VOLUME XVII NO 5
COAST GUARDS TO
ROW FOR TROPHY'
IN ELIZABETH CITY
August 4th Date of Celebra
tion and Contest for Jo
sephus Daniels Cup
August 4th is the birthday of
the U. S. Coast Guard and again
the men of the sth District will
meet in Elizabeth City to observe
this important event, and rowing
crews from several units will com
pete again for the Josephus Dan
iels trophy. Last year the cup was
won at Washington, N. C., by the
rowing crew of Fort Macon station.
The races will be held this year
off the Coast Guard Air Station in
Elizabeth City. Congressman Her
bert Bonner and other notables will
be present. Capt. L. H. Baker,
Commander Fifth Coast Guard
District is aiding with plans for
a fine time, but does not expect so
elaborate an affair as was staged
in Washington, N. C., last year.
The general program is for
static displays and demonstration
of Coast Guard equipment starting
at 1:00 p.m., EST. The Daniels
Trophy Race is scheduled at 4:00
p.m., EST. Following the race sev
eral brief addresses will be made
by distinguished guests. After
these brief addresses the Trophy
will be presented to the winning
crew by a member of the Daniels
family. The above programs are
open to the public. At 5:00 p.m. a
picnic for Coast Guard personnel
and their families will be held at
the Aircraft Repair and Supply
Base and a Buffet supper will be
held in honor of the distinguished
guests.
MINISTER ACCEPTS
TEACHING POSITION
Rev. J. H. Overton to Become
Principal at Pinetown School.
Successor Not Yet Named
The Rev. J. H. Overton, Jr.,
for the last three years pastor of
Mr. Olivet Methodist Church in
Manteo, told his congregation at
gioming service last Sunday that
he has accepted the position of
principal of the Pinetown, N. C.,
school. Because he felt that work
with young people is a vital work
for which he is well qualified by
inclination and experience, Rev.
Overton told churchgoers Sunday,
he had determined to re-enter the
teaching field.
At Pinetown, in addition to his
duties as principal, Mr. Overton
will teach classes in the seventh
and eighth grades. The school has
eight teachers.
Mr. Overton is a graduate of the
University of North Carolina; he
taught at Rockingham before en
tering the ministry. Before ordina
tion he studied at Duke University
Divinity School.
Mrs. Overton is the former Miss
Ola Morris of Washington. The
Overtons have two daughters.
The family will move to Pine
town before the school opens in
September. No successor has as
yet been designated by the Meth
odist District authorities to fill the ,
Mt. Olivet pulpit.
NONE TO.BE CALLED
FOR
EXAMS IN AUGUST
Chairman Robert Ballance an
nounced on Monday that the Dare
County Selective Service Board has
been notified not to call up any of
Its registrants for pre-induction
physical examinations during the
month of August. It will be the
third straight month during which
no Dare county registrants have
been given pre-induction examina
tions.
The Board has received notifica
tion of the enlistment of Robert
Dewey Basnett, Jr., of Frisco, in
the United States Coast Guard.
Young Basnett, 17, is not a regis
trant with the Dare Board, but his
enlistment is credited to the coun
ty’s selective service quota.
“DANIELS DAY”
The annual reunion and picnic of
the Daniels families on August 19
will be held this year on the
grounds of the Wanchese Methodist I
Church. There will be programs in i
the morning and afternoon on that |
day, according to Melvin R. Dan- '
iels, chairman for the yearly
event. Daniels Day in 1950 attract
ed a gathering of about 400 family
members and friends. The public
is invited to join the Daniels fam
ilies for the occasion. Each family
will bring a basket lunch and all
will enjoy the picnic-style meal at
noon. The chairman said that a
distinguished speaker will be pres
ent, and that members of the fam
ily from Baltimore, Columbia, S. C.,
and the Jonathan Daniels family
of Raleigh have already signified
their intention of being in Wan
chese for the great day of the
’ Daniela.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
PLAYWRIGHT-ACTOR
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LYNN RIGGS, author of many out
standing folk plays, including
“Green Grow the Lilacs,” upon
which the fabulously successful
musical comedy “Oklahoma” was
based, turned actor here this
week when he portrayed a role in
Tuesday’s Celebrity Night perform
ance of The Lost Colony.
