I
PRIZE- WINNING
NEWSPAPER
ol th. '
TAR HEEL COAST
CARTERET (OUNTY NEWS-TIMES jw
45th YEAR, NO. 46. THREE SECTIONS TWENTY-FOUR PAGES JIOREHEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT. NORTH CAROLINA FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 196# PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
Fire Destroys Legendary Home
A blaze of unknown origin destroyed the old Oaksmith house, west
of Morehead City, about 11 o'clock Monday morning. l ots of tales
were told about the old house, about a tunnel leading from the sound
to It and of a room wherein pirate's loot was stored. But research
lus failed to uncover farts which could verify these tales. The chim
neys were constructed to provide fire places on both the first and
second floors.
By F. C. SALISBURY
With the burning of the Oak
smith house in the Camp Glenn
section Monday morning, another
county landmark was destroyed.
Although not as old as some build
ings which have been associated
with past days in the county, yet
it had an interesting history that
tied in with one of the most prom
inent men of eighty years ago,
who for a few year* played an im
portant part in Um political and
civic life of Carteret County.
Tfeis house, on a plantation
known as "Hollywood," was the
home of Applet on Oaks mi th, law
yer, author, publisher, adventurer,
ship owner and planter. First built
to nouae officers of the Civil War
during the encampment of fed
eral soldiers in Ute county from
1882 td 1865, the building and (Mr
rounding property was purcbaaed
by Oaksmith when he came with
his family to Carteret County to
make his home in 1873.
Improvements to the officer's
quarters gave the structure the
appearance of a plantation home.
Could the house have told its
story over the past years it would
have been one more of sorrow and
tragedy than of happiness. Death
by drown'"g took its toll of the
family when four young daughters
were lost in Bogue Sound during
a sailing trip with their father on
Julv 4. 1879.
Hi* aged mother, * noted writer
and poet, passed her last years at
the home, far removed from her
old associates. Lingering sickness
resulted in the death of Oaksmith
in 1887, followed by the mother
and wife a few years later.
Up until a short time ago a
daughter, Miss Geraldine Oak
smith, continued to live in the
old home. From time to time dur
ing her absence, vandals broke into
the bouse carrying away valuable
furniture and keepsakes. Time and
the elements had wrought its
change on the old house, making
it uninhabitable.
What of this man Oaksmith? He
was a person of unusual character.
He had led a most varied and ex
citing life up to the time be came
to Carteret County. He was well
See FIRE, Page 2
'Cyclists Suffer
Minor Injuries
Two Cherry Point Marines suf
fered minor injury at 2:20 p.m.
Tueaday when the motorcycle they
were riding collided with a truck
on Highway TO a mile west of
Morehead City.
The Marines were Danny M. Kay
and Larry P. Schorle. They were
takes to Morehead City Hospital in
the Dill ambulance.
According to State Highway Pa
trolman R. H. Brown, the motor
cycle, a 1855 Hariey-Davidson, was
going east and hit the left rear of
a 1991 Ford oil (ruck as it was
turning into Frfd Anthony's ser
vice station
i The oil truck, headed west, waa
being driven by Clyde D. Edwards,
1208 V* Shackleford St. Morehead
City. Both Marines were thrown
off the motorcycle. They suffered
bruised right arms and hands.
Damage to the truck was estimated
at (S and damage to the motorcycle
at $100.
Charges arc pending
Photo by F. C Salisbury |
This picture shorn the Oaksmith house as it appeared in 1927. In recent years the house has been
in a dilapidated condition. No one was living in it at the time of the fire. Many ot the relics and val
uable books in it had been carried away by trespassers.
1956 Father of the Year
Will Win Valuable Prizes
Streets to Get
238 Markers
Street markers (or Morfhead
City hive been ordered, Mrs. A.
B. Roberts, publicity chairman of
the street marker project, an
nounced yesterday.
Mrs. Roberts said that sufficient
funds were raised by five civic or
ganisations to buy 188 markers
Fifteen markers were donated and
35 were purchased by the town,
totaling the 238 markers necessary.
Markers will be put in place by
the town street department, ac
cording to Mrs. Roberts, who con
gratulated everyone who had a
helping hand in making the pro
ject a success.
