fOPAV and FLORIDA . . the last fronli I went the other day to a lunc eon in New York at which the Go i.mor of Florida was the host Floi .;a has set up a three months* exhi! tion at Rockefeller Center. New Yoi to give northern people some idea the beauties and attractions of th really marvelous state. 1 have been all over Florida, wri ton books and magazine articl about it, lived there for long period but \vha_ impresses me moat whenev I get from thinking about it is its tr nicxidous area still unoccupied. Florida is truly the last frontie there is room for ten million peop to live and make a living in Florid under the most delightful conditio] of climate and comfort that I kno anywhere. * TAXES . . . few in Flork I did not realize until 1 talk* with Governor Dave Sholtz how f< Florida has gone in the last fe years in lifting the tax burden froi its people. The state has no bonds uebt and so docs not have to lev taxes for interest on its debt. It h? no income or inheritance taxes an has lately eliminated all direct proj erty taxes on homes assessed at $5 000 or less. A great many people think of Fl< rida as a milhonaues ploygicun: Palm Beach, Miama and other Fa.' coast resorts are crowdevi with' frc? spenders every winter. But along th Gulf Coast, in the charming ring country of the interior with its 10 000 fresh-water lakes, and in th beautiful rolling hills of West Fior da, there i3 no premium on wealth, know of no part of the country?an 1 am pretty familiar with the who] inucu aiaies- vnerc me ordinal citizen of small means can live s well for so little money. * * HKAI.TH .... fine food Everybdy lives out of doors i Floriila. Houses are places to sloe in. That is one reason why Florid is pretty nearly the healthiest stat in the Union. Few days, even in th severest winters, call for even a ligh topcoat. And it is Florida's boas that nobody ever died of sunstrok even in the heat| of summer. Ol Florida residents have a sayinj "There's always a breeze in th shade." I have found that true. 1 the wind isn't blowing from the A1 iantic, It's blowing from the Gul Away down in South Florida I hav hail to pull a blanket over ine on a August night. Another reason why Florida pet pie are so uniformly healthy is tha one quickly get3 the habit of makir. fruits a large part of one's die Grapefruit, oranges, papayas, pint apples, strawberries, such foods a those and the year-round crops c green vegetables, provide Floridiai with unlimited supplies of the mo; health-giving foods." * ? Si'OttT all kind I don't know of any other part c the country where so many of th people get so much out-door spoi to mix with their work. Water sport swimming, yachting, motor-boatin| canoeing, are within everybody reach. So is fishing in fresh wat< or salt. The biggest black bass I eve saw or heard of came out of one c the fresh inland lakes. There is a go course or a tennis court within afe minutes drive of anvwhere, and fe' slates have a better or more con p'.ete system of motor highways. An for those whose tastes in sports ai simple, there is always horse-she pitching. St. Petersburg is the horsi "shoe-pitchiest" town I have ev< seen, and championship croquet played on its many courts. Talk about the "more abundai life"?there is no need to reorganiz the whole social order to provide ?Florida offers it now. * BUSINESS . . chances galoi I have never been able to see ar limit to the business opportunities i Florida. One of the latest and mo: prosperous business developments the manufacture of paper in Panan City from the prolific Florida pii timber. The ship canal, which tl Federal Government has begun dig across the neck of the Fioric Peninsular, will provide a new tra< route between all Gulf of Mexii ports and the Atlantic Ocean, ar seems destined to multiply Florida commercial prosperity. 1 still think the biggest opportuni: in Florida for the average man is one or another line of specialized agi culture. That takes some capital ai more intelligence, but, given thoz there are a few better ways to mal a livintr A cousin of mine, a Nc York lawyer, gave up his practi ten years ago and started cele farming in Florida. On the who he makes a larger income than t prosperous law practice provided, a: he is physically ten years young than when he went to Florida. All that I have been saying he sounds as if I were a Florida boost< I am! Mrs. Walter Robbins of Nash cou ty, has started 400 baby chiclo und the brooder in preparing for them of Pasquotank county, added nitre poultry year. i Wat An I ! VOLUME XLVII. NUMBER 25 IWPAWORKERSMAY s GET AN INCREASE IN 2SOME LOCALITIES at . Additional Allotment Granted PS State Brings Grants is, To $8,400,000. er e- PENSION ROLL SHOWS 100 CONFEDERATES ARE LEFT! Te J No Way of Giving Teachers Sick a' Leave; Legends for Other High- j 1 r way Markers Completed; State News of a Week. By M. R. DUNN AG AN la t (Special Democrat Correspondent) \ Raleigh, Dec. 15 ?WPA workers ir living in or within one mile of the xv limits of towns and cites of the state having 5,000 or more population will receive an increase of 10 per cent, in ^ their pay for work on WPA projects, State Director George W. Coan Jr.. announces. The order wilt- be effeetive Janury 1. Mcnwhile, an order reducing the hours of work from | 140 t? 130 a month became