Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-06-17
COL. JONES TAKES FLORIDA
EDITOR TO TASK IN LETTER
Points Out Weakness Of Newspaper In
Attempting to Prevent Visits

- 10 II6N6uLir tlSlIS
to the Mountains.
Colonel s. A Jones of Waynesvi1Ie4
has sent The Gazette-News d copy
of letter he sent to the editor Of the
Tampa Times, deploring sentiment
which is being fostered in Florida
against the coming of Florida people
to the North Carolina mountains in the
summer
i The letter follows: n
Great Ruby Mines,
Willetts, N c., June s, 1915.
To the Editor OF the Tampa Times.
Tampa, Fla:
1t is with regret that feel called on
to say word about this home-stay-
j ing sentiment, that seems to have been
1 originated in the Times, and seems to
be meeting statewide approval ih
Florida. / have refrained from say
ing word because love Florida. and
am still working for Florida, as I did
the quarter of a century that it was
my home. But-a very recent short
editorial, in paper that I love as nv
own child, makes the following state
nlent: -
Among the delusions that have vic,
umzed some south Floridians is that
which leads them to believe that the
summer climate of such places as
AsheVi1le, HendersonviIle and other
mountain resorts, are superior to that
OF beaches within a four hours, ride
OF Tampa.
Now, it is not conducive to q win
ter resort state, to begin toscast stones
at summer resort state.s AsheyiIIe
4
Ing resorts are full of my friends; as
| are the resorts of south Florida. I
have but, little to say further, than to
state the fact, but for the people that
leave their states in the winter, there
would scarcely have been Jackson
vile; st. Augustine would still be but
sign board of the past; there would
be no Miami: there would have been
no Palm Beach. 1t is true, there
would have been. Key West, and there
would have been a Tampa city, for
they are not built on dependence on
the winter visitor. But the winter
visitor has contributed the third great
impetus that has made quicker the de-
Eelopment Of Tampa's great harhor
and port, and her great commercial
and manufacturing Industrial possf-
| bilities sa
These victimized people, the Times
allude to, as to AsheEille and Hender1
sonville. are people from Clearwater
HarbOr, where he can sit on the front
porch and battle their feet in the gulf;
considered the mecca of health points
I'm Florida; people from St. Petersburg,
overlooking miles of beautiful bays o.
/ salt water: who can sit on their front
| porches and battle their feet in the
waters of the gulf. Citizens Of high
intelligence in the city of lamps; that
own gulf cottages, find; the mountain
air, and the splendid water of North
Carolina mountain section, q. renewal
/ OF life rssthR,efeW weeks 4ef sumfnsF
they spend here The shest; people of
| Asheville, HendersonviIle, and Way
nesville. and throughoutdhis mountain
section, find in Floridasin the winter
the mecca of the need of rest, health,
| pleasure and comfort And they pay
as high prices for the privilege Of en-
joying Florida. as Florida pays and
contributes for the exchange of coHr-
| tesy in a summer country that has
never reflected. sweeter scenery, and
a happier escape from hot nights, mas
quito nets, and patent ceswater, than
we. Do not throw stones at what has
made Florida's fame world wide
known. The exchange of her magnif-
cent winter climate for the magnf1-
| cent summer climate of the southern
! Appalachian range: One of Gods
greatest gifts to tired minds and the
pale fever stricken child, and its
mother, from the low seaboard and in
land level countries of our south land.
A friend 10 both sides. -
s.! A. JONES. $