The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-07-15
SILVER SERVICE
FOR FLORIDA
Every City and Town in Florida
Asked to Contribute to Fund
OUR BIG BATTLESHIP
All Contributors to the Fund Will be Pub.
Iished in Book Form and Handsomely
Bound Volume Presented to Ship


The committee appointed by Gov.
Gilchrist to receive subscriptions to the
fund to purchase a silver service for
the United States battleship Florida
has gone to work, and are sending out
letters urging the co. cooperation of all the
people of the State. These letters will
be mailed to all newspapers, mayors,
Boards of Trade, County Commission
ers, school superintendent and county
officials. The letter is as follows:
Jacksonville, Fla, June, 1910
To the Peopleof the State of Florida;
The undersigned have been appointed
committee by the Governor of Florida
to receive contributions to fund to be
used in purchasing a silver service for
the battleship Florida. A bill was in
troduced in the last session of the Leg
islature making an appropriation of
$1,000 for that purpose. The bill pass
ed the Senate, but, owing to the con-
gested condition of the calendar of the
House, it did not come to vote in that
body. Feeling that the people of Flor
ida would not be content to allow the
compliment paid them in bestowing the
name of their state on one of the most
powerful ships of the new navy, to pass
unrecOgnized, movement was inaugu-
rated to raise by voluntary contribution
a sum sufficient to secure for the Flor
ida silver service that would be worthy
of both the ship and the State.
To create responsible body through
whom the people could act in effecting
this purpose, the Governor appointed this
committee. At a recent meeting of
the committee in Jacksonville, it was
determined to make the gift as popular
as possible, so that every citizen of
Florida might have the opportunity of
contributing and enjoying the satisfac-
ton Of having had share in this act of
patriotism.
With this end IN view the committee
desires that the mayor and Council of
every city and town, the officers and
Boards of County Commissioners of ev-
cry county, and associations, clubs and
schools throughout the State, will aid
the committee by bringing the subject
to the attention of the people of their
several localities, and of the members
of their respective organizations.
The committee wishes especially to
enlist the cooperation of the county
superintendent of schools by having
them bring the matter of the attention
of the principals of the public schools,
so that they may inculcate a spirit of
patriotism in the children they have in
charge, by encouraging them to take
part in this movement.
1t seems to the committee that it
would be particularly appropriate for
the organizations of Confederate Vet
Grams, Daughters of the American Rev
olution, and other patriotic societies,
as well as the Womens Clubs of the
State, to lend their assistance to the
raising of this fund, and the committee
cordially invites them to join in the
undertaking
The number of pieces. the design and
the richness and elegance of the service
must depend on the amount that is plac-
ed by the people of the State at the
disposal of the committee. The services
presented by other States have ranged
in cost from S., 900 to $4,000. 1t is
the opinion of the committee that Sl0,-
600 will secure a service that will be
credit to the State. and comport with
the size, power and magnifcence of the
ship
1t is the wish of the committee that
Inc service should be rich with engrav-
ings of scenes, incidents and events
from the history of our State. so that
on whatever occasion and in whatever
presence the services may be displayed
Florida and her history may be ever
suggested.
The committee has named the First
National Bank of Fernandina as the
depostary of the fund. Contributions
may be RENTED direct to the bank, or
to any members of the committee.
The committee urges contributors to
give their names and addresses, for it
is intended to print in book form the
names and addresses of all contributors
and to present handsomely bound copy
of the book to the ship, when the SER
vice is presented, so that it may be
known that the gift is distinctly the
gift of the people of the State. Very
respectfully W. A. Bours, chairman;
F. w. Hoyt, treasurer; H. H. Richard
son, secretary.
Committee F. B. Bowyer, Tampa;
w. Hunt Harris, Key West; T. A. Jen-
nings, Pensacola; F. T. Myers, ITALIA
hassee; W. F. Stovall, Tampa; w. X.
O'Neal, Orlando; A. M.Taylor, ST. Au-
gustine; 5. E. league, Apalachicola;
w. w. Hampton, Gainesville; W. j.
Hillman, Live Oak; E. V. Blackman, Mi
ami; T. T. Munroe, Ocala.