The Coral Gables Times

Thursday, June 29, 1961, page 5 (of 24)

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Remember The Times

25 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK Harry H. Provin, registrar of the University of Miami, has announced that there are 250 students enrolled in UM's sixth summer session . . . City Building Inspector George Bolton announced building permits equaling $140,726 in construction were issed for the month of June, the most expensive one being for a four-unit apartment house at 3110 Segovia at a cost of $25,000. The biggest residence will be built by Mrs. K. McDaddon at 2806 Granada Blvd., costing $21,500 . . . The Coral Gables Police Department announced that youngsters may shoot off firecrackers to their heart's content during the Fourth of July. If any disturbing-the-peace calls are received they plan to ask the celebrators to move to another neighborhood. 10 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK The University of Miami announces plans to open a medical school next to Jackson Memorial Hospital . . . Coral Gables voters turned down a proposal that the city purchase Consumers Water Co. . . . Dr. Werner Bergmann, a Yale University professor doing summer research work at the University of Miami, lauds Coral Gables residents on their civic pride . . . A Coral Gables resident, Mrs. Adam G. Adams, has been elected president of the Historical Association of Southern Florida. Mrs. George E. Merrick, wife of the city's founder, was named first vice president of the organization. ONE YEAR AGO THIS WEEK Joel Eaton, a Southwest area youth was elected from young men at Florida's Boys' State to represent Florida at the Boys' Nation in Washington, D.C. . . . Anthony Abraham, among other people, criticizes the City Commission for the "paltry" five per cent pay raises given to firemen and policemen . . . Irate home owners cause the City Commission to kill plans for "skyscraper" apartment building . . Richard J. Welsh, director of the Dade Development Department, says that the electronics industry holds the key for reduced unemployment and better economic development of this area.

Good Old Days of Domestic Help

By ELVA CHARLTON Correspondent Johannan was a Hungarian maid. No hopes of personal gain kept her at her job. She had no fear of death. Her young master lay dying upstairs in his bedroom of the huge brownstone mansion. His lady sat prostrate by his side. It was a bitter cold winter in 1908. Neighborhood children had gathered here only a few weeks before to receive gifts and see the Christmas display. The church choir had practiced its Christmas anthems in the upstairs sitting room. Now the two grand pianos were silent. The coal business was at a standstill. There were then no miracle drugs to fight the typhoid germ. Nurses worked round the clock and the doctor stayed in the house fighting a losing battle. The disease had 21 days to run before the climax. Frank lived only 19 of them. During this time, Johannah was both mother and father to Frank's six-year-old son William. She also managed the house. When the colored coachman left for fear of contagion, Johannah asked her friend Gus to come care for the horse "Dewey," who stood lonely in the stable. She stayed with the family for many years, later marrying Gus and only left to have a family of her own. Immigrant help was cheap in those days. In order of perfection, Irish, German, Hungarian. Colored maid service did not come into Philadelphia until after World War I. Household help is a puzzling problem today. Granted most people prefer to entertain in clubs. Modern appliances have made a cinch of housework. But what of young people with new babies? They don't know which they need most, a maid or a nurse. We grandparents are getting too stiff from lack of physical work to be of much help. Some people keep saying, "I would rather do my own housework than bother..." But what of the time when we are no longer able? Those who can afford it, like space, but that takes lots of work. Those who employ colored help say, "I have a good one now," their fingers crossed. Or they may say. "I've never been afraid of work." But what of the future? It worries me. The trend is certainly pointing to no household help. But then I am probably the only one who would rather have a piece of toast and a cup of tea in the intimacy of a private home than a full course dinner in the swankiest of clubs. Thirty-eight years after the above event, the gates of the family mausoleum were again opened to receive Frank's lady. A plain, silent, unknown woman followed the grieving family up the long hill to the services. A relative touched my elbow, saying. "That's Johannah, I've taken the liberty to ask her back to the house."

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The Visitor Talks A Revolution Without Razor Blades, He Says

By JOE MORRIS Correspondent Fidel Castro's reforms in Cuba, such as opening the one-time luxury hotels and private beaches to all the people, may be impressive to many within and without the country but it can't offset the disturbing disappearance of soap, razor-blades and food from the life and habits of an entire nation. "The rice from Egypt is terrible," a Cuban citizen said this week when he arrived for a visit in the United States. He will return to Cuba in one week and asked his name be withheld. This did not lessen his desire to tell the truth about his homeland. "We can buy beans one day out of 20 and when the word gets out that beans are available the crowds jam the stores and the supply is gone — poof!" "Canada and Europe are sending the toilet articles and things that came from the States. In fact they get them from the States. That's how we get as much as we do. "Russia sends us bear grease that is awful. We are not getting enough lard or cooking oil either. "To make matters worse, two days ago I saw a line of trucks several miles long filled with machineguns and other weapons of war on their way to Havana from a port in Oriente or Santiago. A Soviet ship had just unloaded them and was returning to Russia with Cuban sugar. "I am not a political man and I keep my mouth shut. So do all the rest of my people except the poor Negroes and Campensinos. They are for Fidel but not the better class of people. "We don't know what to do —so we wait."

THE MAILBOX

EDITOR: It's hopeless to hope, I know, but hope does spring eternal. So I'll hope that the electric power company, the telephone company, the people who install sewers, water mains and traffic lights will all do and correct their work before the paving of LeJeune Road is started and not wait until the paving is completed. If it is necessary later to dig up and patch parts of the paving, I do hope the patch-work will be the same color and material as the original and be as inconspicuous as possible. ROBERT H. THRONE 417 Santander Ave. ★ ★ ★ EDITOR: We were so pleased to read your article in the Times, June 22, about the wonderful work being done in anti-Red study groups in our area. This is something every American should be doing and having so many people in our area give so much of their time is indeed commendable. BETTY JEAN McKAY 1300 Blue Rd.

City Budget Receives Tacit Okay

Coral Gables' $5.39 million budget breezed through a public hearing Tuesday with not a whisper of a word against it. Former Mayor John M. Montgomery, who had indicated to commissioners he would appear to protest the increase in millage from 17.69 to 19, failed to make the appearance. The proposed budget, a drop of $384,369 under last year, was reviewed with the Budget Advisory Board and the Commission Tuesday night and will be voted on sometime between July 11-25 after the City Commission sits as a board of equalization to hear tax complaints July 10-12. As proposed, it contains pay boosts for employees of more than $197,000.

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