The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-12-28
Southern Clubs and Club Women
Club Work in Beautiful Florida


eh OF the more isolated peninsula Of Florida Stretching
don into tropical waters dotted with romantic lakes mys-
eos with the eere beauty of it's keys and everglades it
mas nevertheless some real and perpexng difficulties
to solve rising partly from those very conditions that make
1t so strange and picturesque.
When tlordas 33 900 ceded to her. over
tWohrds OF 1t was swamp, undrained land. This
TACT alone involving the stupendous task of retaining
areas OF 1ertle territory comprised an undertaking worth
the forming of Federation to bring about But this
only one OF the States problems Florida has semi
tropical diseases and fevers to eradcae conditions of il
eracy to combat Indian Negro and Latin immigrant fac
tors in her population to harmonize undeveoped industries
and to be exploited and last but not least the thin
y settled and scattered population of the southwestern part
of the state to be bound closer to the developed east
coast, and awakened to self development through
aroused civic consciousness The Federation has great
work beneath its hand and the hand though white and
SMALL is firm and never idle.
In all thees needs and undertakings that have been
uerating the women active and the welcoming
this activity and making it co-operant with their
deavors The state is wide awake. Everywhere feels
Some months ago told you of the Federations triumph
OF conserVatonthe acquisition of Royal Palm Park and
the work of the club women to conserve and protect the
bird and plant life that contains The state legislature
has been and sympathetic toward this work and
the women have gained courage to asking their
for help and better laws During the
ing legislature they will present bills asking for prohibition
suffrage and adequate child labor law we'll appro-
prations for other splendid undertakings.
Mrs George Wright the Chairman of Education, tells
that Local Option Compulsory Education has been acted
upon in counties and in each instance has been the d
rect result of efforts of club Women attendance
officers have been appointed and serving in credabe
manner Among the women serving as school trustees
find past Federation President Mrs. William Hook
"The Teacherage has long been advocated by this de-
partmen but only just able to report actual
work accomplished in this direction The converting in
town, of old school building into modern home, with
comfortable rooms sleeping porches study hail. etc.
innovation. In other localities number of teachers
themselves have adopted this method of living Conserva-
ton of the teachers strength by comfortable environments
increases efficiency.
comfortably equipped rest for teachers is COM
mendabe feature of club work."
Not only the club women but the teachers as well are
interested in the education of the Seminole Indians, and
very splendid work has already been accomplished
Three little Indian boys attending Fort Saundersve Public
School are watched with keen interest and have become
popular with the other children Tony Tommie Wild Cat
Tiger and Tom Tiger are the Wrike names OF these most
peaceaba Youngsters and the ferocous suggeSVeness OF
the second little fellows caption stands oddly beside the
splendid markings Of his reports Wild Cat Tiger has on
N been school three years. but begins the coming session
in the seventh grade.
There is much need of immediate help among the IN
dian families in the where grown up boys must De
maintained while receiving long neglected schooling
small weekly allowance for each family with boys and young
men be educated being agated by the Federation and
it is hoped to greatly increase the Indian enrolment of the
schools for the term to The four years work that
the club have done these Indians has brought
results of increasing gratfcation and when one real
ICES the ignorance the diseases the suffering and often the
sin that enters the lives of these strange picturesque people
living among their mpenetabe swamps and everglades so
and yet far from the civilization that throbbng all
around them yearns to see this wonderful work come
to its power and bear good fruit OF such as these was OS
ceola of pathetic grandeur Who knows but little wild Cat
Tiger may have his small brown breast the dreams and
warnings that made this lone chief at noble and
piteous!
One thinks of these little bronze children against the
emerald setting of Fordas palms and the sapphire OF her
lakes would picture flock of brilliant tropical birds
and in turning from the Seminole Department of the Fed
GRAFTON in their labor Of conserving the Indian child to the
Department for Bird Protection in its work of saving Flor
das birds of Paradise feels sense of similarity even
of symbolism.
The bird chairman, Mrs. Julia A. Hansen, is keen and
usnesske She realizes the value of press agitation and
also the necessity for arosng in school children particular
lv little bows desire foster and protect Flordas treas
urv of bird life In rookery alone discovered by Mrs
Hansons and named for her, some OF the most beau
fn speces of birds found in the United States many
being rare sorts of the valued Paradise pumage In tins
rooery are be found white egets herons blseS and
the now scarce roseate spOonblll
Beginning with the schoolboy is one good way of get,
ting at the root of materthat is unless is bicuspd
Tr with two welldefned sources of difficulty. "Aren't
ashamed of yourself steal those eggs and geve the
notherbrds breast? cried indignant grande dame toa
guilty small boy. o
SNo ma'am amt" replied the urchn coolly. "She
1oesnt know anything about it, she's on your hat
This anecdote does not hit home in Florida. The wo