The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-09
o HOSPITALITY

One of those dissatisfied northern
people who sees no good IN florlua
after they have made the state
visit writes to a vast coast paper
complaining of the lack of hospltal-
itv especially of the old time south
ern kind, experienced b. the writer
If any person has occasion 10
criticise the hospitality of FLORIDA
people either northern or southern
the trouble is in the visitor and not
the people.
The communities of Florida are
made up from people from every sec
ton OF the United States. Here
there is no north and no south, anu
it would bel impossible to draw the
line between southern and northern
hospitality where all are equity
hospitable and warm hearted to all
who may come to their communities.
Grateful visitors have written ana
said too much of the delightful
courtesies, the tender cares and con-
sideration received from every COM
munity in Florida to crente the be
lief that Florida. or any community
in the state, is lacking in the hos
pitality always extended by all
classes to all other classes
Not lon2 ago The Herald read
delightful article from the pen OF
an old man, published in a north
ern paper, giving the simple story
of the treatment of himself and
wife while at ST. Petersburg. The
wife was long an invalid and in the
hope of restoring her to health she
was taken to the west coast city.
The neighbors Instantly saw that
there was need of neighborly sym
pathy, and the life of the eyed wife
was made pleasant and innumcr-
able courtesies and little kindnesses,
and when death finally came, there
were flowers and tears and sym
pathy for the stranger within the
gates, and the old gentleman was
assisted in sending the body of his
wife home with all the loving kind
ness that would have been eXtened
10 tod
all that was done for him and his,
and wrote an appreciative account
of his experiences for his home pa
per, praising the people of the
southern city for their hospitality
and real kindness.
This is only one of innumerable
instances where the various COM
munities of Florida have refuted the
criticisms of the latest complainer
of Florida customs.
A few months ago an aged wom-
an and her daughter came to one
of the new communities of Florida.
enc in which the people are busily
engaged in getting "a start in life
Within few months the old moth
CT died. During her short illness
at the time of, and after her death,
the remaining members of the fam
lily were not permitted to feel, for
an instant, that they were not sur
rounded by their own kin folks.
Every person in the town took upon
himself to render some neighborly
kindness. every moment of the time.
The family was surrounded by low
;n2 and courteous : lends during
the trying time of the funeral, the
ARRANGEMENTS for which were made
by the neighbOrs. Visits continued
after the funeral and in every way
the bereaved family was made to
understand that the ties # friend
ship in that particulad Town We're
multiplied and and strengthened
by the fact that sorrow had come TO
one family.
No more grateful refutation of
unWarranted criticism of the peo-
pie of Florida could come than one
incident, out of many, and the edi-
non, Monarchies are DESTROYED by
poverty; republics arc destroyad H.,