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 <i ?j
. <>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- !
<e ket place and capital of the vast 5
IW agricultural empire to which candice
dates of both parties will address 1
^ their appeals next fall." '
le, i
nd ATTENDS FUNERAL OF ,
er AGED CONFEDERATE VET
re Mr. B. W. Stallings wa3 called to
:r. Franklin county Sunday on| account
of the death of a 90-year-old grand- <
father, J. Lawrence Bowden. Funerin
a! services for the highly respected
ler gentleman who was a veteran of the
sw Confederate armies, were held Monite
day, and 'Mr. Stallings was expected
home early Tuesday morning.
AUG
ndependent Weekly New
BOONE, WATAUGA CUU
JUST A RB
mm
a| g>
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 B<mi. 0
u
.,Ur, apCMliliiil - 1 St
in
rnberod this Chri&tr.ias, unless
nmunity. The appor.l of this
care of the needy children, has
for some kiddies they know of, h<
ide much more enjoyable for all S
Lribulion at the Democrat office vv
absence of any appreciable recant
but less effective single- g
IL
AID IN REDUCTIONs
ROAD TOLL SOUGHT;
Mayor Asks For Co-operation of ^
tho People In Program t
Of Safely. r
? 1:
In an eltori to curb the reckless u
j conditions existing on the highways ,j
' of the country, resulting in ninny t
| deaths, the mayor of Boone has is- v
1 sued the following proclamation as a u
l part of the National safety cam- t
j paign: i,
i Whereas the President of the
| United States has called on the peoj
pie to unite in a national effort to t
j cut down the rising tide of death and ?
destruction on the streets and high- I
v/ays of the nation; t
"Whereas the Governor of North <
Carolina lias pledged the co-operation (
of this state in this liaLional effort; I
"Whereas the Law Enforcing Offi- (
cers of North Carolina have inaugu- ?
rated through The Institute of Gov- r
eminent a systematic and continu- t
ous program of Accident Prevention =
and Motor Vehicle Law Enforcement
through the distribution of 500,000 i
copies of "Guides to Highway Safe- ?
ty," " l
"Now, therefore, I, W H. Gragg, i t
Mayer of Boone, call upon all high
school authorities, all local officials ?
and employees, all citizens' organiza- <
tions and autoniobfe drivers, and t
the heads of all business enterprises, ;
to procure and study "Guides to Highway
Safety" without delay, and to <
devote the first meetings of their <
respective organizations in January, i
1936, to a program of accident pre- i
vention and motor vehicle law en
forcement as the starting point of a
larger program of crime prevention
and criminal law enforcement."
WPA Employees To Get '
Holidays Next Week'
3
Security wage earners on Works
Progress Administration projects ,
will be given two and one half days ,
holiday for Christmas, it has been i
announced from the district WPA j
offices. j
The workers are to get off Tues- ,
day at noon and will return to work
Friday morning, and will be paid the 1
usual wages for the time they are off. 1
Administrative workers have been ,
given a one-day Christmas holiday, J
it being left in the discretion of the
district directors to allow an additional
day and a half if it can be .
done without impairing the work of
the office.
REEMPLOYS! ENT OFFICE TO
BE OPEN TWO DAYS WEEKLY
The National re-employment office
will be open each Saturday and Monday
for registration purposes. The
offices are located in the courthouse
at Boor.e, and the public i3 asked to
i bear in mind the dates when it isc
open.
\\T
?ht
$1.50 PER YEAR
iffiLDREN PERISH
AS FLAMES SWEEP
SPAINHOUR HOME Jp
ictirns of Burke County Tragedy
Are Kciatives Of
Boone Woman.
REMATh D CHILDREN ARE
NABLE TO LEAVE INFERNO
our Children and Two Women Only
Occupants of Country Uomc.
House Practically Destroyed
Wiien Help Comes.
Morganto.i. Dec. 13.?Two children
?rished in flames when ?.he home of
leir mother, Mrs. Ralph H. SpatnHir,
was destroyed by fire lute last
ght, six nr.Jes northeast of Mormton.
The bodies of Barbara Spainhour,
5, and. her brother, Dan. 11, were
amoved ioauy from the rfiina resultig
from the fire which trapped them
k their sleep on the second floor.
A kerosene oil lamp wnich the
iri left burning for an older sister
*ho also occupied the room is becved
to have exploded, and caused
ic fire. When discovered, flames fiil:1
the girl's room and was burning
le bedroom in which the boy slept.
Mrs. Spainhour's daughter-in-law,
lr3. W. K. Spainliour. who had rered
to an upstairs room, heard an
splosion and found the liali in
ames. Her cries brought no response
"ORi the children, and the rapidlymeading
blaze forced her to go
3\vnstairs where she notified Mrs.
painhour and two other children,
avid, to and Ruby, a high school
udent, all of whom escaped without
jury.
Two Sons Absent
The four children and the two womi
were the sole occupants of the
3use. Mrs. Spainhour's sons, W. R.
painnour, wno reside ai me Home,
ere away for the night.
Telephone connection with Moranton
could not be made because of
defect in the line, but neighbors
ere summoned. The second floor
>oms 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