:=S CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES ?w
45th YEAR, NO. 79. TWO SECTIONS TWELVE PAGES MOREUEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1956 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
West Beaufort
Land Struggle
At New Stage
Bid Rejected; Officials
To Study New Lease
Presented Yesterday
The tussle continues over the
county property in West Beaufort.
County commissioners yesterday
rejected the high bid on the prop
erty. The land was auctioned last
Monday. The top bid was $3,500,
? entered by Harvey Smith, Beau
fort.
Following rejection of the bids.
Charles Davis of the Seashore
Packing Co., and his attorney, Wi
ley Taylor Jr., appeared and pre
sented a new proposal for leasing
the property. The board has de
ferred action on that until Oct. 10.
Prior to their appearance, Ger
ald Hill, Beaufort, and Luther
Hamilton, Morehead City attorney,
commented on the matter.
Gerald Hill, a director of the
Beaufort Chamber of Commerce,
told the board that the chamber
is in favor of the county's leasing
the property for use as a fish
pond, as Mr. Davis and his asso
ciates propose.
Mr. Hill told the commissioners
that the county would realize more
money from a lease than outright
sale and that a game fish pond
would mean an improvement for
the town and county.
Commission Objects
Mr. Hamilton said that the Car
teret Airport Commission was not
in favor of the proper y being sold.
The commission believes, he said,
that transferral of the property
into private hands may jeopardize
airport development.
He said that he thought the com
mission would agree to leasing of
the property.
In the new proposal by Mr.
Davis, the properly would be
leased for 10 years with privilege
of the lessee renewing for ano
ther 10. The lessee would also
comply with CAA regulations in
regard to building height, keep a
record of money invested on the
property and amortize the debt at
10 per cent annually.
Mr. Taylor said that his clients
plan to invest $10,000. The lease
? also agrewffcat the Stat/ Hlgh
way Commission can continue to
' unload materials for road building
See PROPERTY, Page 5
Two Get Minor
Bruises in Wreck
Brucc Wayne Babbitt, Davis, and
Sandra Gilgo, Atlantic, cscaped
serious injury at 7:45 p.m. Satur
day when the car Babbitt was driv
ing upset at Otway.
Both were treated at the Sea
Level Hospital for bruises and
minor cuts. The accident happen
ed in front of Jerry Lawrence's
on Highway 70.
Babbitt was driving his father's
' car, a 1956 Buick. It was demol
ished.
He said that he had passed a car,
headed toward Beaufort, and after
he cut back into the right lane a
car appeared from out of nowhere
right in front of him.
He said he whipped to the left,
put on the brakes, skidded light,
then left again and turned over.
The car skidded 150 feet before
upsetting.
Charges are pending.
Officials Break Ground for County Jail
Photo by Jerry Schumacher
The day finally arrived. County officials yesterday broke ground
for the new $75,000 jail on the courthouse square, Beaufort. Wield
ing the shovel are Sheriff Hugh Salter, left, and Moses Howard,
chairman of the County Board of Commissioners. Observing, left to
right, arc Commissioner Skinner Chalk, Commissioner Odell Mer
rill, Irvin Davis, clerk to the board; Commissioner Harrell Taylor;
Alvah Hamilton, county attorney; Commissioner Walter Ycomans,
and James Potter, county auditor.
Air Force Commends Sparks
Family for Plane-Spotting
ny nun sc. i inuun j
Lt. Col. James A Brennan, I
jUSAF, has highly commended the
| W K. Sparks family, Markers Is
: land, for their excellent service in
| the Ground Observers Corps.
I Mr. Sparks is the bridge tender
at Markers Island. He and his
I family have undertaken plane
watching in cooperation with the
State ajxl Public Works
prografh. Bntfgctendcrs all along
the North Carolina coast serve as
plane spotters.
Colonel Brennan, State Ground
Observer Corps coordinator, has
written A. H. Graham, head of the
State Highway Department, com
mending him for the cooperation
the Sparks have shown. The Air
Force has sent them meritorious
service award certificates, bars
and medals.
