VOLUME XVII NO. 3
BRATTEN’SJOB
SORE SUBJECT
MANNS HARBOR
Friends of Game Protector
Greatly Displeased Over
Manner of His' Dis
missal
Friends of Capt. Jim Bratten of
Manns Harbor, for 14 years
County Game protector, are plenty
sore about the manner in which he
was shelved July 1, and have twice
circulated a petition that he be re
tained. There is much about this
instance that savors of political
skulduggery and dirty work behind
closed doors. No one has had a
chance to apply for the job for no
notice has been given of a vacancy
in office, and it appears the dirty
work was done in order to quietly
pass on the job for political favors.
News came to Capt. Jim that he
would be put out on his sl4 a
month retired pay, on July 1. The
poor fellow didn’t have an opportu
nity to get out and look for friends
to help him because he was staying
close to the bedside of a daughter
dying of cancer. But his friends
circulated a petition which carried
hundreds of names. It was left at
a Manns Harbor store for the con
venience of several others who
wished to attach their napies to it.
Somebody stole the petition and
did away with it. Nobody knows
where it went, but apparently
those who had been undermining
Capt. Jim Bratten to get his job,
must have had a hand in it. Con-'
siderable time was lost before the
news got out, and a new petition
was circulated and sent to the
N. C. Wildlife Resources Commis
sion.
Governor Scott’s administration
has done a lot of good things for
North Carolina, many of them in a
big way, and when it pulls a stink
er, it usually pulls a big one too.
It has a lot of stinkers in office
and some of them must be in the
Hog Wild wildlife outfit. Capt.
Jim’s superiors had assured him he
would be given ample notice be
fore anything would be done about
his retirement. Although he is now;
65, it is not imperative that he be
put out of office at once, and it is
certainly not equitable that he be
kicked out of office at a time when
he was up against it financially,
and troubled about a dying child.
Capt. Jim’s services must have
been satisfactory with his depart
ment, for he had held the job 14
years. It appears there is about as
much humbuggery in the manage
ment of the hog wild outfit as
there was in the old politics-ridden
outfit, so long a purely political
prostitution for personal political
gain of the game and commercial
fishing resources of our people.
Friends of Capt. Jim are pretty
bitter about this deal from the de
partment which so eagerly insisted
it would be run without politics.
They say whoever gets Capt. Jim’s
place in such manner will get little
joy out of it, and they hope those
who connived with Scott’s hangers
on to oust Capt. Jim, will get a
lot of happiness out of what they
have done to an old servant in time
of trouble and need.
TOWN BOARD VOTES
IMPROVEMENTS FOR
BROAD STREET
The monthly meeting of the
Manteo Town Commissioners was
held at the city office on Monday
afternoon. The Board voted to have
Stop-signs erected on all blind in
tersections of the town’s streets.
Upon receipt of a petition
signed by all but three property
owners along Broad Street, the
Board agreed to assume three
eighths of the expense for putting
in sidewalks, curbs and gutters;
the property owners will assume
five-eighths of the cost.
Social Security Coverage
The Board also made applica
tion for coverage of the town em
ployees under the social security
act, pursuant to an act of the 1951
General Assembly.
Workmen for the Kellogg Sup
ply Co. completed the job on
Wednesday to make the city office
a better place for the conduct of
the town’s business during the hot
weather; a large screen was
placed outside the sliding door
which forms the south wall of the
office; now the door can be lifted
during office hours, giving the ef
fect of a screened porch.
City Audit
Clarence Day, an auditor from
Norfolk, was at the city office on
Thursday auditing the town's
books.
HEALTH CENTER TRUSTEES
Inadvertently omitted from last
week’s list of the new Trustees for
the Cape Hatteras Health Center,
named by County Board of Com
missioners, were the names of the
two trustees for Hatteras, Wil
liam Z. Burrus and Donald Oden.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
WAKE FOREST MAJORETTE TEACHES NEW TWIRLING TRICKS
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; - fife
Nags Head, N. C.—Sara Page Jackson of Elizabeth City, chief majorette of Wake Forest College
Band is shown teaching Janet Daniels and Nannette Sylvester some new tricks in twirling that she
learned while attending a school for baton-swingers in Indiana earlier this summer. Miss Jackson who
will be leading the Demon Deacons’ band again when Wake Forest football season begins, has started
a “school for twirlers” during the current summer and her classes are composed of high school band
majorettes. (Photo by Aycock Brown.)
JUDGMENT LEFT
UNALTERED IN
DeFEBIO CASE
Children To Be Returned
When Welfare Dept. Declares
Parents Have “Suitable
Home”
"I a® going to continue the cus
tody of the children with the Dare
County Department of Welfare,
and the sooner I can change it,
the happier I will be,” said Juve
nile Court Judge C. S. Meekins
near the end hearing on the
custody of the three children of
Frank and Theo DeFebio at his
office in the courthouse last Fri
day afternoon. The judge went on
to say that the establishment of a
“suitable home” would be the con
dition upon which he would order
the return of the children to their
parents.
