A 1 Stove Hospital

In the '50s we drank Dr. Brown's Cel-ray Tonic and put Dr. Scholl's arch supports in our shoes. Although these relics of unqualified confidence in a doctor's degree--even an unearned doctor's degree--have fallen away, the power of "Dr." continues undiminished, even in this HMO age. Today, however, the honorific's main impact is to enliven our urban landscape. Among Los Angeles' most renowned specialists are Dr. Spotless, an Anaheim dry cleaner; Dr.

In the '50s we drank Dr. Brown's Cel-ray Tonic and put Dr. Scholl's arch supports in our shoes. Although these relics of unqualified confidence in a doctor's degree--even an unearned doctor's degree--have fallen away, the power of "Dr." continues undiminished, even in this HMO age. Today, however, the honorific's main impact is to enliven our urban landscape. Among Los Angeles' most renowned specialists are Dr. Spotless, an Anaheim dry cleaner; Dr.

When Victor Smith talks about stoves, his eyes brighten, his hands stab the air as if delivering a barbershop sermon and his voice rises a bit no matter how small the audience. A tall, cheerful man who always seems in a rush, the 47-year-old Smith presides over A-1 Stove Hospital, one of the county's largest stove repair yards.

When Victor Smith talks about stoves, his eyes brighten, his hands stab the air as if delivering a barbershop sermon and his voice rises a bit no matter how small the audience. A tall, cheerful man who always seems in a rush, the 47-year-old Smith presides over A-1 Stove Hospital, one of the county's largest stove repair yards.

OLD STOVES ARE hot--handsomer, more durable and efficient than new ones, aficionados claim. "They're made better, of better, stronger materials," says owner Winsor Williams of Antique Stove Heaven. "They cook faster on bigger burners. They maintain a minimum flame without shutting off."

Just before we closed escrow on our house in north Pasadena, we discovered that the ancient electric stove didn't work. Not a big problem, we thought. We'd already planned to replace the refrigerator (which was encrusted with several generations of foul-smelling black fungus) and the 1949 Kitchenaid dishwasher (which ran with a dull grinding sound). We'd just have to spend more in the major appliance department, we figured. Wrong.