Newspapers / The Coastland Times (Manteo, … / March 16, 1951, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
VOLUME XVI NO. 38 MORE ABOUT USS RED CROSS FUND MONITOR, VICTIM AS YET SHORT OFF HATTERAS OF DARE QUOTA Old Ship of War, Sunk for 89 Years Desired For Ex hibition Purposes Butxon on Cape Hatteras, Mar. 15.—One cash offer by an enter prising showman of SI,OOO for the U.S.S. Monitor “where is and as is” has been declined and plans for the eventual salvage of the ) world’s first ironclad war vessel have advanced to the point where it can be announced that diving equipment will be brought here in May for a complete survey of the craft lost off here 89 years ago. Diving operations at the Moni ( tor’s grave 1,000 yards offshore above Cape Hatteras Light will be observed by Fletcher Pratt, wid ely known writer on Naval sub jects who will brin with him the chief of Navy’s public relations de partment. Mr. Pratt set May as the earliest time he could come here and that month is also, ac ' cording to native seamen, the best month for diving operations in this vicinity. Offers of cash money for the fabulous warship which fought a draw with the Confederate Merri mac in Norfolk harbor and head ed south for unequivocal con quests only to meet ignominious end here, have surprised nobody on Hatteras Island. Nor has it surprised any of them that the offer was promptly declined since from the beginning of the salvage project it has been clearly under stood that the relic, when it is exhumed, will continue public property and that it will not leave the Island. Behind the offer to buy sight unseen is the idea to raise the vessel and remove it to a new lo cation where it would be set up as a dime-a-look enterprise. Such an operation could be consum mated at greatly less cost than beaching it here and the promot ers of the notion believe that there are millions of people who would pay a fee to look at the vessel if it were accessible. Behind the local project for sal vaging the vessel is the hope that it can be brought ashore and set up in the projected public park on a 1,000-acre tract on the point of , Cape Hatteras and that it will become the core of a museum of maritime life and legend in this area. The vessel would continue public property for anybody to come and look at who so wished. Plans for the park seem presently less definite than plans for the salvage of the vessel, but it would not lack a home once it is brought ashore. Lands for it have already been tendered. Preliminary estimates of the cost of salvage have run in the neighborhood of SIOO,OOO, a sum that is not yet in sight. About half that amount will become available from an anonymous source when it becomes clear that the undertaking is feasible. The dredging of 'Oregon Inlet would lessen the cost of the operation considerably under preserit esti mates which, of necessity, would be based in Hampton Roads. —Ben Dixon Mac Neill SECOND DEADLY WEAPON CASE HERE IN TWO WEEKS Spring, or something that stirs up blood, seems to have arrived in the California section of Manteo. Last Saturday, for the second weekend in a row, an assault with a deadly weapon took place there. About 9 or 10 p.m. Saturday night William (Bill) Midgett, colored, was wounded in the throat and arm and stabbed in the side by a knife allegedly wielded by Henry (Junior) Bowser. Bowser was tried in recorder’s court in Man teo Tuesday for assault with a deadly weapon. The knifing took place at the home of Careta Bow ser, estranged wife of Henry. Bowser was taken into custody by Policeman Mitchell about 3 a.m. Sunday. He was arrested at the home of his father. His automo bile had been abandoned outside the house where the attack took place. Midgett’s wounds were danger uos. He was removed to an Eliz abeth City hospital for treatment several hours after the knifing. He returned to Manteo next day although his condition was said to be still serious. LAST WEEK’S WEATHER Figures provided by U. S. Govt. Meteorologist A. W. Drinkwater High Low Rain March 8 60 35 March 9 58 34 March 10 50 35 .02 March 11 40 32 March 12 50 37 t March 18 54 40 .84 * March 14 52 88 THE COASTLAND TIMES PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WALTER RALEIGH OOASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA On March 14 Wallace McCown, Red Cross Drive chairman, re ported that $177.85 had been re ceived from the community chair men. Those reporting at that time were: Mrs. Hattie Manrt of Ma shoes; Mrs. Emily Smith of East Lake; Mrs. Lonnie Gray of Man teo (colored); Mrs. Nellie Far row of Waves; and the Fund Chairman who was receiving the Manteo business contributions. The comity chairman said that these scattered reports indicated that the quotas for each commun ity may be reached only if con tinued support is given to the drive. It is hoped that those who have been unable as yet to turn in reports on their work, will do so as soon as possible, and plan to make every effort to reach their qnota so.. £hat Dare County can meet its responsibility to the Red Cross. How to Contribute All