DARE COUNTY BUDGET
FOR 51-52 PRINTED
The Dare County Budget
Estimate with schedule of
taxes and expenditures for
1951-52, the current fiscal
year, is published this week
in the Coastland Times on
page 7.
Not counting the Sanitary
district tax on the beaches,
it contemplates the spending
of more than $171,000 this
year. For health, poor and
welfare funds it sets up over
$48,000, over SIB,OOO more
than is to be spent for the
schools of the county.
Upwards of $23,000 is set
aside for county bonds and
interest.
More than $109,000 in taxes
is being levied. The rate is
.90, same as last year.
SANITARY DIST.
TAX RATE .22 FOR
DARE BEACHES
Nearly Five Million Valuation
in Two Districts to
Yield $10,379
The new tax rate of .22 for the
first time will be in effect for 1951
taxes this fall, and the total yield
is $10,379 to pay for preliminary
surveys, etc., for the Dare Beaches
Sanitary District which embraces
the beach area along 15 miles of
beach highway between the
bridges.
Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and
Nags Head Beaches are in this
area, including parts of two town
ships of Nags Head and Atlantic.
The total township valuations in
the two townships are not much
different: In Atlantic, $2,349,279;
in Nags Head, $2,368,532.
The total valuations of the two
townships falls a little under five
million dollars, or a total of $4,-
717,811. The sanitary district tax
will represent an increase of 25
per cent of the tax for 1950.
DARE DELEGATES
ATTEND EVENTS
OF 4-H WEEK
Miss Mary Kirby, home demon
stration agent, and delegates, Vo
nita Haskett, Kill Devil Hills;
Sheila Gibson, Hatteras, Jackie
Farrow, Rodanthe; and Dawn Til
lett, Kitty Hawk, are attending
4-H Club Short courses in Ra
leigh, July 23-28.
Jackie Farrow, Rodanthe, 4-H
county winner of Dress Revue will
enter the State Dress Revue, mod
eling an orchid all over embroid
ered dress with matching bag,
■which she made for the County
Dress Revue. Sheila Gibson, Hat
tcias, will be an usher at the
Dress Revue.
Program
The program includes a full
week of education, recreation and
, inspiration. All delegates will have
I the opportunity of seeing and hear-
I ing demonstrations on Record
Keeping, Parliamentary Procedure,
Highway Safety, and Citizenship.
State winners in the Dairy Foods,
Soil and Water Conservation, Floor ;
See EVENTS, Page Eight
BISHOP WRIGHT CONDUCTS •
SERVICES HERE SUNDAY
The Rt. Rev. Thomas Wright, of
Wilmington, Bishop of the Episco
pal Division of Eastern North
Carolina Methodist Churches, will
be the guest pastor at Sunday
morning services at Waterside
Theatre on Roanoke Island Sun
day morning, July 80.
NEARLY 5,000
SEE PLAY HERE
IN SIX DAYS
Five Lifetime Passes Pre
sented to Playgoers at 500th
Performance on Tuesday
Nearly 5,000 persons bought
tickets for the six Lost Colony
performances between July 19 and
Wednesday night of this week.
The paid-admission total for the
six nights was 4,964. The two best
crowds of the period, which has
been plagued by rainy weather
this week, were July 19 and 20,
1,134 and 1,474, respectively; at
tendance numbered 601 on the
21st; 540, July 22; 549, July 24;
and 666, July 25.
Tuesday night’s show was the
500th performance of The Lost
Colony in Waterfront Theatre.
Playwright Lynn Riggs enacted a
role in the play as the featured
actor for Celebrity Night.
In recognition of the 500th
showing, five persons were pre
sented life-time passes to the show,
the purchasers of the 100th, 200th,
300th, 400th and 500th tickets.