Street markers are a Finer Caro
lina project. Chairman of the com
mittee was Owens Frederick.
Clubs which raised the money were
the Lions, Rotary, Jaycees, Junior
Woman's Club and the Woman's
Club.
Tides at Jhe Beaufort Bar
Tide Table
HIGH
LOW
Friday, liae I
7:26, a m.
7:91 p.m.
1:28 a.m.
1:25 p.m.
Saturday, June 9
8:16 a m
8:42 p.m.
2:18 a.m.
2:18 p.m.
8unday, June !?
9:08 a.m.
9:33 p m
3:07 a.m.
3:11 p.m.
Moaday, June 11
10:01 a.m.
10:26 p.m.
3:58 a.m.
4:07 p.m.
Tuesday, June II
IQ.56 a.m.
11:21 p.m.
5:04 pjn.
4:49 a.m. I
Here's an opportunity to help
your father win valuable prixes
being offered by Morehcad City
busineaamen.
Send in your entry to THE
NEWS-TIMES sponsored rather of
the Year contest, and perhaps it
will be your dad who wins the
prizes.
To nominate a Father of the
Year, all you need do is fill out
the blank found in an ad in to
day's paper, or pick one up from
one of the cooperating merchants.
Then fill it out and take it to the
merchant's store or send it to the
newspaper office.
This is the fourth year that THE
NEWS-TIMES has sponsored the
event. Last year's winner was
Henry Carraway of Merrimon.
Other winners have been John
Tillery, Morchcad City, and
Charles Garner, Newport.
Ten gifts will be presented to
the lueky winner. They are a lea
ther billfold by Early Jewelers;
box of Manhattan shirts from
Hill's; set of "Kar-rugs" from Har
desty Motor Co.; slacks, shirt, belt
and tie from Belk's; gallon BPS
paint from Lockhart Millworks.
r Flonheim shoes, Webbs; lazy
susan, Smith's TV; $10 gih certifi
cate, Leary's; Brownie flash cam
j era, Morehead City Drug Co.; and i
25 theatre passes good for the
City, Morehead and Beaufort
Theatres from Morehead Theatre. '
Deadline for getting the nom
ination blanks in is 10 a.m. Wed- j
nesday, June 13. The presentation |
Of gifts will be made Saturday.
June 16, the day preceding Fa
ther's Day, In front of the More
head City municipal building. j
Mayor Cites Need for Deep
Channel to Morehead Port
Nursery to be Conducted
During Recreation Program
An innovation will be started
Monday with the opening of a nur
sery for children between the ages
of 4-8 at the Morehead City Rec
reation building. The summer rec
reation program will begin Mon
day at 9 a.m., according to Fred
Lewis, recreation director.
The nursery will be open only
during the morning sessions.
The program, otherwise, will run ;
the same as last year, with indoor
and outdoor activities from 9 a.m.
to 12 noon, and from 2 to 4 p.m.
On Wednesday and Friday nights
the recreation building will be
open from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. for
dances.
Among the outdoor activities
available will be tennis, volleyball, ,
basketball, horseshoes, croquet and j
jun ping pit. Indoor activities in
clude ping pong, shufflcboard,
miniature golf, badminton and
table games.
Assisting Mr. Lewis in directing
the program will be Mrs. Mamie
Taylor and Ralph Wade.
The program will also start Mon
day for the coloi ei children at
the Masonic Hall for indoor activi
ties and at W. S. King School for
outdoor games.
June Brings
Wet Downpours
"June is busting out in rain"
could well be the song of county !
residents. More than one inch has 1
fallen since last Friday, June 1, 1
according to E. Stamey Davis,
weather observer. ?
Some sections have gotten close
to 9 inches in draching down
pours. Od^Tuesd streets in both
Beaufort and Morehead City were
flooded. Tbc Beaufort downpours
came during high tide and the
sewers couldn't carry the overflow
off.
The wind shifted to the north
cast Wednesday and before long
more rain was coming down, ac
companied by chill winds.
The high temperature for the
week was recorded on Monday
when the mercury rose to 83 de
grees and the low was recorded
on Sunday with a reading of 56
degrees.