persons who have not been personally contacted by mail or | by visit are urged to send their membership direct to the Fund Chairman, Wallace McCown, in Manteo. It was hoped that every person in the county would be seen by the workers, but in many cases persons are inadvertently missed. The Red Cross calls on all of us; so make sure that your member ship is counted in this Drive. Reports from the national of fice indicate that many groups have raised their quota in the first few days of the month. Let us of Dare County make sure that we contribute our part of this na tional effort for the betterment of the Red Cross, the organization which serves us in time of emer gency, and serves our fighting forces throughout the world. SERIOUS VIOLATIONS MARK STATE HIGHWAY RECORD FOR FEBRUARY A total of 1,152 drivers com mitted violations which resulted in revocation or suspension of theif driver’s licenses during Feb ruary, the North Carolina Depart ' ment of Motor Vehicles reported • today. Revocations listed amount ed to 870 and suspensions to 282 for February. Driving drunk was the cause of 563 revocations as compared with the 496 of February, 1950. Seventy-nine persons were con- I victed of driving drunk on sec -1 ond offense. Driving after their licenses were revoked convicted 68 per sons. Twelve persons were found guilty of driving after their li censes were suspended. Thirty-six were found guilty of two offenses of reckless driving. Two persons were convicted of hit and run, in volvig personal injury and four persons were convicted of hit and run, involving property damage. Reckless driving resulting in personal injury and property dam age was responsible for 15 con victions. Fifty-four persons were convicted of speeding over 75 miles per hour and 27 were found guilty of two offenses of speed ing over 55 miles per hour. Other convictions were as fol lows: Larceny of automobile, 11; involuntary manslaughter, two; manslaughter, five; transporting liquor, 34; unsatisfied judgment 10; incompetency, three; habitual violator, 10 and failure to main tain proof of financial responsi bility, 67. ■ In addition, 5,804 persons were found guilty of moving violations which do not require revocations or suspensions on first offense. Os the number, 4,588 were North Carolinians and 1,216, out-of-state drivers. Speeding headed the list with 1,789 cases, as contpared with 3,266 during the same month of last year. Failure to have driver’s license was second with 901. Reck less driving was third with 880. Faulty equipment was listed in 197 cases and failure to stop at a stop sign in 197 cases. A total .of 139 drivers had improper lights. MORE CROSS BURNING Two more crosses were erected and burned on Roanoke Island Monday night. This time the fire i brands erected them near the Air port Case and the residence of Mrs. Bernice Midgett in Wan chese. Manteo Chief of Police Mitchell says that he has obtained confes sions from a number of school boys to the {burning of the cross near the home of Mrs. H. S. Ward recently. Thp boys, Chief Mitchell says, said itiwas done “as a joke.” In the dangerously dry condition of the woods, some such “joke” is ' likely to have an expensive con clusion if fine tomfoolery persists. OCRACOKE 9TH GRADERS MAKE RALEIGH TRIP Visit With Representative Swindell of Hyde County and Legislature Ocracoke, March 19.—Several students of the 9th Grade Civics class of Ocracoke High School en joyed a three-day trip to Raleigh recently. Having studied from textbooks the duties of the Gov ernor, the Senate, the House, etc., it was interesting to meet and shake hands with Governor Kerr Scott and to visit the Senate and the House of Representatives. In both Houses the group was re cognized by their representatives Senator Samuel Campen and Re presentative Russell Swindell of Hyde County. Mr. Swindell show ed the students around the Capi tol building, taking them to the Governor’s Office and to the Of fices of the Secretary of State and State Treasurer. While in Ra leigh they also visited the Gover nor’s Mansion and the Hall of His tory and Museum. At the latter they were greeted cordially by Mrs. Claire Scott Johnson, who has many friends at Ocracoke. On Friday afternoon they visited the State School for the Blind and were shown around by Ronald Stowe of Hatteras, cousin to one member of the Ocracoke group. A high spot of the three day trip was the basketball tournament at the Coliseum at State College on Friday night. On Saturday the group visited the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Re turning to Beaufort late Saturday night, they were delighted with courtesies shown them there by Dan Walker, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, and F. R. Bell, who took them ,to Fort Ma con, Atlantic Beach. Several of the group also visited the radio sta tion. They returned to Ocracoke on the mailboat Sunday afternoon. March meeting of the Ocracoke PTA was held Monday at the li brary, but the business session was brief since members wanted to attend the Walt Disney movie Treasure Island at the