nation. It would be a pretty low sort of an individual who would deliberately set fire to the home of a returned veteran, yet that is exactly what you and I do when we carelessly toss a lighted cigar or cigarette butt into dry grass along the highway or neglect to put out a smoldering camp fire. A grateful public, through acts of Congress, has provided the returning veteran with liberal rights wherein he may, under the G.I. Bill of Rights, purchase or erect a home. The returning veteran finds to his dismay and disappointment that he is unable to purchase materials with which to build that long dreamed of "love nest." In spite of allocated priorities, he is faced with a shortage problem. There is an acute shortage of materials and of these materials lumber seems to be the scarcest commodity, yet—and GET THIS—enough young growth was destroyed by wood fires in Florida this last year to have provided lumber to build 100,000 new homes, each a six-room bungalow containing 16,000 feet of lumber. Try and visualize a city of 100,000 homes! Such a community would be much larger than Miami, Tampa or Jacksonville. Now imagine such a city being totally destroyed by fire—Wouldn't that be a story, Mr. Editor? Wouldn't that rate the biggest headlines at your command? All right, I'm giving you the story. I haven't colored it or attempted to exaggerate any of its pitiful details. The record stands and can easily be verified through the records of our state forestry department. You and I witnessed that really "terrible holocaust." We heard the steady crackle of the flames that swept their way over millions of acres of Florida forest lands. We saw its dull red glow in the night sky and termed it "just another woods fire." Like the gentleman who laughed when a panic-stricken passenger accosted him on a passenger vessel in mid-ocean and screamed, "the boat is sinking," and calmly replied, "What do we care, we don't own it;" we calmly watch one of Florida's greatest natural resources being destroyed before our eyes and are unconcerned because we foolishly assume we personally are not affected. But we are just kidding ourselves. Every such fire directly touches all of us. You can no more destroy the material that could build 100,000 six-room homes and not be affected than you could activate destroy a great city and not be affected. Every man, woman and child in the state helps defray the cost involved in fighting these forest fires and believe it or not, there were over 22,000 such fires in Florida last year. Had that valuable timber been brought to maturity it would have brought millions of dollars to Florida, given employment to thousands of people and provided badly-needed material for construction. No matter what your occupation or your business and your personal income is directly affected. Today we are only toying with this great problem of forest protection. Of the 22 million acres of forest lands in the state, only six million are now under protection of the Florida Forest Service. While the percentage of damaging fires has been sharply reduced in the protected area, it is only a drop in the bucket when compared to the annual loss that occurs in unprotected areas. Each day that we neglect placing the entire state under fire protection we are burning our dollars as surely as if we were to take our folding money and touch a match to it.

THE SEVILLA HOTEL

"NEAR EVERYTHING IN THE GABLES" ALL ROOMS WITH BATH FRANK S. ABBOTT Resident Manager CORNER PONCE DE LEON AND ALCAZAR Phone 4-2591

READING ROOM OF First Church of Christ, Scientist. Coral Gables

where all are welcome to read, borrow or purchase The Bible (King James Version), Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and other writings by Mary Baker Eddy as well as all Authorized Christian Science Literature. Open Daily Except Sundays and Holidays 11 A. M. to 6 P. M. 125 AVENUE GIRALDA

Modern Sterling FOR YOUR TABLE Royal Danish International Sterling

Made in U.S.A. ... a bold, adventurous pattern created for you who welcome the unusual. A place setting (six essential pieces) costs $30.55 (including federal tax). Complete stock including all the fancy pieces. See them. We also carry these patterns in stock: Enchantress | $22.63 Spring Glory | 22.80 Prelude | 22.63 See Our Showing of International Sterling Holloware A Complete Jewelry Store At Your Service CARROLL'S JEWELERS 332 Miracle Mile Phone 48-5711 Famous For Diamonds

HARD - TO - GET ITEMS

Watch this space every week for hard-to-get items that we have for IMMEDIATE DELIVERY. 2 22-quart Nesco Roasters 3 Automatic Toasters 5 G. E. Automatic Irons 3 Stromberg-Carlson Console Combination 3 Youngstown 54-inch Sinks. FANS G. E. Westinghouse Century Fans Rogers Electric Co. 225 Alhambra Circle Coral Gables 34, Fla. A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE STORE SALES - Ph. 4-6559 - SERVICE AUTHORIZED DEALER

Two Fine Physiques to Team Up

Two very fine physiques will team up via the altar in June when Alan Stephan, Chicago, winner of a "Mr. America" contest, marries Grace Pomazal, chosen "Miss Legionnaire" at last summer's July 4 celebration in Soldier's Field, Chicago.

Farms Comprise 37 Per Cent Of State

Florida's 61,159 farms are comprised of 13,083,501 acres or 37.7 per cent of the total area of the state, the research and industrial division of the Florida State Chamber of Commerce stated yesterday in a study of advance reports, just released, of the federal census of agriculture as of January 1, 1945. "Making up the total acreage are the following classifications: cropland harvested, 1,809,420 acres; crop failure, 30,834 acres; cropland idle or fallow, 474,367 acres; cropland used only for pasture, 562,562 acres; woodland pastured 4,827,462 acres; other land pastured, 4,005,715 acres; woodland not pastured, 1,974,398 acres; all other land, 398,732 acres. It was pointed out that comparisons with the 1940 federal census are not possible in all the above classifications "as the 1945 census extended coverage to include certain types of pasture and wood lands not included in the previous census. "Comparable tabulations are available, however, in the acreage from which crops were harvested and show an increase of seven per cent or 130,000 acres, January 1, 1945 over 1940.

