The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-12-23
The 49,,
OBSERVATIONS
OF A FOOL
BY BILL LEE
,"'''"mHiaunduIniiinrimIll..uIIIlIluIHIIlrnI

! The Christmas season is here
again. 1t should be very happy
Christmas for most of us. But we
can't help thinking of the folks
who are not SO well fixed, finan-
cially or otherwise. to meet their
bare needs.
! Did you know that there are
little children in want in Key
West? Did you know that some
little girls, who want to 60 to
school, can't go in decent cloth
ing? Did you know that some
girls have no shoes?
There are some pitiful scenes
right here In Key West. The
number II INDECENT families
has risen during the last year
to more than double what it
was in 1916. >-'" '..'.- ~.
We went to Victor Lowe, who
is city clerk and recreation head,
and who has been handling some
of the Christmas cheer being
handed out by the Community
Fund. We asked him how many
baskets were to be sent out to
the poor of the city Christmas
Eve. ........
''This year we'll probably. send
out nearly 200 baskets" Victor
said. Last year the records
show that there were only 50
families that we aided in this
way.
And remember: Every one of
the families we send baskets
have been investigated. Commit
tees representing all the factions
in Key West have carefully
checked every family and every
one of them. has been found in
actual need"
Usually. the investigators find
that the families in want have
suffered some mishap during the
last year. Sickness strikes some
of the families. 1t finds them I'M
able to pay for the doctor and the
medicine and buy food at the
same time. An accident can and
does happen to the breadwinner.
There aren't as many jobs in
Key West as there were dur
ing the war. Families that
came here. enjoyed the climate
and earned good money in. the
war yeats. They don't leave
when their Jobs are done. Some
csn't. so those families are
really III want.
What goes into the baskets?
Why, there'll be can of meat.
some potatoes, rice. one can of
peaches, cans of peas and corn.
i coffee. What about chickens or
turkeys? we asked. g..
No, the fund is not large enough
, to afford all 200 families turkey
or chicken. But there will be
, can of meat. 1t will be good.
wholesome food, but it won't be
like Christmas without some kind
of fowl.
Incidentally, the Veterans of
I Foreign Wars Auxiliary and
Father Johnson of St. Mary's
Star of the Sea Catholic Church
have done excellent work with
the Christmas baskets and the
gifts.
A committee of the Auxiliary
under the direction of Mrs.
Nell Haury.- Mrs. Daisy Curry,
Mrs. Ruth Ploughman, and Mrs.
Betty Hach has packed all the
200 baskets for the needy. They
also investigated every family
and determined that they need
| cd food.
: With Father Johnson's per-
mission, all the Christmas gifts
are stored in the Parish Center
on Duval street. where COM
mittee of workers has packed
each gift in separate packages.
The same group will also dis
tribute the gifts Christmas Eve.
We suppose we'll do what some
of yo udo about the plight of the
city's poor-forget it.
, Well, Merry Christmas to you,
"''' "'' k K K
Another of the city's oldest
landmarks, a fig tree that was
estimated to be at least $50 years
old, has passed The tree stood
in Elizabeth street between
Olivia and Division streets, ou'
now it is gone.
Men from the City Department
of Public Service, under the d.
rection of Robert Dopp, tore the
tree down because it was CON
sidered menace to the public.
The tree died few years
AGO. but lately it was a menace
TO safety" said Dopp. The
I tree was about five feet in
diameter. It's a shame. but 1t
couldn't be helped.
4 K X
Grounds around the Monroe
County Courthouse arc soon 60
ing to look beautiful, which is
more than anyone can say of City
IHall. which is a drab old build
ing.
Hibiscus shrubs. IA of them.
have been planted along the
Whitehead street edge of the
grounds. They will bear yellow.
pink and white flowers. as soon
as they get growing good.