He was immediately pressed for
a definition of the phrase "suitable
home” by Mrs. DeFebio. The judge
did not define the term, but said
that, if the DeFebios made their
home outside Dare county, he
would accept the statements of
five “leading citizens” of their
chosen community as sufficient
evidence of a proper home for the
children. If they continued to live
in Dare county, however, the
judge went on, the children would
be returned to their parents
“when they have established a
home satisfactory to the Depart
ment of Welfare.”
What Does “Suitable” Mean?
Mr. and Mrs. DeFebio and David
Stick, who came to the hearing to
testify in the DeFebios’ behalf,
then asked Welfare Supt. Goldie
Meekins to explain the standard
by which she would judge a home
to be satisfactory. Mrs. Meekins
answered that the home should be
established in a community where
the children would have the ex
perience of mingling with other
children; it should be a sanitary
home; and one or the other of the
parents should be established in
See DeFEBIO, Page Four
BOATS AND NETS MAKE PICTURESQUE SCENES
V< • •
Q Vd \ •
STUMPY POINT is an interesting village in many respects, and this
scene by Aycock Brown shows fishing boats out on land beside the
highway to be repaired or repainted. Tourists observing nets stretched
across the road wonder why they are left there, and ask if the cars
do not damage the nets. Very little if any damage is done, as they
remain only a short while and the roadside makes a convenient
working place. A few years ago when there were plenty of fish. Stumpy
Point was a most prosperous village. But now it suffers along with
many another community where living depended entirely on commercial
fishing. “Wilful waste is making woeful want,” as the old saying goes.
WHEN LOST COLONY’S FOUNDERS TALKED IT OVER 20 YEARS AGO
Bl
PAUL GREEN began his plans for the writing of the Lost Colony drama in 1931, when at the invitation
of interested citizens, he came to Roanoke Island to consider an idea that was advanced by the late W. O.
Saunders, Elizabeth City publisher. A meeting was held in the courthouse. Senator J. W. Bailey came.
Many speeches were made, local folks became enthused and it was desired to hold a 350th Anniversary
Celebrating the landing of the first colonists, in 1934, if Federal aid could be obtained. The congress
appointed a commission to visit us, but in the midst of the depression no money was available, and the
celebration was postponed until 1937. The picture was made the following day by Victor Meekins when
Mr. Green and others visited Fort Raleigh. In the foreground from left to right in the picture are Paul
Green, dramatist; W. O. Saunders; the late Prof. Fred Koch, of the Carolina Playmakers; Bradford Fear
ing, who became manager of the Lost Colony; and I. P. Davis, Welfare Supt.; in the background from
left to right: Melvin R. Daniels, Register of Deeds: Chauncey Meekins, Clerk of the Superior Court; and
Martin Kellogg, Jr., County attorney. •
Manteo Has Experienced Steady Progress
In L. D. Tarkington’s 58 Years Here
Manteo Merchant, Tyrrell Native, Came Here as Store
Clerk in 1893. Served as Town’s Mayor 12 Years.
Lindsay Davenport Tarkington,
known to Dare countians for the
I
past 58 years as L. D.. or “Tark.”
has been in the mercantile business
for nearly the whole of his life.
At the age of 15, he went to work
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1951
in a general store in Creswell. He
came to Manteo to work for the
firm of Griffin and Smith, general
merchandisers, when he was 19.
From that day to this he has been
Un business in Manteo. He held
'public offices in the town and Dare
Icounty for 32 years; often he held
ithe most important and responsi
ble positions in local government,
but —as he will say with a chuckle
when he talks about it —never
very “remunerative” ones. The
highest salary he ever received
in all his years as justice of the
peace, member of the board of ed
ucation, member of the Manteo
town commissioners, and in 12
years as Manteo’s mayor, was the
not-so-princely sum of $25 a month.
That was his salary as mayor. He
says that stipend was about
enough to let him “break even”
on the postage and stationery he
’had to use taking care of corres
pondence for the town.
Native of Tyneß
Mr. Tarkington was born on a
Tyrrell county farm not far over
the county line from Creswell.