Sylvia Whitley, Charlotte teen
ager, the 500th person to enter the
theatre Tuesday night, in addition
to a life-time pass, was presented
a copy of the drama autographed
by author Paul Green, and one of
the rare memorial half-dollars is
sued in honor of the birth of Vir
ginia Dare, first child ’of English
parentage born in America.
Other winners of life-time passes
were: Mrs. C. C. Fox, 304 Hill
Crest Ave., Burlington; Miss Jane
Hill, Leaksville; Mrs. C. Y. Har
ris, Mooresboro; and Anna B.
Clark of Inez.
At intermission Tuesday night
Mary Mann Evans, who has been
in the cast since its premiere in
1937, was presented, and Director
Samuel Selden and Author Lynn
Riggs addressed the audience
briefly.
SPEAKS IN COASTLAND
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OLIVER L. FOTH, missionary to
South India, will be guest speaker
at Wanchese Assembly of God
Church on Sunday evening, July 29,
according to an announcement
made this week by the Rev. D. B.
Lawrence, pastor of the church.
He will be telling of the progress
of Christianity in India since she
gained her independence and of his
experiences in that country.
Visits Hyde and the Banks
, Mr. Foth will be at other Dare
county churches through Friday of
next week and at Engelhard on
Saturday, August 4. His itinerary
See FOTH, Page Eight
BETTER HOMES, OLD AND NEW, AT WANCHESE ON ROANOKE ISLAND
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NOT one of the newest Homes, but a model forcpmfort, convenience, and modern appliances to make
life worth while. This is the home of Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Tillett. It has shrubbery and flowers and is
notieeaMy well-kept; It is a model of cleanliness. Mrs. Tillett is a top-notch housekeeper and Mr. Tillett
being an expert mechanic who can do most anything, no wonder it is in good shape. To show the
'continued progress in building construction on Wanehese, we will publish at an early date, a photo of
one of the newer brick homes. Photos by Vic Meekins. •
■ .
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JULY 27,1951
POINT HARBOR COUPLE’S ROMANCE BEGAN WITH
FIRE THAT BURNED UP TOWN OF MANTEO IN 1939
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WALTON and RUTH MIDGETT GRIGGS of Point Harbor whose
romance started from the day the Manteo business district burned,
September 11, 1939. Mr. Griggs is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs.
Albert S. Griggs of Point Harbor, and Mrs. Griggs is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis Midgett of New Smyrna, Fla., and a nativj
of Hatteras Island. Her maternal grandfather 4as the late Seymour
Miller of Buxton. This couple have two small daughters, Margie, age
eight, and Milly age seven. The Griggses constitute one of the most
successful man and wife teams for which the coastland is famous.
A romance between a Point Har
bor man, and a Cape Hatteras girl,
both of whom were living in Flori
da at the time, and who met at
Manteo for the first time while the
town was burning up September
11, 1939, resulted in a partnership
that has given the Coastland one of
its finest and most -widely known
restaurants.
The Point Harbor Grill, over
looking Currituck Sound at the
Western terminus of the Wright
Memorial Bridge is operated by
Walton and Ruth Midgett Griggs
and in four years has maintained
a steadily increasing patronage
won by its fine foods and friendly
atmosphere.
Just how the fire built up this
romance between a young couple
who met that day amid the smoke
of Manteo, is like something you
read about in books. Ruth Midgett
of Florida was visiting relatives in
Manteo, spending most of her time
with her cousin Belva (Mrs. M. L.
Daniels). Both were down at the
fire where Mr. Daniels’ store burnt
up. v
Walton Griggs of Florida was
home visiting relatives at Point
Harbor. Seeing the big smoke in
the direction of Manteo, he took off
for the fire and one of his sisters
in-law jumped in the car and went
along too.