Since Operation Skywatch went
into effect Feb. 1, 1956, the Sparks
family has served a total of 4,290
hours. Mr. and Mrs. Sparks have
1,820 hours each, Reed 500, and
Theresa 150.
Ground observers note in which
direction a plane is flying, iden
tify it if possible, make a record
of their observation on a blank and
then telephone this information to
the air filter center.
After receiving this information,
if the filter center cannot identify
the plane, jets take off from a
nearby base to intercept it. Every
time a ground observer makes a
phone call, the Air Force points
out, it helps save taxpayers as
much as a thousand dollars, since j
that is approximately the cost of
sending three jets aloft on inter
ception missions.
See OBSERVERS, Page 5
Artist to Appear Oct. 15
Theodore Lettvin, brilliant American pianist, will present the
first Community Concert of the season at Morchead City Monday,
Oct 15. Mrs. W. J. I pock, secretary of the Community Concerts
Association, announces that membership cards will be put in the
mail this week. ? ? ' / - ? ? ' '
Six Wills Go on File
In Clerk of Court Office
Six wills have been filed recent
ly with the clerk of superior court, ,
Beaufort. They were the wills of
Lula A. Dennis, D. W. West, and ;
Dora Bell, all of Newport, R. E. i
Chaplain and F. R. Sceley, both of ,
Photo by Jerry Schumacher
?.un>u(n UK, in oon i work >t me same ume, mn la in* una of wort the Sparks family carries
oat in the Ground Ob?erver Carp* program. Left Is W. *. Sparks, Harkers lalaml bridge leader, spot
ting ? plane. Next to him la hia ?on. Reed, 11; Us daughter, Theresa, 17, and Mrs. Sparks, who la ro
cording the information far the air filter center.
Beaufort, and C. R. Young, Har
nett County.
Roy N. Dennis was named ex
eeutor of the estate of his wife,
Lula. Mrs Dennis left all her
property, real and personal, to hcrl
husband The will was drawn July I
13, 1956 and witnessed by M. C. ;
Howard. Bennie R. Garner and !
Swindell Garner. It was probated
Sept. 17. 1056.
Mr. West named his sons, Wayne |
Jr. and Carlton Ray, as executors
of his estate. He directed that his j
funeral expenses be paid and left j
his property, real and personal, to
his three sons, Wayne, Carlton and
Leonard Wright West.
The will was drawn Oct. 16, 1952
and witnessed by Roy T. Gamer
and Clinton S. Garner.
Mrs. Bell named her daughter,
Elizabeth B. Garner, executrix, j
The will was drawn July 20, 1956,
witnessed by Mrs. Sudic Mann, J.
Wheeler Smith, and Ira J. Jones
and was predated Sept. 1, 1956.
Tb her daughter, Margaret, Mrs.
Bell left the homeplace and land
around it, as well as the furnish
ings. She specified that her other
children, if they wished, should
See WILLS, Page 6
Tide Table
Tides at the Beaufort Bar
HI<iH
LOW
Tuesday, Oct. 2
8:20 a.m.
6:44 p.m.
12:06 a.m.
12.36 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. S
7:12 a.m.
7:32 p.m.
12:59 a.m.
1:29 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 4
8:00 a.m.
8:19 p.m.
1:42 a.m.
2:18 p.m.
Friday, Oct 9
8:48 a.m.
9:03 p.m.
2:28 a.m.
3 .03 p M.
I
County to Check
Water Line Issue
i County commissioners yesterday
authorized Alvah Hamilton, coun
ty attorney, to find out who owns
the water lines on Craven Avenue
in Highland Park and take the
necessary steps to get the lines
lowered so the state can work on
the street.
Commissioner Skinner Chalk said
that he didn't believe the matter
was the county's business but
rather a controversy between the
property owners and the water
ywMnpwy. ?ad the property owner*,
(should contact tlie State Utilities
Commission.
m< joner Chalk did
not vote in favor of the county
attorney's investigation.
Commissioner Chalk said that C.
W Williams, manager of Carolina
Water Co., told him that the water
lines do not belong to the Carolina
Water Company.
Commissioner Odell Merrill con
tended that since the county has to
give approval on road repair work,
the county is involved in the water
line problem.
