Newspapers / The Coastland Times (Manteo, … / Jan. 2, 1953, edition 1 / Page 1
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VOLUME XVII NO. 27 OLD CHRISTMAS OBSERVANCE MONDAY NIGHT WILL DRAW WIDE ATTENTION TO COAST Said to Be the Only Place That Holds Its Old Christmas Observance on Its Eve, or Janu ary sth; Monday Night’s Observance To Be A Good One. Rodanthe. —While the December 25th Yuletide is just a memory sparked by bills for many, the residents of Rodanthe here on Hat teras Island are all geared up for their traditional Old Christ mas celebration January 5. This North Carolina Outer Banks community and its neigh boring village Waves, (formerly South Rodanthe) two miles south ward on the new Hatteras Island all-paved highway are the only places in the world where Old Christmas is observed on January 5. Twelfth Night or Epithany, sometimes called “Little Christ mas” which conies in January 6, is still celebrated in many parts of the world. Here on Monday under the lea dership of such old timers as Le vene Midgett, Fred O’Neal, Brad Payne, Herbert Midgett, John Her bert and his wife, Mrs. Nora Her bert the custom which has been handed down from one generation to another since long before the oldest resident can remember, the celebration will be presented. In the old days Old Christmas oh servances began at daybreak and, continued until after nightfall on I each January 5. It was time when the residents of the two communi ties would travel by pony carts to visit their kith and kin. Fifers with their home made reed flutes made weird music as they march ed through the village at dawn and accompaniment to the musisc was produced by an ancient drum, one which came from a warship carrying sail, a century or more ago. “The drum, and the original one which has been re-headed several '■'mes through the years will like be beaten again on Monday Al ht, even if we have no fifers re,” said Captain Midgett, the chief boatswain mate in charge of Chicamacomico Coast Guaid station. He explained. “Brad Payne who used to live here but now makes his home in Wanchese on Roanoke Island was the drummer for many years. When he moved he took the Old drum with him, but he returned each year with it to take part in our celebration. The old drum and ‘Old Buck’ play an important role in our celebrations.” “Old Buck?” “He is the wild bull of Trent Woods down beyond the Cape,” said Captain Midgett. “Old Buck we call him, because our fathers * and grandfathers called him that, and on every Old Christmas he comes -to our celebration to look over those who have done evil or otherwise during the years.” Actually Old Buck is only a lo cal legend, but one that becomes real on January 5 each year at Rodanthe—even if it is a skull of an outer banks bull that was was killed for beef, plus a paper mache or canvas body supported by two villagers. “This year as in recent years, we will have an olster roast here in the community and everyone is See CELEBRATION, Page Five HAROLD DANIELS HOME FOR HOLIDAYS, FIRST TIME IN 19 YEARS Not all his friends know it, but Harold Daniels, the Wanchese boy who has been flat on his back in bed since 1935, is spending the holidays at Wanchese with old friends, and will leave to return to t the Marine Hospital in Norfolk, on January 6. He is stopping at the 1 home of his stepmother, Mrs. De borah Daniels. In 1934 he was taken with ar thritis, while working on a fish ing trawley and went to the Ma- A e Hospital. He hasn’t been out ) it since, except during the War ten he was transferrel to the Marine Hospital at Pittsburgh. He is unable to walk or lie on his side. His hands are badly crippled. Harold is enjoying his Christ mas because he is seeing so many old friends. There are still some who don’t know he is home, and he would be glad to see them. He likes to smoke, and to read, and can use small books and maga zines that are not hard to hold. Despite hja afflictions, he is jolly and agreeable and never com plains. If everyone who grunts and groans because of a little minor discomfort could witness the ex ample this boy sets, it would make one asshamed 'of complaining over trifles. THE COASTLAND TIMES PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA TO PRESENT PROGRAM AT NAGS HEAD MISSION It w B ■ r t \ PHIL SAINT, noted artist of un usual platform ability, will present a program of art and song that is | unique in the history of sacred ! programs at the Baptist Mission iat Nags Head on Monday, Jan uary 5,, 1953, at 7:30 p. m. This will be his only scheduled appear ance in the county. The public is cordially invited to attend this