Miss Ruth Midgett, the very
pretty graduate nurse, who was
See GRIGGS, Page Eight
TRAFFIC VIOLATORS
PAY $275 FINES
Three Currituck Negroes Fined
for Disturbing the Peace
Robert Eugene • Mosher, 28,
Coastguardsman from Elizabeth
City, was found guilty by Judge
W. F. Baum in recorder’s court on
Tuesday afternoon of reckless
driving and of driving 75 miles per
hour in a 35 mile-limit zone early
last Sunday morning. The case was
tried under an agreement between
the defense and prosecuting law
yers that testimony given by Pa
trolman Boykin would be accepted
as being corroborated by Patrol
man Paul West, who was the ar
resting officer in the case; West
was unable to be present Tuesday.
Mosher was charged with racing
on the Sound Side Road at Nags
Head and on Highway 158 in the
beach area with another ear driven
by a friend of his, William Jones.
Both men were arrested by officers
Sec FINES, Page Eight
1
BETTY SMITH TO APPEAR
AT CELEBRITY NIGHT
Betty Smith, author of “A Tree
Grows in Brooklyn,” one of Ameri
ca’s all-time best sellers, will be a
guest performer in Paul Green’s
symphonic drama THE LOST
COLONY here on Tuesday night,
July 31.
SCHOOL BOARD ACCEPTS BIDS
FOR FIRST PART OF COUNTY
SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAM
State Board Refuses to Allow Referendum
for Determining Location of Cape Hatteras
School. County Board Votes to Locate
School at Avon.
RAINFALL DIDN’T
SPOIL THE PARTY
AT DRINKWATER’S
But for First Time In 15
Years Notables Forced
to Go Indoors
Lindsay Warren, whose two
postal addresses are Washington,
N. C., and D. C., was a member
of Congress from North Carolina’s
First District when Alpheus W.
Drinkwater, of Manteo, gave his
first lawn party in honor of the
Representative, now United States
Comptroller General. That was 15
years ago.
Each succeeding year has seen
a party and the event has become
another Roanoke Island tradition.
And until this year the Sage of
Manteo has been able to set aside
a rainless afternoon. Yesterday the
dripping skies forcedthe event
indoors.
Coastland figures mingled with
authors, writers, artists and phi
losophers vacationing on the island
and at Kitty Hawk, Southern
Shores and Nags Head on the sea
side. Mrs. Drinkwater, as usual,
had a parade of platters of her
famous cooking steaming from the
kitchen, which the islanders have
become accustomed to, but which
See PARTY. Page Eight
MANTEO TEACHER GETS
GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
HUGHES B. HOYLE
Hughes B. Hoyle, professor of
mathematics and physics at Queens
College, Charlotte, N. C., has been
gi anted a year’s graduate fellow
ship to be financed by the Fofil
Foundation for the Advancement of
Education. Selection of recipients
is made by the committee on Ad
ministration of Faculty FellowshjJ)
Program. Mr. Hoyle wg.l be on
leave of absence from Queens
while doing the Study for which
the fellowship provides. He has not
yet chosen the college or university
which he will attend. The stipend
for the fellowship will be the
equivalent of his year’s salary at
Queen’s plus tuition at the insti
tution he chooses, and traveling
expenses in connection with the
work.
According to a statement issued
by the committee, the purpose of
their grants is to provide oppor
tunity for the most promising
young college teachers to improve
their competence as undergraduate
instructors. This will, upon their
resumption of their duties in 1952,
strengthen the teaching service of
the institutions from which the re
cipients are chosen. More than two
million dollars will be used for the
grants which are made on a na
tion-wide basis.
Mr. Hoyle, who received his
J3.A. and M.A. degrees from the
University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, has already completed
at New York University 34 se
mester hours of work toward an
advanced degree. This work was,
and his further study will be, in
the field of the teaching of mathe
matics on the college level. The
proposed investigation for his dis
sertation will be on a method for
investigating algebraic functions
and of finding the irrational roots
of algebtaic equations by the use
of finite differences.