The high and low temperatures,
as well as the wind directions for
the past week were as follows:
Max. Min. Winds
Friday 82 * 72 SW
Saturday 82 67 SW
Sunday . 80 56 NW
Monday 83 63 SE
Tuesday 75 67 SW
Wednesday 76 68 NE
Park Beach
To Open Sunday
The swimming area at Fort Ma
con State Park will open Sunday
morning. Smith Ray, park supcrin
tcndcnt. announced this week.
In charge of the refreshment
stand at the bathing area will be
Mitchell Clark, Beaufort.
Bath house manager will be A.
E. Mercer, Buxton, and life guards
will be Harold Willis, Beaufort; 1
Andrew Denmark. Raleigh; David
Windley, Havelock. and George
Thompson, Goldsboro.
The picnic shelter at the beach
is open daily until 9 p.m. The
fort is open to visitors from 8 to
5 and the fort fishing area is open
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tickets Go on Sale for Fish Fry,
Pony Penning Down East July Fourth
Tickets (or the July Fourth fish
fry it Sea Level can be obtained
from members of the Sea Level
Hospital Board of Trustees, Charles
Caudell. hospital administrator, an
nounced yesterday.
Many reservations for the big
event have already been received
from upstate, he said. Persons
planning to attend are urged to
get their tickets in advance so that
mough food can be prepared Pro
ceeds will go to the Sea Level Hos
pital.
On the morning of July 4, begin
ning at t a.m., there will be a pony
penning at Cedar bland Beach,
rhis is the only penning in this
?rea which can be reached by au
lomobile. Other penninga require
boat transportation to the banks.
Tbe penning la being sponsored
by the Down East T iona Club.4
Tickets are being sold for admis
sion to to the penning, Mr. Caudcll
reported.
The hospital trustees are super
vising the fiah fry which will take
place on the hospital grounds.
Tickets can also be obtained at the
hospital. They are priced at <1 and
SO cents for each of the events, the
penning and the fiah try.
Twe Graduate
Thomas S. Bennett and David H.
Freshwater, Morehead City, re
ceived their bachelor of arts de
grees Monday night as 1,700 Uni
versity of North Carolina students
were graduated. Diplomas were
presented by Dean J. Carlyle Sit
terson of the College of Arts and
Sciences.
Court to Opon at 9:30
Monday at Beaufort
Judge Malcolm C. Paul, Wash
ington, N. C.p will preside at the
criminal term of superior court
starting Monday morning at 9:30
a.m. The session is scheduled for
one week.
Judge Paul will also preside at
the one-week civil term opening
June IS. '
Mitchell Bailed Out
Matthew Mitchell, Morehead City
Negro being held for shooting
Charles D. Salter, Morehead City,
early Sunday moming, was re
leased under *500 bond from the
county Jail yesterday morning.
Firemen Elect
Board Tuesday
At Atlantic
A board of directors of the Down
East Fire Department was elected
at the department s meeting Tues
day night in the old Baptist
Church. Atlantic.
The directors arc Aldridgc Dan
iels. Sea Level, president; Joseph
Peppers. Stacy, first vice-president;
Monroe Gaskill, Cedar Island, sec
ond vice-president; Elbert Pittman,
In case of fire in Sea Level,
Stacy, Cedar Island, Davis or
Atlantic, the fire department
can be summoned by calling At
lantic 256 in the daytime or 262
at night.
Davis, third vice-president; Clay
ton Fulcher Jr., Atlantic, secretary,
and William Gorges, Atlantic,
treasurer.
Prior to Tuesday night, the
Lions Club served as the board of
directors. The department is also
proceeding with plans to incor
porate.
Allen Jones, Atlantic, who was
appointed temporary fire chief fol
lowing the death of Chief Walter
Mason, was clectcd chief.
It was reported that the depart-!
mcnt owes $178.46 and has no
money Xo meet the debt. Contri
butions to the fire department will
be accepted. They may be given or
mailed to the chief or to Mr.
Gorges, treasurer.