The water lines are so close to
the surface of the road that grad
ers cannot work the road without
hitting the lines, according to J. L.
Humphrey, county superintendent.
The board aflso authorized a let
ter to be sent to Governor Hodges
informing the governor that Car
teret County is satisfied with the
work done by highway officials in
this county.
Chairman Moses Howard said
that he felt the governor should
know, in view of recent criticism
directed at highway officials, that
this county is pleased with the of
ficials' "lOO per cent cooperation."
The board drew names of pros
pective jurors for the November
term of criminal court.
Mayors Appeal
To Employers
C. T. Lewis, mayor of Beaufort,
and George W. Dill, mayor of
Morehead City, have proclaimed
next week as Employ the Physical
ly-Ilandicapped Week. The mayors
arc railing upon employers to hire
the physically-handicapped.
Oct 713 has been designated as
Nationally Employ the Physically
Handicapped Week by Congress.
It is pointed out that many handi
capped workers have proved their
competence when rehabilitated and
properly prepared for jobs.
The mayors call upon public of
ficials as well as leaders of indus
try. labor and civic (roups "to
make every effort to enlist public
support for a sustained program
aimed at the employment and full
use of the capabilities of thoac
physically-handicapped.
They urge all employers to placc
their job openings with the More
head City Employment Security
Commission office, 4th Street.
Morchcad City.
Nine Attend Rally
Nine men from the county at
tended the Democratic rally at
Sreenville Friday night. They were
Irvln W. Davit, Sheriff Hugh Sai
ler, A. H. James, Motes Howard,
I'rentis Garner, Luther Hamilton
lr., Marshall Ayacue, Theodore
Smith, and John James.
opinion of the
Engineer Says Storm
Damage Fixed , OK'd
Hodges Provides $505,000
For West Carteret Highway
Carteret commissioners' Septem
j>er approval of a new road in the
western part of the county camc
none too soon. Governor Hodges
this past Thursday allocated $505,
000 for building the road between
N. C. 24 and Maysville.
Had the commissioners dilly
dallied, Carteret would undoubted
ly have been by-passed as the gov
ernor divided up a highway fund
surplus.
The new route, known as the
Black Swamp Road, leaves High
way 24 and goes northwestward
through Ennett property and on
into Maysville. It is a route favored
by the state over another route
that had been proposed from Have
lock through Croatan National For
est to Pollocksville.
The Black Swamp Road will al
low travelers between Morehead
City and Raleigh to bypass Cherry
Point and New Bern. It will also
give easier access to the new
Emerald Isle development on
Bogue Banks.
The route of the new road can
be seen on a map posted on the
bulletin board in the courthouse,
Beaufort.
The total highway surplus, which
accumulated during the past two
years, was $13,232,916.
In addition to the allocation for
roads throughout the state, $500,
000 was set aside for three new
ferry boats at Oregon Inlet and re
pairs on four others.
Girl Scout Fund
Stands at $233
Through noon Saturday, work
ers in the Beaufort Girl Scout
drive collected *233-69. Their goal
was MOO. approximately a third
of the county total. The drive of
ficially closed last week.
Collected in a house-to-house
canvass Friday night, Sept. 21, was
$170, Mrs. Leonard Safrit reported.
Mrs. Vic Bellamah, chairman of
the fund drive in Beaufort, says
donations are still being accepted.
Conducting the campaign, in ad
dition to Mrs. Bellamah and Mrs.
Safrit, are Mrs. David Jones, Mrs.
Ralph Thomas, Mrs. Bob Slater,
Mrs. Willie Lewis, Mrs. Jethro
Quidley, Mrs. F. M. Thompson,
Mrs. Jack Lord, Miss Nancy At
kinson, Miss Theresa Bellamah,
Mrs. Edward Nelson, Mrs. Phil
Thomas Jr., Mrs. Ivcy Eubanks,
Mrs. J. D. Potter, and Mrs. Nor
wood Young.
Farmers to Elect
ASC Committees
Farmers will ballot for ASC com
munity committees Tuesday, Oct.
23, B J. May, ASC manager an
nounced yesterday.
The County ASC board of elec
tions recently named community
elections boards and they, in turn,
have named 10 nominees in each
community.