'August 6 will be the TTth anni
versary of his birth in 1174. H's
father and mother were Joseph
W. and Alethiq, Davenport Tark
ington. Both his paternal grand
parents came to Tyrrell from
Devonshire, Ehghttd. in the latter
years of the 18th century. He was
one of five ohlidren, only one oth
er of whom, a sister, Mrs. Mattie
McCabe is still living,
See Page Four
REV. L. D. HAYMAN
IS AGAIN ELECTED
CLAN PRESIDENT
Kitty Hawk Meeting Success
ful; Manns Harbor Chosen
for Next Year’s Meeting
The re-union of the Hayman
Clan which originated in Dare
County seven generations ago, was
held at Kitty Hawk Tuesday, and
was most successful and enjoyable,
with an abundance of good food
served everyone. Rev. L. D. Hay
man of Carolina Beach who pre
sided was reelected president
unanimously. Good weather favored
the event, and everyone was thor
oughly feasted, and remembering
last year’s good time at Manns
Harbor, that community was se
lected for the 1952 meeting to be
held 'the second Wednesday in
July. This community has a larger
number of members than any other
community.
It was most unusual that 25 who
were kept away because of ill
would have attended the meeting
ness. Capt. Jeff Hayman, 88. was
unable to leave his home al Wan
chese.
About 100 attended the celebra
tion.
Special musical numbers were
rendered by Jeanne Hard, Ray
Sowers, Rex Henley and Mary
Helen Best. Rev. Hayman and
Mrs. Rose Marie Swain Chirrick
; sang a solo, group singing was
1 See HAYMAN, Page Eight
SEASON’S FIRST
SAILFISH TAKEN
OFF DARE COAST
O. H. Thom, Portsmouth, Va., I
angler fishing with party of,
friends aboard Capt. Ken Ward’s ,
cruiser Cherokee on Tuesday 1
hooked and boated the first sailfish
of the 1951 season. Using squid
for bait, Thom was trolling at a
point about 30 miles southeast of
Oregon Inlet when the sail, which
measured 73 inches from tip to tip,
was taken.
The party also caught several
large dolphin and some amberjack.
The sailfish was taken a few miles
north of a point near Diamond
Lightship where Capt. Ernal Fos
ter, skipper of the Albatross 11, at
Hatteras, hooked and landed a
475 H pound blue marlin about
three weeks ago.
Fishing generally has been very
good during the past week. Excel
lent Gulf Stream catches have been
made during the period and blues
continue to give anglers some fine
sport in the vicinity of Oregon In
let and at the oeean piers of Nags
Head.
I MEETING OF BANKS MASONS
A HUGE SUCCESS FRIDAY
The get-together put on by the
Lower Banks Masons at the Hat
teras School last Friday evening
was one of the most successful.
events of its kind ever staged in
the county. The group that as
sembled for the lavish dinner
meeting numbered 135 Masons
and their wives. Melvin R. Daniels
was the principal speaker of the
evening. 1
LARGE BUDGET FOR COUNTY
OF DARE, $162,465.20 SET
UP TO RUN AFFAIRS IN 1951-52
Commissioners Approve Budget Tuesday
With Same Tax Rate As In 1950; Increase
Granted to Aid the Needy, Blind and De
pendent Children; Increase in School Fund
of $3,000 and $22,570 Budgeted For Bond
Interest and Maturities.
MAKING PROGRESS IN
SPECIAL ARMY TRAINING
£ ’ ; ?s l?< J r ** **
—U. 3. Army Photo
EDWARD B. HILL is the husband
of the former Wilma Gray of Avon, !
Dare County, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. A. C. Gray, and they have one
child, Dennis G., age 9. According
to .advice from the Chief of Armed
Services Medical "procurement in
Brooklyn, he is now Sergeant First
Class, and has graduated from the
Armed Services Medical Equipment
Maintenance Course, a 40 week
period of instruction in the repair
and maintenance of technical med
ical equipment, under the technical
supervision of ABMPA’s Medical
Technical Maintenance Division at
St. Louis, Mo.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. S. J.
: Hill of Route 1, Kinston, N. C.,
' SFC Hill enlisted in the Army at
Norfolk on October 5, 1939. His
service includes 7 months of over
seas duty during World War II in
the Pacific Theatre of Operation.
He has been awarded the Bronze
'(Star, Combat Med Badge, APTO
! . Ribbon (1 star). The Hills reside
i■ at 113 Scabbard St., Petersburg,
1 Va.
MELODRAMA MINGLED
WITH REGULAR SHOW
LAST SUNDAY NIGHT
Although It was staged so quietly
.the audience never became aware
of it, there was an unrehearsed,
cops-and-robbers drama going oh
backstage during Sunday night’s
performance of The Lost Colony.
{Cast in the role of the melodrama’s
hero was Albert Q. Bell, and the
'real life desperados were Willie
j (Buckshot) Taylor, 38, and Har
old Pace, 24, who had escaped
from their guards during a ball
game in the afternoon in Manteo; 1
they were here with the Maple
. Prison Camp ball club for the aft-
I emoon game. The State Highway
Patrol was alerted, but the men
, had not been apprehended by the
time The Lost Colony performance
got underway Sunday night.
