Thompson 350131

Cliffside, on Monday – We played soldier again the other day, Sam and I. He wore a purple high school rat cap with white readin’ on it. To the end of a broom handle, which he carried over his shoulder in rifle fashion, he had tied a “Washington, D.C.” banner – on to Washington. Your scribbler led the two-man parade over the house carrying the stars and stripes over his shoulder. My hat was a much-too-small yachting cap. And for several years, the boys have called me “Skipper” anyway.

A pharmacist in a North Carolina town spouts his humiliation over the sales tax. He says he knows many houses in the state, which absolutely do not pay one cent of the tax they collect. “My friend, I know that,” with a vigorous head-shaking, “Auditors were sent to our town,” continues the bald-head veteran of the drug counter, “and where are they? They have not been in my place. I send in my tax regularly and they take my word for it,” getting louder and talking faster, “well, they should not; no, they should not take my word for it; the auditors should come in my place.” This old gentleman strikes an honesty note with me. And I believe him to be what he seems.

For 1935 the County Club endorses a lower state license plate. Viva! Clara Griffin is the club’s new secretary. She supersedes the well known Mr. R. E. Price . . .Miss Katherine Goggins is a keen enthusiast for better types of music. I hope her influence with that of the Woman’s and Music clubs of the county will see to it that Lamar Stringfield is back in Forest City soon.

Asheville and Charlotte now have in progress the talked-about Walkathon. Here is good entertainment. It’s principles are practical; first rate vaudevillians. Early in the evening you may take the children; the show is suitable for the family. Later in the evening the show gets spicier and does the crowd. The other evening in the audience was a Joe E. Brown imitator and the same boy had a frog voice; much of the entertainment centered on him. It is open house there, some are in the evening frocks and men in formal wear who pop in after dancing up town or at their suburban clubs. Everyone has fun.

“A” in a neighboring town wanted official information for a Florida motor trip. He asked “B” in Cliffside to get it for him. “B” conferred with “C” in regard to the matter. “C” saw “D” and asked him to write his motor club for the information. All was well and the information came thru. “D” turned it over to “C”. “C” gave it to “B”. “B” mailed it to “A” who lived in the same town from which originated the information.

O.K. Padgett has kicked out of the grippe and is back on the job . . . All of a sudden I began whistling Vincent Youmans’ “Orchids In The Moonlight”. . Jerome Kern’s music is going great in talkie musicals; a late one was “Music in the Air” in which played John Boles and Gloria Swanson. You will like “The Gay Divorcee” in Forest City this week. The picturesque settings of the dance “The Continental” are interesting. Fred Astaire, of [course, is] better than ever in this show. . And Ginger Rogers now, of course, is Mrs. Lew Ayres. I’ve gotta hurry this to the post office.