This Fish Dealer Makes His Business
As Exciting as a Three-Ring Circus
By Ruth Peeling
Ottis Purifoy of Morehead
City can be numbered among
the few fish dealers who
have a flair for showman
ship, the ability to catch the
public's eye, and the intelli
gence to keep his business
constantly before the con
sumer.
For 15 years no has been in the
retail and wholesale fish business
in Morehead City. His ruddy com
plexion and bright eyes betray the
fact that prior to 1935 he himself
helped haul a net. He has fished
in waters from Maine to Florida.
Ottis has a hankering now to get
out on a boat again but shaking his
head, he declares, "I can't do it.
Have to stay here and look after
things."
Operates Fleet
The "things'" he refers to are a
fleet of 15 boats, a large icing and
packing house, dock, and retail fish
market which dominates the water
front part of the "jib" in Morehead
City. The jib constitutes the area
w berc Shcpard street branches off
at an acute angle from Evans
street and follows the waterfront.
No waterfront visitor can over
look "Ottis' Fish Market. "The front
of the white shingle building is
Nr. Boaiman
Here are a few items
you will find in our stock
ready for immediate de
livery.
NcQuay Norris Parts
NcCord Gaskets
Hastings Rings
Prest-O-Lite Batteries
Fuel Pumps
Herbrand Tools
Tungsol Bulbs
Fram Oil Filters
Dayton Fan Belts
Generators
? Starters
Armalures
Carburetors
Distributors
Shurhit Ignition
WE
will appreciate your order
Call Us For Any Part
You Need
WE DELIVER
Anlo Supply Co.
Phone 6-3311
; Cor. 19th A Arendell Su.
MOREHEAD CITY
, Next I* Stroud's Food Center
V^\S ??H
' -*?> \
X
Ottis Furifoy, right, stands beside one of his trucks which is
probably the most unique in the fish business.
Outside Ottis' fish market, C. W. Lewis, clerk in the retail mar
j ket, stands between a painting of a buoy and a speedboat towing a
bathing beauty on a surfboard.
brilliantly painted with beach
; scenes, a girl on a surfboard, a
leaping sail fish and a buoy. One
of his trucks, however, tops every
thing. Cavorting merrily on each
i side of it are mermaids riding por- 1
poises.
i Visitor or taciturn permanent
resident, neither can help but look
? twice.
'Picture Gallery'
The- retail store is i. showplace
in itself. The walls are covered
with mammoth, beautiful paintings
of marine life, all done by the same
artist, R. W. Lewis, who painted the
exterior of the building and the
truck.
In the store are more than a
hundred photographs, mounted fish
and handsome models of cabin
crnisers ranging from less than a :
foot in length up to four feet. The i
models were built by Kenneth El- 1
dridge of Morehead City.
The icea display cases, holding
all species of fish in season, are,
believe it or not, the main attrac
tion to the housewife or poor-luck
fisherman who is looking for a de
lectable bite for the evening dinner
table.
In addition to commercial fish
ing boats, Ottis operates four party
boats, the Shearwater, Dolphin,
Sea Raven, and Dolphin II. It looks
like carnival time in the summer
at Otto's fish market. Brightly col
ored pennants whip excitingly in
the sou'westers, luring sports fish
ermen to Ottis's dock where they
board one of the party boats and
set sail for the Gulf Stream.
Willing Snapshot Subjects
The day has yet to dawn when
the fishermen fail to return hap
pily to pose with their catch for
the professional or amateur camer
aman.
One of Ottis's most prized pos
sessions lies out in the wind and
weather at the front of Ilia retail
store. No attempt has over boon
made to put it under lock and key.
After all, it weighs 800 pounds.
That's how big anchors had to be
in civil war days. This one, how
ever. was probably 1,000 pounds in
I weight when it was new, Ottis be
lieves.
It's the anchor off the "iron
steamer" which went aground be
tween Salter Path and Atlantic j
See FISH DEALER, Page 13
Menhaden Fishermen
Nautical Charts and Books
Christmas Cards and Gifts
Dee Gee's Shop
South 8th Street
Morehead City
T. D. LEWIS
Machine Shop
Kermath Gasoline Engines
General Repairs
Hardware - Marine Supplies
SHEPARD ST.
MOHEHEAD CITY
DON'T TAKE A CHANCE ?
LET US BUILD IT FOR TOU.
We Make Anything Mate oi Wood
CABINETS? DOORS? SASH
WINDOW FRAMES ? SCREENS
LOWE BBOTHEHS
PAINTS & VARNISHES
A
Lockhart ttlillujorks
2 Mile* W?t of City ? Hifhw.y 70
PImnm 6-3918