effective ? Decembe 18. No increase is made in ' rural areas, the increase for urban ' workers bringing the rates of pay "" to a closer parity, Mr. Coan said. The 10 j increase and the order to get pay to workers within five days after the work period ends will do much to rcl. lieve dissatisfaction among WPA l" workers. Mr. Coan has also received an anQ ditional allotment of $1,000,000 for e this state, bringing the total allot~ meat to $8,400,000 so far. Thirty ? per cent, of the new fund will be used for creating work for women and the balance will be used on approval *! projects yet to be approved, Mr. n Coan said. p a THE THIN GRAY LINES e Only 400 Confederate veterans, less 0 than one out of 300 who bore arms 1 in the 1931-5 conflict, are now rcm ceivir.g pensions in this state, State e I Auditor Baxter Durham reports. ? d I wik uui. i.v# uuun u-iiu OUW5I f ? pensioners last week and are now 7 e available in court alerk's offices. Flff ly-four have died during the past L~ yesr. Tlieir checks total $73,000, or f- at the rato of $1 a day. Checks for e! $100 each sent to 51 aged Negroes I n | who accompanied their masters to i war. The P2t "Class A" widows get j $150 eacli six months, total $138,150, lt! and the 1,750 ''Class B" widows get S S50 each six months, total $87,750. t Class A widows married their hus- e *" bands before tlie war ended and Class I ^ B widows married them before 1S80. iH >- Tlie total pension checks for the six " lS months was $303,750. !0 it e NO SICK LEAVE FOB TUTORS P c r No way has been found for paying c " sick leave to public school teachers, d 'f j but tlie Slate School Commtssion ( e | made provision last week for keep- ^ 't|ing a record of absence of teachers s. | from sickness, largely, it was said, ? ?. I - ' " " l gut oumc flea, vji uiu cost wncn it "3|is found that such leave can he paid s !r | for five days, as was provided by the s ;r|T)ii.' General Assembly, wilch, a".so, s " failed to provide the funds for carry" ing- it out. The special committee j IV which made an investigation, head- c w ed by Grady Gaston, Gastonia, con- c l~ ferred with Governor Ehringliaus, j. ' who did not approve the idea of say- -j 0 ing the leave will be paid if funds can t 'e be found, on the ground that all c teachers would assume that a prom- i :r ise and be disappointed if it could ls not be done. ^ i. J1 MANY HISTORICAL MARKERS ? Legends for seven more markers for state highways have been completed and sent to the manufacturer, bringing to 13 the number of texts t re (Conttuued on page two.) t In 1 st Cleveland Is Scene t H of Republican Meet j ^ At a meeting of the Republican f to national committee in Wasliington f la Monday, Cleveland, Ohio, was chosen I ie as the convention city for 1936, and ' SO it.' - - -> * " - - ? ? ine ;:esiaenuai canaiuaie or the o. id , 0. .viil te placed in nomination on the 9th of June. . t ty The convention city was chosen , in quickly, and was described as the ; meeting' point of the industrial east 1 and the agiicultural west, was at the 1 'e' center of population, and the "mar- ! W ?! %? ^ gjg ^ ?v ^ mm %: ^ JuSt n I.|. n-ior?that somebot there is a concerted effort to bui newspaper for funds to aid SanU met with scant respor.se. The : and if we wiil co-operate in aupj f us. Ar.yone who becomes dit or give it to any city official, or spouse, those of ua interested wB handed action. STREETS TAKE 0N~ HOLIDAY ATTIRE ligh School Students to Assist Shoppers During Pre' Christmas Rush. A. huge Christmas tree lias been ranloJ ?... ,L~ iw-nu in me Mjuaii: upposite li)v Vatauga county bank, electricians re busy festooning- the spruce with lyria.ls of vari-colored lamps, and dozen or so other trees are being leeted on the commons in different arts of the town, in an effort by the ity administration to create the lliristmas spirit among the shoppers tiring the late rush of buying. Praeically all the store fronts of the own are decorated with holiday col>rs and the shopping district 13 the nost attractive In many years. Two boys and two girls, sludents n the Boone high school, have been elected because of their excellent landing to assist visitors to the town luring Christmas. They will lend heir aid in the matter of parking ars, aid women and children in xossing the streets, carrying their lackages, or in ajiy way possible, rile students selected for these du- j ies are: Bernard Adams, Hersel icott, Vivian Oarieo and Francis Miler. Stores To Be Open At Night Till Xmas Beginning tonight and continuing -hrough until Christmas, retail esablishments of the town will be open or business during the evening lours. Out-of-town people will find t most convenient to do their shopring after supper, and will no doubt, ippreciate the extra touch of service jiven by the Boone merchants. DNL* THREE PENSION CHECKS FOR VETERAN Sj Only three pension checks forC'-n"edcrate veterans 'living in Watauga jounty are to be distributed this >rear. Lemuel Greene, Elihu Luther md W. H. Norris are the only survivors of the armies of Lee and Jack- i ion from this county, who are on thel itate pension rolls. Clerk of the Court A. E. South low has three checks, together with hose for thirty-six widows of Confederates, and those to whom they ire drawn may secure them any day by calling at his office. ELLER CHILD