local thea tre. Mrs. Doris Garrish president, had charge of the meeting. Trea surer, Mrs. Neva O’Neal, reported Howardsl73.lß on hand, part of which will be used for the electric wiring bill of the new recreation hall, part for cement for the steps, and part for screening. Hostesses, Mesdames Taft Howard, Clyde Farrow, Henry peele, Monford Garrish and Lanie Wynn served delicious banana splits for refresh ments. The P. T. A. will begin its rehearsals shortly for a play en titled “Ocracoke School of Long Ago,” with members of the group taking part. AMBULANCE SERVICE BUSY THIS WEEK Four Dare County folks were carried to hospitals by'the Twi ford Ambulance Service of Man teo this week. On Sunday, Mar garet Ann Parker of Kitty Hawk was taken to the Lee Memorial Hospital in Norfolk. The daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer R. Mid gett of Manteo, Mary Anne, was taken to the same hospital for treatment, on Tuesday. The same day Mrs. Wedmore Austin was carried to the Duke Hospital, Durham. Thursday, Mrs. Marjorie Tillett, Wanchese, was taken to the King’s Daughters’ Hospital ip Portsmouth, Virginia. GATES COUNTY PUPILS BUILD LOST COLONY MODEL Wfe-* ■HhkJ ... 1 jMii The eighth grade of Hobbsville school has found the Lost Colony complete with Old Tom, English ladies with their flowing dresses and Indians with no dress at all. In the background may be seen the cKap el, bedrooms and stockade fence of Fort Raleigh all in exact minia ture. (Photo By Carlton Morris). '■ ■ .... . , . . MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1951 BROWN DOES JOB FOR DARE COUNTY CHAMBER K W Ik/ / MK/ ’ ....a & AYCOCK BROWN has just about proved that all you need for a Chamber of Commerce is one man who knows what he’s doing. Dur ing the past few weeks since he has been acting secretary in addi tion to his regular publicity work, he has answered hundreds of in quiries from people who want to know many things about Dare County. These inquiries range from school children who ask for information about the Town of Manteo, Dare County generally, or The Lost Colony, to letters from persons interested in spending a vacation, renting a cottage, pur chasing real estate, or going fish ing. He sends out reports two or three times monthly outlining the type of inquiries that have come addressed to Chamber of Com merce. J. H. AUSTIN, JR., IS MISSING IN ACTION Pfc. Julian H. Austin, of Eliz abeth City and formerly of Hat teras has been reported by the De fense Department as missing in action in Korea since February 13.' His wife, Ann Elizabeth Austin, Rt. 2, Elizabeth City, received not ification from the secretary of the sirmy last Saturday night. Pfc. Austin is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Julian H. Austin, Sr., of Elizabeth City, and for many years residents of the Lower Banks. The elder Mr. Austin re tired from the Coast Guard Ser vice early this year. The soldier has been in Korea since last September and was as signed to the 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division. The last letter his parents receiv ed from him was dated February 8. Pfc. Austin is the father of a son born last December, after he had left the United States. HISTORIC N. C. HOUSE OPENED TO VISITORS Wilmington.—The house which Lord Cornwallis used as head quarters during the British occu pation of this port city in 1781 is one of the newer points of in terest open to visitors. The “Cornwallis House,” nearly two centuries old, was restored by the North Carolina Society of Co lonial Dames. The interior has been restored in exact accordance with the original plans, and co lonial types of furniture and art items have been placed in the rooms. The house will be a point of in terest to visitors who attend Wilmington’s fourth annual Azal ea Festival, March 29-April 1. Generous Contributions to Easter Seal Drive Will Insure Help for Handicapped Seals Mailed Throughout County. Several Business Firms Contributing. Colored Population Taking Part in Drive. Mrs. Theodore S. Meekins, Jr., campaign chairman for the Eas ter Seal Drive which is being con ducted in Dare County this month, reported this week that Easter Seals have been sent out by mail to most residents of the county, and, in addition, several local business firms have made ar rangements to contribute to the drive for the benefit of crippled children. The colored population of the county is taking part in the drive this year for the first time, Mrs. Meekins added. Mr. H. A. Crees has secured a film strip illustrating the work of the Easter Seal Society which he is showing at the Pio neer Theatre in Manteo at no expense to the Society; a spec ial collection for the Easter Seal Society will be made at the theatre, also, before the drive closes, the county chairman said. This year hundreds of North Carolina’s 250,000 handicapped children will receive benefits un der a three-point program of the North Carolina League for Crip pled Children, but the extent of this aid will depend on the gener osity of citizens in the Easter Seal campaign, according to John