Guests rtt the meet in t were
James Kirbv ami Chftrtc* Gould,
members of the Newport Fire De
partment, who invited the Down
East firemen to take part in the
county wide fire school the last
week of this month.
Paul Willis, 3108 Evans St.,
Morehead City, has been made an
honorary member of the depart
ment in appreciation of the help
he gave in getting the fire depart
ment started.
Thirty-five men attended the
meeting. The next meeting will be
at Cedar Island Tuesday, July 10.
It has been postponed because the
regular meeting night precedes the
Fourth of July.
Mayor George Dill, Morehead City, told members of a
House sub-committee at Washington Wednesday that com
mercial shipping through Morehead City port is being
hampered because of inadequate channel depth.
If the sub-committee issues a favorable report on the
deepening and widening of the channel, the bill authoriz
j mg rxpcnauure 01 tunas ior areog-^
I ing will go before the 85th Con
I gress next year.
Congressman Graham A. Barden
was the chief wftness. A channel
of 35 feet is being sought. Con
gressman Barden pointed out that
due to the present 30-foot depth,
movement of military cargoes can
not be carried out efficiently.
He also remarked that the au
j thorized depth now is 30 feet, but
! in some places the channel is only
29 feet. The improvements being
| sought, he said, would convert the
'port "into a great potential for im
proving commercial traffic into the
.irea . . . and would serve as a tre
mendous stimulant" to new indus
tries planning to locate in eastern
North Carolina.
Cargoes Limited
I Mayor Dill told tne committee,
headed by John A Blatnik. Minne
sota, that not only military ear
goes hut commercial shipments
move under restriction because
asphalt, gasoline and fuel oil tank
ers coming in cannot make port
with full cargoes.
He pointed out that private en
terprise. such as the asphalt plant
;ind roofing company in Morchead
City, depend on the port and must
operate at maximum efficiency to
meet competition. He commented
on the important paVt these busi
nesses play in the economy of the
town.
Congressman Barden told the
committee that Morehead City's j
nearness to the ocean, three and a |
half miles, could make it one of
the most important ports on the
eastern seaboard, if the channel
depth and turning basin arc im
proved.
Engineers Testify
Others wha testified were an en
gineer with the Army Corpa of en
gineers who presented a large
drawing of the port and channel,
two colonels from the Marine
Corps, an admiral of the United
States Navy and Col. R. S. Marr,
executive director of the State
Ports Authority.
The hearing took place in the
hearing room of the new House of
fice building. The committee con
sidering testimony was the sul>
committee on Rivers and Harbors
of the Committee on Public Works,
before whom Mayor Dill testified
in March relative to water pollu
tion. ?
The mayor went to Washington
Tuesday afternoon and returned
Wednesday afternoon.
Swedish Biologist Visits
Shellfishery Lab Here
Visiting at the
shellfish laboratory,
Fish and Wildlife
S c r v i c c, Fivers
Island, is Dr. Len
nart Hannerz, Goth
enburg, Sweden, who
will study four and
a half months in
this country as a
World Health Or
ganization fellow.
Dr. Hannerz, tall,
blonde and hand
some, looks more
like a Hollywood
box-office attraction
than holder of a doc
tor'! degree in biolo
gy. While in this
country he will
study disposal of ra
dioactive waste ma
terial.
At the shcllfish
cry laboratory he is
being supervised In
this work by Dr. T.
R. Rice. Head of the
laboratory is Dr. W.
Dr. Lennart lUnerx
. . . starts study tour
n. VIIICUWII'
The Plver* Inland laboratory 1> '
his first slop. He arrived in New 1
York City May 12, apent a while
at Washington, D C., and will '
leave here at the end of next week.
Then he will apend a month at '
Oak Ridge, Tenn. From there he
will visit. the biological aUtlon at
A&M College. Texaa, Serippa '
Occanographie Institute, La Jolla, |
Cal., and the fisheries laboratory '
at the Untveralty of Washington.
Seattle. He wHI also make numcr- .
ous tide trips to round out hia edu- '
rational itinerary In the United |
Statea.
Dr. Hannerx. who la employed by (
the Swedish government aa a mem- ?
her of Its fisheries board, did his ,
undergraduate and gradyate work
at the University of Uppaala. He ,
ia married and has two daughters.
