The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 242

3 Lifostylcs Aging crate still Sammy James 89 still stands erect and proud a hard worker And a talker too Boy is he a talker So Sammy was plenty willing to discuss the old days -But he wanted to clear a few rocks off the land on both sides of his lovely Allapattah Drive home And he wanted to do a little hoeing and weed-pulling too So Sammy and I went out among the cabbages and the squash And Sammy remi-' nisced "There was nothing down here back then just a lot of pine trees and dirt said Sammy "I came here in 1921 US 1 was the only paved road and that was only two- laned was the railroad though and if there been a railroad there have been all those packing houses they needed crate makers in those packing houses I mean real crate makers fast and hard working And all heard of Sammy James called me The Nailer I started nailing when I was 15 up in Titusville I was the fastest nailer around I could make two crates in a minute nail the tops on a thousand crates in 10 hours and load all in boxcars was running packing houses up in Brevard County And some men from Miami said to me why you come on down to Miami? We need nailers like you down in South they were waiting for Sammy First night I got here I stayed in South Miami But the next morning they came and got me They wanted to see how a real nailer Sammy hoed a little more and pulled a few weeds that first day I really put them on their said Sammy were packing tomatoes in an old red packing house in Kendall about where is now I was making crates so fast 24 nails in a crate they could hardly see my arm move Here feel the muscles in my arm" I felt the muscles in forearm They were hard like a rock I gave Sammy a slow whistle And Sammy laughed I just a nailer" said Sammy was a farmer too Always been close to the land always been a good farmer I was farming 85 acres over on Quail Roost Drive near US 1 back in the And the owner sold it all to me for $7500 in 1954 farmed it for a while And then I sold 20 acres for $5000 The other 65 acres I sold later for $1100 an acre 'or $71500 "I bought all kinds of land after that I bought these three lots as my retirement home I built my house on one And I farm the other two is my hobby now But these rocks I hired two boys to clear the rocks off this land last week But they just fooled around They want to work Nobody wants to work anymore easier just doing it myself And hell 89 Doctor says live to be 100 though only 1 1 years away I can make that wish known back then what I do now though be a millionaire if started buying land in But I got a home farming land good health and a good wife! Lord has been good to EDDIE KNIGHTMiomi Herald Staff Sammy James works among the cabbages Miami Club looking for alumni Friends Neighbors Bea Moss will be the highlight of months of meetings and workshops Sponsored by the 40-year-old Egelloc Civic and Social Club Inc the award program was set up to encourage young men in the community who show potential for achievement South Dade students to be honored are Frank Armstrong Earl Dinkins Jr Warren Hodge Walter Hughes John Pinckney IV Walter Smith II Reginald Sutton and John Wesley of Killian High School Also David Gardner of South Miami High and Edwin Prime of Coral Gables High SPRING IS HERE: Parents teachers friends and the administration of Ransom Everglades School have a Spring Party planned for Saturday Coral Gables resident Bobbie Gilstrap says one of the nicest school functions of the year There will be food music and games and it all takes place at the Gables home of Anthony and Dorothy Balzebre few more days Warren hopes to return to work this week The office helpers are Maria Beruvides secretary Joey Walker assistant Lauren Gail information representative and Norma Pimentel CETA clerk FOR THE CHILDREN: Concerned workers for The After School House a non-profit organization in South Miami dedicated to helping children are holding a fund-raising drive There will be an evening of theater at Players State Theater starting at 7 pm today with a wine and cheese party At 8 pm there will be a performance of Agatha play Go Back For Murder Tickets are $1250 each and proceeds will go to continue the work at the school GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Forty-six Ilth-grade boys from Dade County schools will be presented as the of at ceremonies on Saturday 1 The presentation at Bayfront Auditorium The Clubs of Miami Inc the Coral Gables-based association that gives so much encouragement to youngsters in the entire community is looking for some very special people its alumni The call has gone out because a Clubs Alumni Association is in the works Dr Paul George president of the new alumni group is sending out letters to alumni for whom he has addresses The hard part is reaching the ones whose addresses are unknown The fifst project is a fundraising dinner scheduled for Oct 22 to help with the cost of building a new gymnasium at the Northwest Club Hugh Wilson a member of the Southwest Club in the mid-1950s and now creator and executive producer of the television show "WKRP in will be at the dinner along with several members of his cast Any alumni are being asked to con- tact George at 2117 Ponce de Leon Blvd Coral Gables 1 CHECKING ON THE BOSS: Metro-Dade Parks Department public Information officer Chris Warren in Doctors Hospital last week for surgery was surprised Friday by a visit from his entire staff The four concerned staff members came over to help him move his belongings and plants to his home where he will rest for a The MIAMI HERALD Thursday April 23 1981 26.