BUZZING, TOO

"In your advertisement you said that there was a sting in the air after sundown," complained the summer boarder. "Well," replied the hotel proprietor, "take a look at those mosquitoes."

RUSSIAN BALLET SCHOOL

Announces the opening of a new DEPARTMENT OF BALLROOM DANCING Under the direction of Internationally known Instructor LEONARDO FALCAO Private or class lessons RUMBA-TANGO-WALTZ-SAMBA-FOX TROT, etc. 2901 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Phone 48-5462

Ruins of Spanish Mission Reveal Interesting Relics

Hale Smith, assistant archaeologist of the Florida Park Service, has just completed the excavation of a Spanish mission near Waukeenah, which is believed to be the first excavation of any mission east of the Mississippi River. This is important, Smith said, because it shows the relationship between Indians and Spaniards and gives us a picture of the type of buildings used at the period by the Spaniards. Smith pointed out that no great discoveries were made but that the excavation provided material of a vital nature in forming a picture of Florida's early history. Among findings of the archaeologist and his group of laborers were a gun barrel, Spanish pottery, a bronze crucifix, door hinges, and an anvil. Find of the crucifix was one factor in determining the location as a former Spanish mission. From a study of early Spanish records, it is thought that the mission was San Francisco de Oconee. If the mission was San Francisco de Oconee, then it must have been built by Franciscan monks who came int the Tallahassee area in 1633. The mission was destroyed in 1704 by Col. Moore, then governor of South Carolina. Col. Moore invaded north Florida with 1,200 Creek Indians and 50 British soldiers to harrass the Spaniards. They burned several missions in the general area of Tallahassee. Col. Moore captured many of the Appalachi Indians, took them back to South Carolina and sold them as slaves. This raid broke up the Appalachi Indian nation. The Spanish monks built two structures at San Francisco de Oconee. Built in rectangular shape, one building was 20x16 feet, the other 30x50 feet. The structures were made of wattle and daub—a combination of interlaced poles with clay applied on inner and outer sides to form the walls. Roofs were thatched, probably with palmetto.

INFORMATION

When the conductor came through the train to collect fares, mother explained: "Sonny is only five years old," as she handed the conductor her fare. When the conductor had reached the far end of the car it occurred to the boy that a very important bit of information had been overlooked, so he shouted to the conductor: "Mother is 36!"

FOR A LOVLIER YOU Castle of Beauty

STUDIO 808 Douglas Entrance Coral Gables COLD WAVE 7.50 up SHAMPOO and SET 1.25 up UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Phone 48-3855

DRASTIC MARK DOWN SALE

MERCHANDISE TAKEN FROM our Regular Stock . . . . Reduced for Quick Clearance • One and Two-Piece Cotton Dresses • Two and Three-Piece Cotton Play Suits NEVER BEFORE HAVE SUCH VALUES BEEN OFFERED! SHOP EARLY-- we only have a limited amount! 75 COTTON DRESSES AND COTTON PLAY SUITS REG. VALUES UP TO $12.95 These are values you can't afford to miss! Beautiful Chambrays — Seersuckers — Ginghams — in solid pastels, stripes, and prints. SIZES 9 TO 15 — 10 TO 20 $3 90 COTTON DRESSES AND COTTON PLAY SUITS REG. VALUES UP TO $19.95 Just in time to start your summer wardrobe! You'll find dresses you've longed to buy at prices you never dreamed of! All kinds of cottons—in every style imaginable. SIZES 9 TO 15 — 10 TO 20 $5 65 COTTON DRESSES AND COTTON PLAY SUITS REG. VALUES UP TO $29.95 You'll have to see these to believe them! Exquisite Seersuckers — Chambrays — Ginghams in an array of summer patterns SIZES 9 TO 15 — 10 TO 20 $8 ALL SALES FINAL — NO LAY-A-AWAYS — NO C.O.D.'s — NO REFUNDS Elaine's "The Shops with You in Mind" 1809 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Coral Gables 9818 N. E. 2nd Ave. Miami Shores

BURNING ORBS

Asked by the irate cop, "Where's the fire?" the pretty miss replied, "Why officer, in your great big beautiful eyes."

The production of 16,000 acres of tung oil trees goes into lacquers and enamels used on cars built by a certain Motor Company every year.

1⁄2 Price

175 SLIPS 150 SWEATERS COSTUME JEWELRY DIANNE MIRACLE MILE 246 CORAL WAY CORAL GABLES

FEATURING FASHION-WISE LABELS FROM AMERICA'S FOREMOST MAKERS Taller, Slimmer, Lovelier You Martha Manning

$9.95 $12.95 Left: Martha Manning dresses up this favorite classic with her exclusively designed floral embroidery at the buttons. Pansies on orchid, roses on pink or daisies on blue spun rayon. "Illusion" half sizes 181⁄2 to 241⁄2. Right: A slimming, spring-to-summer fashion. Spun rayon in flattering pastels with embroidered pocket effect and drop shoulder yoke . . . exclusive Martha Manning design. Rose and green. "Illusion" half sizes 161⁄2 and 181⁄2. Dorothy Ann's OF FLORIDA In Coral Gables, 118 Miracle Mile