. I From the front porch of his cot
i tage near the theatre William
I Meade Prince saw two suspicious
looking characters making the.r
. way toward the ampitheatre. After
the men passed his house. Prince
. got in his car and hurried to the
theatre to notify Bell of the fel
lows’ approach.
| Assistant stage manager, Eliza
beth Welch, detected the culprits
hiding under the stage and told
Bell of their presence. He went
■jb ackstage and appropriated a
very-pistol (signal rocket gun),
; covered the men with it in the
best Dick Tracy tradition and
i marched them around the enclos-
See MELODRAMA, Page Eight
MANTEO FISH MEETING
The Commercial Fisheries Com
mittee of the Board of Conserva
, tion and Development will hold a
public hearing at the Court House
in Manteo at 10 a.m., July 17,
1951, to consider the proposal to
declare Martins Point Creek as in
. land waters, and consider any other
matters pertaining to commercial
fishing.
Single Copy 70
The County Board of Commis
sioners Tuesday gave approval to
a budget for the next fiscal year
totaling $162,465.20, largest in the
history of the county.
They voted to retain the current
tax rate of $0.90 per SIOO.OO valua
tion.
Total valuation of property in
the county for tax purposes is
$12,145,271. At the tax rate,
it is estimated that this will pro
duce revenue amounting to $109,-
307.44. Revenues from other
sources than ad valorem taxes are
expected to produce $51,099.62 dur
j ing the next fiscal year. With cash
balances remaining, as of June 30,
of $10,835.07 in the general fund,
: $7,231.28 in the school fund, and
■ $2,969.95 in the debt service fund,
the total money expected to be
available to meet expenses during
the year 1951-52 is $181,443.36.
I This leaves a balance of estimat
ed incoming revenue of $18,978.16
'in excess of budgeted outlays for
the various county departments.
Department Allotments
I The general fund has been al
i loted $63,974.62 for the year; thus
I fifteen cents of each ninety cents
I collected in property taxes will be
i assigned to she general fund. The
I health fund receives $5,700; this is
a five cent tax on SIOO valuation.
$5,000 goes to the poor fund, also
I collected at a five cent rate.
| Budgetary assignments to the
I DepartRjgRt.,QX„JKeJXATe are as fol
lows: administration, $13,925 (rate,
j seven cents); old age assistance,
$3,725 (rate, three cents); aid to
H dependent children, $4,214 (rate,
' four cents); aid to the blind, $5,-
1 ! 171.58 (rate, five cents); aid to
’' permanently and totally disabled
■; persons, SI,BOO (rate, two cents).
i For the courthouse, courts and
; jails and supplies therefor the
: i Commissioners budgeted $6,385
1 (five cent rate). The county schools
' I Were allowed $30,000 (at a rate of
■eighteen cents). $22,570 was
budgeted for debt service (at a
> rate of twenty-one cents).
COLINGTON ROAD
RUMOR APPEARS
AS IDLE TALK
A rumor has been circulating in
recent weeks that the road to Col
ington would not be built. The un
founded rumor was said to be
based on the refusal of the govern
ment to allow the road to be built
through the Wright Memorial res
ervation, through which, incident
ally, the road now runs and has
always run. One of the men re
moving some of the contractor’s
equipment at the nearly-completed
Oregon Inlet paving project re
peated the story to Sheriff Frank
Cahoon last week.
Repeatedly asked about the mat
ter by citizens of the Colington
section, Registrar of Deeds Melvin
R. Daniels did a little spadework on
the story Tuesday, to try to see
I what foundation there was for it.
. Mr. Daniels found out that, if there
is anything to the rumor, none of
the people who ought to know
about it take any stock at all in it.
He called Highway Commissioner
Henry Sheldon—and found he had
heard nothing about it He checked
with Horace Dough, Supt of the
reservation at Kill Devil Hill—
i learned that so far as Mr. Dough
i knows, there is nothing to it. And
finally, he checked with the local
highway office, where no such
; monkey-wrench -in - the - plan has
been heard of. That Mr. Daniels
( believes, should take care of that
| rumor.
DELEGATIONS FROM DARE
PROTEST TO STATE BOARD
Two delegations from Dare
county appeared at the meeting of
the State Board of Education in
Raleigh yesterday. Capt Levene
Midgett of Rodanthe and Melvin
R, Daniels carried the case of the
Rodanthe community before the
Board in the effort to induce state
officials to reverse the action by
which they failed to allocate
teachers to Rodanthe next fall.
Dare Board of Education member
Harvey Best of Stumpy Point
headed the delegation from Stum
py Point which sought revocation
of the State Board's similar action
concerning the Stumpy Point
sckhM.