The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-09-12
Mayor Hook of Augusta,
Writes Home of Local
Impressions '' ''.....

SOnVllle anu LHlS ScCIlOu .tildt hS
would like to make this his future
home, and says he would do so
were it not for the fact that he
has interests which require his
continuance as resident of his
native section, Mayor C. L. Hook,
of Augusta, KY, visitor here for
several weeks past and now a
guest at Oak Retreat, has written
a letter to his friend, Editor J. A.
Thompson, of the Bracken Chron-
icle telling him that Henderson
Vile is a very beautiful city.
Mayor Hooks health has great
w improved since he has been
here. His letter about Henderson
Vile and his impressions here
which was given first page space
in the Chronicle, is as follows:
As it is raining, thought l
would write you and tell Of my
impressions of this part of the
old U.S.A. Hendersonville is a
very beautiful city, having a
population of $3.50, and is filled
to capacity with visitors from all
parts of the country, mostly from
Florida, South Carolina and Geor-
gia. | was told at the Chamber
of Commerce there were over
10000 visitors here now, and this
is the biggest year ever. First
day here / discovered they had a
sales tax in North Carolina. 1t
has been in effect for more than
one year and in talking with the
merchants here they seem to be
perfectly satisfied about it and
the general impression is that all
states will adopt it sooner or
later.
l was talking to a gentleman
at my boarding house, who is a
retired army officer, and he lives
in Miami, Fla. He was very posi-
tive that his state would be COM
PEELED to adopt the sales tax
there OR else would come in pos
session of most all real estate. He
gave me a startling account of
how property had increased in
state, county and municipal tax.
He told me that in the year
1925, he built a five-room bunga-
low End a seven-room dwelling
on a double lot he owned right
in the best part of Miami, and
stated his taxes on those two
homes for 1926 was a little over
S4OO. He then asked me to guess
what he had to pay this year on
same. My guess was that it
should be about double. He said
the taxes on this, property this
year was $1,000. 1 could scarce
ly believe it, but he insisted it
was absolutely true. .,-r
Checkers seems to be, a very
popular game here, and right on
Main street they have . many
checker tables made with long
benches and long boards having
three tables each, with canopy
top, and l walk down most every
day and watch the games. The
tables are filled every day..
They seem to have very &C.
tive Chamber of Commerce here,
and they have some amusement
most every day to entertain the
visitors; have had very beautiful
pageants, and parades. Also,,
every Mondaw night on Main
street, right in front of the fin
est hotel here, "The Skyland,"
the Chamber of Comerce spon-
sors a street dance. Thew block
one whole square and have a
seven-piece orchestra right in the
center of the block on a high
platform, and the dancers simply
fill the whole block and side
walks. There is scarcely stand
ing room. They estimate 500
couples dance.
One great feature of this place
to nv mind is, that in all the
time | have been here and such
great crowds, I have yet to see
any one. man or woman, that
seemed the least bit under in
fluence of liquor.
I had a most delightful trip
yesterday. A young man and his
wife asked me to join them on a
trip to Pisgah mountain. This
mountain is 81 miles from Hen
dersonville: the government owns
thousands of acres in these noun
tains, and has a large game pre-
serve. Getting to the top of this
mountain was a thrill I never
shall forget. We went up in the
morning, and the driver became
very scared before we reached
the top. I was shaking bit
myself when we reached the top
and recovered from our fright.
The scenery was most beautiful
and the atmosphere pretty cold,
but very bracing. We came down
this mountain ON the opposite
side, but learned they have rules
that no one can start IN this
mountain only in the morning,
and cannot descend until the aft