SCCCU5IBS Raymond Wilson Eller, six months old son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Eller of Boone, died at the Wilkes Hospital Saturday, after an illness with pneumonia. Funeral services were conducted from the Beaver Davn Baptist Church Sunday af ternoon and Interment was in that neighborhood. spaper?Established in tV NTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THUj 'UNDER ? ^ifrWm I V - v'l\ >#? Jl 'M5s ly's kiddies are r.ct going to be rcme id an empty stocking fund in this cot l Ciaa; in his gigantic task of taking firemen would like to have something lying the funds, Christmas may be mi posed to help out may leave their con to Pat McOuire, f.re chief. In the I ease our conscien :ea through well-ml Democrat To Issue on Mnriflav r>f N?wfr W^clr I The Democrat will be published oa ftlguday ot next \y??k, so that the force hrny enjoy a period of rest during the holidays, and contributors, advertisers and others i arc reminded that all matter for the Christmas-week edition must I he hi hand during the day next Saturday. Since Christmas is the only time in the year wlien the Democrat suspends work entirely, the Aland ay edition provides only way by which there may be a holiday observance, without suspended local newspaper service. TAYLOR NAMED AS NEW ACCOUNTANT Austin South Retires As Term Expires; Cites Extra Duties Imposed. Mr. Gordon Taylor of Valle Crucis, has been named County Accountant, iv suucecu ausliu tu. aouui, who nas held the position since its creation, and who asked that his name be left out at the end of his term, which was the first Monday in December. Mr. South, in a written statement to the Board of Commissioners, stated that extra work brought on by the establishment of the Recorder's court, together with need of more time for his private interests, brought about hi3 decision to retire from this branch of the public sen-ice. Mr. Taylor is well equipped to carry on the duties of the office and entered upon his work as soon as elected. W. E. Miller Operator Of New Hardware Store Mr. W. E. Milier of West Jeffcrson, has opened the Cash Hardware Store in this city, having recently taken over the stock, fixtures, accounts, etc., of the Watauga Hardware Company. The stocks have been greatly enlarged and a modern establishment is being conducted. Mr. 'Miller is a hardware man of wide experience, and is welcomed to the city. He will move his family and establish his home here at a later date. KETDBNS FROM WYOMING Mr. Cecil Critcher returned to his home in Blowing Rock Sunday, after a three months sojourn in the vicinity of Story, Wyoming. The trip was in the nature of a hunting and fishing expedition, and Mr. Critcher brought back the head of an enormous elk as proof of his prowess as a hunter. MOCI >e Year Eighteen Eighty-Eij RSDAY, riF-jOptmr.l? H> lQXn ? by A. Efe^iapin JOIK1 THE- Xl lARE-A-SMLE-frjgB tl v ss^iw! m 8^8; ? IRE SOME OF YOUR- ;> STMAS W'TH THAT LITTLE J? W6OTTEM TOT % tt r AROUMD WOR COCwEfe- V h' IU.BRIN& JOYTbW Boms had fallen in .when outside asstance arrived, however. Tracticaliy all contents of the welling, occupying one of the older lira! home *lcos in Burke county, reire destroyed; Mrs. W. R. Spainour expressed the belief that the wo upstairs rooms occupied by the hildren had been burning before the imp exploded, who said both rooms ore in flames when she opened her 001* across the hall to investigate he. loud noise. The theory was advanced that the lamp was probably verturiied before the explosion and he children may have been overcome 11 their sleep. Ijirm Family The two children are survived by heir mother, widow of Ralph H. Spainhour, who was a prominent Jurkc county farmer, and by five mothers, W. R. Spainliour of Morjanton, Richard E. Spainhour, principal of the Lenoir grammar school ta'lpli Spainhour of Wilmington. ?alif., Joe Spainhour and David Spainhour, at the home, and six siscrs, Mrs. William Jcanettc of Gi eens>oro, Mrs. R. L. Patton Jr., of Mor anton, Miss Frances Spainhour, stulent of East Carolina Teachers ColPffA Cnxprnrilif. Qn.l "Xfow Jpalphgur, students at Asheville Nornal school, anil Ruby Spainhour, at he home. Funeral services were conducted Saturday afternoon from the Morjanton Presbyterian Church and inerment was in the family cemetery lear the home. The tragic death of the Spainhour :hildren constitutes news of local concern since their bereaved mother is a sister to Mrs. George Winkler of Boone. The Spainhours have often rial ted in this community. With an enrollment of 1400 rural boys and girls into the 4-H clubs of Johnston county, there is an increase of 100 per cent, above the enrollment for last year. If GIFT | g SUGGESTION ? Sf When its the last minute ?* EWj before Christmas, and you 3? can't decide what to give W aj, some far-off friend or rela- M I? tive, let a gift subscription Kg IJVJ to the Watauga Democrat ?jj provide a happy solution of S? the problem. One dollar and 5-? a half supplies an appreci- rf ated gift?one which enter- Sa Kj tains and edifies throughout ?? the fifty-two weeks of the gf coming year, and constantly Elf? reminds the recipient of the ?ji though tfulness of tlie giver. 3jf These gift subscriptions aie Sir being entered daily, and we Sf y w hope this suggestion will be- jjij acted upon favorabiy