W. Harden, Greensboro, who is State Chairman for the Easter Seal ap peal. The three-point program, he said, “Calls for increased facilities and trained personnel for the care, treatment and training of the cer ebral palsied; an expansion of the BEAUFORT-HYDE LAND LEASED FOR OIL TESTS Davidson Oil Development Co. Acquires Rights On Roper Co. Holdings The vast holdings of the John L. Roper Lumber Company, at one time a major producer of timber on the Eastern Seaboard, will be explored for oil and gas deposits under provisions of leases exe cuted with two drilling organiza tions which were announced here yesterday. Some of the present holdings are in Virginia, but most are in North Carolina. Patrick B. McGinnis, of New York, made the announcement af ter the annual meetings of the lumber company and the Roper Realization Company, Inc., the parent organization, which result ed in his re-election as president of both concerns. He reported that one of the leases, embracing 38,000 of the 310,228 acres remaining under the control of the corporation, was made with Frank W. Phillips, of Tulsa, Okla., and the other, involv ing approximately 260,000 acres, was made with the Davidson Oil Development Co., Inc., of Wash ington, D. C. Almost all of this property is in northeastern North Carolina. C. Newton Kidd, of Baltimore, was elected chairman of the board of the realization company at the reorganization meeting which fol lowed the annual assembly of the stockholders. Besdies McGinnis, other officers re-elected were William T. Griffin, of New York, vice-president and general counsel, and J. Raymond Pritchard, Virginia Beach, secre tary. New Directors Named Three new directors were elect ed, including Harry H. Kle.man, of Roper, who later was designat ed I y the board ns executive vice u.esident; Hugh Dudley, of Roper and Suffolk, general manager of l he lumber company fur 40 years, See LAND, Page Five VETERAN LIGHTKEEPER, HATTERAS NATIVE DIES John Benjajmin Jeanette, 80, died Thursday night at a New Bern hospital after an illness of several years. He was a retired lighthouse keeper, native of Cape Hatteras, Dare County and keep er of the Hatteras Inlet Light to 1911. He was transferred to New Bern as keeper of the New Bern harbor lights. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the Centenary Methodist Church, New Bern, at 3:30 o’clock with burial following in the Cedar Grove Cemetery. Surviving are: his wife; two daughters, Mrs. Carl Bartling of New Bern and Mrs. Curtis Ed wards of Winston-Salem; three sons, Arthur S. Jeanette of Nor folk, John B. Jeanette, Jr., of New Bern and Lt Comdr. C. R. Jean ette of Norfolk. Special Education program for the handicapped child being, di rected by the State Department of Public Instruction, and direct financial or other assistance for individual cases needing help and for the promotion of local pro jects. 3,200 Aided “During the past year individ ual services were given to 3,200 of the State’s handicapped chil dren through the state-wide pro gram of the League, which is sup ported entirely by the Easter Seal contributions, and there is a des perate need for the expansion of these services,” Chairman Harden said. “The League works closely with the existing agencies both public and private in its effort to meet the unmet needs of the handicap ped children,” he pointed out. “We have approximately 25,000 ortho pedically crippled, 34,000 in each of the sight and mentally retard ed groups, 25,000 with hearing de fects, 119,000 with speech defects, 3,400 with epilepsy, and 42,000 with emotional or behavior prob lems. “I want to appeal to every per son in North Carolina to give, and give generously to the Easter Seal appeal. Your gifts will bring you ten-fold satisfaction in the knowledge you have made some child’s chance for happiness 100 percent greater. Handicapped peo ple, Children and Adults, don’t want pity. All they want is a chance.” MUCH INTEREST IN LOST COLONY TRYOUTS TONITE General Manager Hardy Meeting With Local Work ing Committees In Man teo This Week’ From a hundred or so residents of Roanoke Island Lost Colony’s director Samuel Selden on Friday night will select 50 or more per sons ranging from small children to housewives and business men, for roles in the 1951 production of the show to be presented for its 11th season in Waterside Theatre beginning on June 30. The casting on Friday night for is landers will be followed on March 31 in Chapel Hill when statewide tryouts will be held by Selden. From Chapel Hill this week Di rector Selden announced that there would be no local commit tee assisting in the tryouts here Friday as in previous years. He will be assisted by General Man ager William Hardy who arrived in Dare early this week to spend several days in connection with making preparations for the open ing of the symphonic drama’s second decade. Since *his arrival on the coast Hardy has been meeting with loc al committees who are cooperat ing with the presentation of the Paul Green spectacle during 1951. On Thursday night he attended a meeting of the