One of the things that has Im- I
pressed him moat during his few |
Jays In this country ii the "friend- !
ly informality of the people."
Otherwise he says he believes
America would be a wonderful
place to live in.
The biologist speaks English
very well, having studied it in
"middle school" and high school
After leaving the United States
this fall, he will atudy two weeks
In England before returning to
Sweden.
Highway Patrol Station*
Roger Salter in Ontlow
Roger Salter, Sea Level, t mem
Mr of the State Highway Patrol,
Us been stationed at Swans bo ro
He will patrol Onalow County. He
?forked this week with Carteret pa
rolmen.
Mr. Salter is married and has
i nine-month-old aon. Roger Jr. His
>arenU are Mr. and Mrs. Herbert
lalter, Sea Level
County Farm
Labor Committee
Formed Here
Frank Nance, Farm Labor
Supervisor, Reports
On Harvest Progress
A County Farm Labor Commit
tee consisting of R M. Williams,
county asent; Odell Merrill, county
commissioner; the Rev. W. T. Ro
bcrson, pastor of the First Bap
tist Church, Beaufort, and David
Jones, soil conservationist, has
been formed, Frank Nance, farm
placement supervisor, announces.
The committee will act as an ar
bitration board for the laborers
and farmers in the event that their
problems can't be handled by the
farm placement bureau.
Problems may involve the
amount of pay the workers are to
rcccive or housing.
Mr. Nance also reports that
mattresses arc available to fann
ers who hire migrant laborers.
They are $1.90 each, plus a small
transportation cost.
He said this is a special offer
open only to the labor camps. The
mattresses are surplus government
property.
Mr. Nance announced that 93
per cent of the county cabbage
crop has ben harvested, 85 per
cent of the bean crop, 85 per cent
of the tomato plants for shipment,
and 10 per cent of the potato crop.
At present there are 700 labor
era at work In the county on dif
ferent farms. Si* hundred are mi
grants and the others are from
different parts of North Carolina.
In addition there arc 600 local
workers harvesting crops.
In about three weeks, Mr. Nance
said, there will be about 500 labor
ers left in the county, of whom
400 will be migrants.
After the potato crop it in, he
said that only 150 will remain
here to work on tomatoes, tobacco
and peppers.
Mr. Nance stated that he hopes
to have a health and life inaurance
policy available for the migrant
workers on a quarterly basis,
itarting next year.
His officc, located in a trailer
near G. T. Spivey's grocery across
From the Beaufort School, is also
assisting farmers in finding ten
ints for ycar-around work.
All of the farmers who have
vehicles which seat more than sev
en persons are required to register
those vehicles, Mr. Nance reports.
Blanks for this purpose arc avail
able at his office.
Motel Robber
To Serve Year
Marino Cpl. Anthony R. McLane,
who robbed II. P. Spears, proprie
tor of the Liberty Motel, several
miles west of the Cherry Point Ma
rine Air Station on Highway 70,
April 19, was sentenced to 12
months in state prison by Judge
Malcolm C. Paul in Craven County
Superior Court Tuesday.
Mr. Spears, from whom $28 was
itolen, is former manager of the
Hotel Fort Macon. Morehead City.
Suffering from heart dlaeaae, he
was hospitalized immediately after
the robbery.
McLane was given a five-to-seven
rear suspended sentence for armed
robbery in addition to the active
lentence. In suspending the longer
lentence, Judge Paul ordered the
defendant placed on five years'
probation at the conclusion of the
prison term.
The 22-year-old defendant pled
guilty to armed robbery, drunken,
:areless and reckless driving,
ipeeding and leaving the scene of
in accident.
Robert G. Winbarry
Slightly Injured Friday
Robert O. Winberry, 14, suffered
ruts and bruises at 1:20 p.m. to
lay when the car in which he was
riding upset on Highway 24 three
miles east of Swansboro.
Driving the car, a 1991 Mercury,
was Clyde W Fetteroff, route I
Newport. The car was proceeding
?rest on Highway 24 when It sUd
ind turned over.
Slate Highway Patrolman W. *
I'ickard investigated.