The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-06-20
HOLD ON TO YOUR
CONTINUED from Page Onel

NCoAttitiuSd uOtt I dSS OfieJ
row, which is now today, became
a "Popolong Catastrophe" at
least for the press, officials and
the navy.
just after midnight. word
came through that the President
OF Ecuador and his official party
were leaving Balboa in 1.-THE
Dew Drop" an Air Force Con-
stellation; that they would stop
over in Key West after all. And
after all the relaxation, the pre-
paration cycle began all over.
The navy men were routed out
at dawn, muttering, no doubt,
Hold on to your caps. boys, here
we go againl"
AS for me, | was snug as
bug, a termite, let's say. Snooz-
ing away in my rack oblivious to
! the telephone which began ring
ing, they tell me now, at five IN
the morning.
AS soon as / hit the office I
was hit with the news that the
Dew Drop had dropped in at
6:35 this morning and the Pres
idential party from Ecuador was
to take off again at 10 am. from
Boca Chica.
AS l trekked up on foot
through the hot summer morning
to the naval station | marched
along to a little tune called
"Flynnigan, Flanagan, Off Agin,
On Agin."
You'll need another pass. Pick
it up at Boca Chica on the way
out" l was told. .Boca Chica is
about nine miles away. II was
then $3.50 | thought Of borrowing
Buster Cerezo's horse and dong
a Lady Revere, or even a GodiVa.
But instructions were to wait for
ride with Deputy Sheriff Frank
Webber who would pick up the
press near the Administration
building at the naval base.
The procession was to begin at
$3.50. AT 900, secret service men
We're seen at the exits of the
Little White House. A big navy
truck was loaded with luggage.
Several white coated attendants
brought in brown paper bags.
Evidently someone had been to
the cleaners. But not the way
you might think.
Ahal we thought. There viii
/ be delay while the First Lady
of Ecuador finishes dressing.
And that might irritate her bus
band; but if would give me time
Ito stop painting. Besides, az
/ though other cars were lining np
flor the procession to the airport,
Webber had not arrived.
/ Fifteen minutes passed. Still
mo press car. So with my pefs-
! piring colleagues, we promenad-
fed down through the lines nf
freshly starched sailors and uni
formed naval officers to the
front of the procession where the
police escort waited.
Then we returned along the
lines. on the double. Chief of
Police Kemp said Webber would
be waiting at the end Of the
/ procession.
But he wasn't. We galloped,
dead heat, back toward the head
of the line. BY this time the navy
in all its white glory was begin
ming to enjoy the snow, our
show.
A Secret Service man told us
confidentially Chow else) to wait
and snag ride with Webber as
he came through We were al
prepared to leap aboard We
l.conldn,t 20 back 10 the tail end
4 ~ the pftsse sgiol lag i lre 4 anyway.
FThe Marine Guard gave us an
iOkinawa look which said 50.
And then the cavalcade began
rolling. II rolled on. It rolled past
And no press car rolled up.
II turned out that Frank Web
Der had been instructed to pick
us up at 10 o'clock. The parade
to Boca Chica had begun from
| the Little White House at o;35,
and Webber was still on duty at
the sheriffs office.
And that, I'll tell the grand
children, is why I hold in small
box of treasures along with rusty
fish hooks and slot machine slugs,
a Presidential Party pass. which
was passed up
---------szzza- -
/ cor~ne et.1 ..,4ssr1 s-sa4 sa7o1fe