Dare Countv Par- See INTEREST, Page Five ROGER GARD ASSIGNED TO FORT JACKSON, S. C. Pvt. Roger C. Gard of Manns Harbor is one of sixteen North Carolina men recently assigned to the 31st Infantry Division, Fort Jackson, S. C., after completing processing at the 2053rd Recep tion Center, Ft. Meade, Maryland. GOLDEN WEDDING FOR HATTERAS COUPLE * Mr. and Mrs. J. I. Stowe Celebrate With Family Reunion Mr. and Mrs. J. I. Stowe of Hatteras celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary on Satur day, March 10, at their home in Hatteras. For the first time in twelve years the entire family was together, and a big dinner was spread in honor of the occas ion. Seven children, 13 grandchil dren and three great-grandchil dren were present. Included were Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Robertson of Williamston, Mrs. Etta Peele of Manteo, Mr. and Mrs. Preston Stowe of Hatteras, Harvey Stowe of Hatteras, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Scarborough and children of Avon, Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Snead and son Earl of Tall Timbers, Md., and Mr. and Mrs. Berry Stowe and son Berry, Jr. of Cape May, N. J. Mr. and Mrs. Stowe were mar ried at Hatteras on March 10, 1901. Mrs. Stowe before her mar riage was Miss Janette Stowe. Single Copy 7* BILL TO PREVENT VOTERS CHOOSING OFFICERS IN DARE More Political Dictatorship Denies Voters Right To Say Who Shall Run Affairs A bill which can be aimed only at continuing political dictatorship in Dare County, introduced by Representative Etheridge in the House, would deny all Dare Coun ty people the right to choose more than one of their county commis sioners and Board of Education, and may readily have the effect of preventing many communities ever electing a man on the Boards. Under the provisions of House Bill No. 560, only the voters in a district 4rould be allowed to vote for a commissioner, in the Pri mary election, and then only for the one man from their particular district. In other words, they can have no voice in the selection of the other four members of the Board. This appears to be a most un democratic procedure. It means that by carefully picking a popu lar man from-any area, no mat ter what his qualifications, he may be readily elected because his home folks would naturally sup port him. But perhaps the worst feature of the bill is that, as politics now go, many of the important com munities of the county could nev er again get a man elected on the Board of Commissioners or Board of Education. There are two precincts in Ken nakeet Township, Rodanthe and Avon. Because Avon is overwhel mingly the larger, Rodanthe could not hope to put up a candi date to beat an Avon man. By the same token, Frisco, or Buxton would always be overrul ed by the largest vote in Hatter as precinct. Communities such as Wanchese and Nags Head in Nags Head Township could not hope for rep resentation on these Boards in the face of the huge vote at the Man teo box. Nor could Colington, Duck, or Kill Devil Hills in At lantic Township ever overcome the larger vote of Kitty Hawk. On the mainland of Dare Coun ty, where East Lake and Manns Harbor are usually cooperative politically, the community of Stumpy Point would never have an opportunity to elect a man on either of these Boards. ‘ Os course it might be possible by dint of certain political trad ing, but political trading is not usually in the interests of the peo ple. While wealth is not usually the yardstick to determine representa tion, we can see where the beach area with nearly one half of all the taxable property of Dare County, could have no voice in the selection of the officers who assess property and levy taxes. It all boils down to taxation without representation. No voter in the county could vote on four of the five men who handle the county affairs, levy taxes and spend the money. The fact is that no member of the two Boards will be under ob ligation to any citizen of the coun ty, except the people of his own district. A commissioner nominat ed by the people of Nags Head township can have full swing in managing county affairs, yet no one in the other four districts can do a thing about it. There is something mighty pe culiar about a man who will take advantage of his office to kick four-fifths of his people in the rear-end every chance he gets. In this instance, everybody in the county .is gettings kicked. NEGRO BOUND OVER TO SUPERIOR COURT Probable cause was found in the only action tried in Judge Baum’s recorder’s court Tuesday, and Henry (Junior) Bowser was bound over to superior court for trial for the stabbing of William (Bill) Midgett in the colored sec tion of Manteo last Saturday night. HIGHWAY DEATH TOLL, 1951 Killed March 9 through Merrit 12 11 Injured March 9 through March 12 126 Killed through March 12 this year 198 Killed through March 12. 1»W 172 Injured through March 12. this year 2,161 Injured through March 12, 1956 2.684
The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 16, 1951, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75