The community election for the
Morehead City area consisted of
James Murdoch and Ralph Creech,
Wildwood. They have chosen the
following to run for ASC commit
teemen.
K. S. Swinson, J. T. Oglesby, Ro
bert Laughton, Thomas Oglesby,
George Creech, Earl Murdoch, C.
A. McCabe, G. C. Allen, Ross Wil
lis and Bcnnie Swinson.
Men elected this month will
serve one-year terms.
Coast Guard Makes
Weekend Rescues
The lookout tower at Fort Ma
con spotted a flag waving by Buoy
No. 12 in Beaufort Inlet Saturday
afternoon and dispatched the Coast
Guard's 38-footer to check on the
situation.
Hubert Willis of Morehead City
was found aboard his 23-foot plea
sure boat with a stalled motor. He
was towed in to Morehead City.
The Coast Guard received a ra
dio call Friday afternoon from a
29-foot pleasure boat owned by
Thomas G. Willis of Beaufort. Tha
boat was near Shackleford Banks
and had developed engine trouble.
She was towed back to Beaufort.
New Member Welcomed
Joe House was welcomed as a
new member of the Beaufort Cham
ber of Commerce yesterday by
President Glenn Adair, Holden Bal
lon. director, and Miss Pat Sprin
gle, chamber secretary.
County Board
Considers Five
Road Problems
M Five highu'ay problems were
? i presented to the county board of
t commissioners yesterday morning
l at the courthouse. Four dealt with
I roads and one with drainage.
1 The board referred three roads
' to the State Highway Commission.
' One is located at Smyrna, another
at Newport, and the third west of
Morehcad City. The Smyrna road,
I a half mile long, runs from the
' drive-in theatre to the landing built
? by the late Capt. George Davis.
Irvin Davis, clerk, said that the
1 state maintains the road, but im
provements are being sought. The
i county commissioners cleared the
request and sent it to the state.
The road known as Park Lane,
is 850 feet long, and runs from
Oak to Sherwood Road at Newport.
Moses Howard, chairman, said that
a right-of-way has recently been
obtained which will allow improve
ment of the road.
The Lockhart road petition,
placed before the board last
month, was reviewed and cleared.
Mr. Davis said that the petitioner,
D. E. Lockhart. told him the roads
involved totaled three-tenths of a
mile. They are located west of
Morehcad City.
Houses number 15. An asphalt
topping is sought.
Further investigation was order
ed in the case of the Chadwick
Road in the Gloucester community.
An extension of the road for 615
feet i? being aou|fhf,-There arc
three homes on the road, which
runs to th" water.
Referred to J L. Humphrey,
county road superintendent, was a
drainage problem near the Harkers
Island Road. Mrs. Myrtle Gillikin
appeared before the board in the
interest of her sister, Mrs. Virginia
Lawrence.
Mrs. Gillikin .said that the road
by Leolden Gillikin's store floods
and prevents her sister from get
ting out to the Harkers Island
Road.
* Gray Hassell, Beaufort engineer
who handled county applications
for federal aid after the 1955 hur
ricanes, reported with relief yes
terday that all the repair work in
the county has been finished, ap
proved, and paid for.
The repair projects were county
wide, extending from the eastern
limits westward along the shore.
Eroded shorelines were built up,
clocks rebuilt and sand dunes push
ed up.
j The work was financed by the
I Federal Civil Defense Administra
I tion. Cost, including work done in
municipalities after Connie, Diane
and lone, ran into hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
Mr. Hassell presented to the
' county board of commissioners yes
terday a request from the U. S.
Army engineers for approval of
stream clearance work, absolving
the federal government of all dam
age uhich may be incurred.
In addition to Newport River,
Gibbs Creek near the Jones de
velopment (Glendalc Park) and
the head of North River have been
designated for clearance
The Newport River project starts
up at the headwaters of the river
and runs to within several miles of
the Newport River bridge east of
Morehead City.
Mr. Hassell said that the en
gineers plan to take out logs and
other obstructions, but not sand
bars.
LionsTo Hear
RoyA. Sandlin
Lion District Governor Roy A.