The purpose of the program
under which Mr. Hoyle has been
granted the fellowship is to
strengthen college teaching. While,
presumably, the plans for a, year’s
work will differ widely from field
to field and from individual to in
dividual, the granting committee
will be more interested in the ap
plication of the recipients* program
to andergraduate teaching than in
See HOYLE, Page Bight
Single Copy 7£
Bids were opened and contracts
let by the Dare County Board of
Education Thursday for the build
ing of a primary addition to Man
teo High School, a new building
for Roanoke Colored School, and
for heating and electrical work at
Wanchese, Manns Harbor and Kit
ty Hawk Schools.
J. Gordon Kellogg of Manteo
was low bidder for the general
contract for construction at the
Manteo primary addition and
the Roanoke School. The con
tracted sum to be paid for the
work is $57,123. Completion is
promised ten months from the
date that the work is started.
There were 17 bidders for the
general and special contracts at
Manteo school..
The L. R. Wensel Co. of Concord
was granted the contract to fulfill
the plumbing specifications for the
Manteo primary addition; the con
tractor is to receive $6,980 for the
work. 1 1
Roanoke School heating installa
tions are to be done by the B and D
Plumbing and Heating Co. Elec
trical work will be done by the
New Home Appliance Co., Eliza
beth City, M. M. James, owner,
for $1,750.
The electrical work at Kitty
Hawk, Wanchese and Manns Har
bor Schools was granted to the
New Home Appliance Co. Heating
plant contract went to McGirt’s
Plumbing and Electrical Co.
Cape Hatteras School
The board received a letter writ
ten at the direction of Dr. Clyde
Erwin, State School Superintend
ent, stating that the Board’s re
quest to determine the site of Cape
Hatteras School by a referendum
on the Lower Banks was not con
sidered feasible, and directing the
Board to determine the location by
its own action. The site selected
by the vote of members Ellis Gray
of Avon, Roy Gray of Hatteras
See SCHOOL, Page Eight
LITTLE DIFFERENCE
IN GASOLINE PRICES
NOTICEABLE HERE
The news story on Tuesday,
which quoted North Carolina’s At
torney General with saying that
millions of dollars could be saved
I for Tai- Heel drivers if the state
■ were given power to regulate gaso
' line prices, may have led a few
people to believe that, by shopping
around a bit, they could find a fill
ing station nearby at which they
could save money on gas. If it did
so, it’s probable that they had to
drive away the profits reaching
a gas pump where gas was sold
at any substantially lower rate.
In Manteo, shop where he would,
' the motorist on Tuesday of this
i week had to pay 32.2<* per gallon
for high test gas and 30.2tf for
regular. Even if he extended his
search across the Roanoke Sound
Bridge, he wouldn’t have found
prices any different than they were
lin Manteo. Generally the Nags
i Head price was the same; but at
two stations along the Nags Head
beach, it was possible to save a
dime on ten gallons—for at two
stations the prices listed were
31.2 f and 29.26
In Kill Devil Hills, all but one
station on Tuesday was selling
high test gas for 31.26 the one
was selling at the 32.2< rate.
Regular at all stations, however,
was going at 29.2 c per gallon.
Six Kitty Hawk stations along
the beach sold high test gas at
between 33Jtf and 31.7<; in the
village, regular could be bought
for 29.3 C, but at not less than
29.7 C on Kitty Hawk beach. Some
stations sold regular as high as
30.2 C per gallon.
With state regulation of gasoline
prices, as the attorney general
suggested this week, the price
Dare countians pay might go up or
down—but it could hardly be made
more uniform than it now is be
tween Manteo and Currituck
Sound bridge, at least.
'GUARDRAILS GO UP
ON SOUND BRIDGE
The skeleton-like appearance of
the new bridge over Roanoke
Sound, now nearing completion, be
gan to be effaced this week with
the completion of the cement
guard rails at the extreme east end
of the bridge. That the bridge is
nearing completion seemed to be
even more credible with the ap
pearance of the steel framework
for the drawbridge in mid-sound
where it will ba-suspended.