Sandlin of Raleigh will be guest
speaker at the Morehead City Lions
Club meeting Thursday night at
Fleming's, says publicity chairman
Oscar Allied.
At last week's meeting, prcsl
detn James E. Crowe conducted a
business session since a quartette
scheduled to give the program
didn't appear. The Lions voted to
dispense with the Oct. 11 meeting
in orrffcfr for members to attend a
chamber of commerce business
meeting.
The Lions made plans for their
weekend White Cane drive. Frank
Moran reported yesterday that 31
memberships in the North Carolina
State Association for the Blind
have been reported. The member
ships sell for a dollar each.
The Lions collected $154.08 on
the street Saturday. The street col
lections. plus the memberships,
should put the total funds raised
to well over $200, he said.
Extension Workers Plan
Farm Meeting Oct. 12
Farm and business leaders of the
eounty will attend an agriculture
meeting Friday night, Oct. 12. This
will be a follow-up session to an
initial meeting on county agricul
ture which was held at the civic
center, Morehcad City, Friday
night.
R. M. Williams, county agent,
said the meetings are being con
ducted by agriculture extension
workers throughout the state to
get a composite view of the agri
culture picture in each county.
Speakers at Friday night's meet
ing were Mr. Williams, Mrs. Floy
I Garner, home agent, and Fred :
j Knott, assistant county agent.
Mr. Williams presented the farm
picture, Mrs. Garner the home pic- j
ture and Mr. Knott the 4 11 set-up.
Opinions Given
Following the talks, listeners
! were invited to express their opin
ion as to the county's rural prob
lems.
Mrs. Billie Smith pointed out
that extension workers cannot
reach all the people and one of
the problems is getting parents to
supplement extension workeri'
teaching.
Stanley Gillikin, Bettie, pointed
out that Carteret farmers are bad
ly in need of a system of market
ing. "There's not enough competi
tion in here," he commented.
"There's only one buyer and you
never know what you're going to
get from day to day for your pro
duce."
John Kelly, Newport, said that
there is also a tobacco marketing
problem.
Archie Hardesty, Core Creek,
commented. "After I grow my
crops, nobody wants 'em."
Mrs. Smith commented that
there should be better methods of
grading. "After some of these veg
etables come through a grader, I
wouldn't have them!" she declared.
New Crops
Mr. Williams, pointing out thst i
sweet potato and Irish potato i
acreage is dropping, raised the i
question as to whether new crop* i
should be considered.
i Mr. Kelly remarked that he <
thought the new crops would be
grown as soon as there was a satis
factory system o( marketing, grad
ing and packaging.
Mr. Williams said that county
farmers can readily market, locally,
all the strawberries, figs and mus
cadine grapes they can grow, sug
gesting those as new commercial
crops. He added that a winery in
South Carolina is seeking 100
acres of grapes in this area now.
Mr. Hardcsty said that was fine,
but getting rails for grape arbors
is a problem. "We split a rail for
my grape arbor the other day and
it was worth $30!" he declared.
Attending the meeting, in ad
dition to those mentioned, were
Harry Venters, assistant to Mr.
Williams, George Stovall manager
of Carolina Power and Light; A.
D. Ennett, Cedar Point; Mrs. Stan
ley Gillikin; Clarence Millis, New
port; George Creech, Wildwood
Mrs. Fred Knott and James H.
Davis, Beaufort; Mr. and Mrs. Ru
fus Oglesby, Crab Point; and David
Jones, soil conaervationist.
Deadline for Soil
Bank Applications
Set for Oct. 15
Deadline for signing up for the
conservation phase of the soil
bank program for IBM is leu than
two weeks away. As yet no Car
teret farmers have made applica
tion for the program, saya B. J.
May, ASC director.
He pointed out that not many
farmers can qualify for IBM be
cause rules require that they not
harvest any crops from the land
in 1896. Most farmers had planted
crops before the soil bank lawi
were passed.
Mr. May reports that Oct. IS Is
the last day that a farmer can sign
up for the IBM program. Anyone
signing up after that date will re
ceive payment for his land be
ginning in 1897. He expects quite
a few farmers to sign up for the
coining year.
1 -J,