ser vice, says Rev. Frank Dinwiddle, the pastor. Mr. Saint uses special lighting effects to obtain a colorful blending of hues by means of an easel and special equipment which he devel oped himself. The accompanying music is dove-tailed to the devel opment of the feature picture which highlights each presenta tion. The artist sings and speaks as he draws, beginning with blank paper in his fast-moving program. Mr. Saint’s mastery of color is all the more remarkable because he is partially color-blind, a fact discovered when he was in the eighth grade and came home one day with a picture drawn with orange grass, and a red, white and purple flag. Those who watch him draw now find it vejy difficult to believe that he has this handicap. He comes from a family of artists. His father’s stained glass windows adorn the National Cathedral in Washington, D. C. Mr. Saint’s ca reer as a cartoonist started when he sold a.humorous cartoon to the Saturday Evening Post. On leav- See PROGRAM, Page Four SNOW GEESE DUE TO DEPART COAST SOON By AYCOCK BROWN Pea Island.—About half of the world’s population of Greater Snow Geese which have been wintering here on the mudflats and in the marshes of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge are scheduled to begin their migration northward next week. They- are the most colorful of many species of wild fowl which enjoy complete pro tection from hunters in this Hat teras Island Refuge which begins at Oregon Inlet and extends south ward to Rodanthe. L. B. Turner, manager of the Refuge estimates there are be ween 12,000 and 14,000 Snow geese here this winter. Another flock of these wildfowl, solid white except for their black tipped wings, are I wintering in upper Currituck ■ Sound in North Carolina and in the i Back Bay region of Virginia. The total population of Snow geese in , 1 America is estimated at 30,000. All but a few thousand of the ‘ Snows make their migratory flights along the Atlantic Flyway. While it has become a legend here that these rare geese arrive at Pea Island each year on Novem ber 26 and depart for northern breeding grounds on January 6 each year, ornithologists believe that their arrival and departure is guaged on the phases of the moon as it becomes full during late November and early January. Their migration flights are usually made at night. On rare occasions straggling Snow geese will show up in flocks of Canada Geese and Brant in the Ocracoke and Hatteras waters of Pamlico Sound. As matter of fact, they are called white brant, by I Ocracokers, and years ago, when the late Rex Beach killed one near I Ocracoke Island, he wrote a book i 1 entitled “White Brant” and also named a small boat he used for l hunting after this wildfowl. DEVELOPING PLAN TO MAKE “BANKS” MORE INVITING Maritime Museum Included In NPS Plans for De velopment at Cape Hatteras During December the National Park Service had officials of sev eral of its technical branch es in the Cape Hatteras Area to study development plans for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Project. This group .was headed by assistant Chief Natural ist Raymond Gregg of Washing ton, D. C. and Regional Historian James Holland from the Park Ser vice office in Richmond, Virginia. The group spent much time in specting the lands scheduled to be acquired for the project and discussing types of development permissable under the law creat ing the Seashore Project. Consid eration was given as to the best methods for interpreting this new outstanding project to the general public. It was agreed by all that the Cape Hatteras Project will rank high with other of the larger areas of the Park Service as a national attraction. The custodian buildings at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse were in spected with the view of trans forming the larger of the two into a Maritime Museum. Among other projects under consideration is a Natural History Museum to tell the natural story of this unique area and by the use of electric maps trace the flight of migratory water fowl from this section to their summer nesting grounds in the far reaches of the Northern countries. Also under consideration is the marking of the more famous ship wrecks, access roads to the beach, a botanical preserve at Bux ton, further development in the Cape Hatteras point section in cluding a road ,erosion control work, and many other types of projects designed to attract tour ists and hold them in this area. Since it has become known that the Cape Hatteras Project is to he a reality, the Park Service Land Acquisition Office in Manteo has been deluged with requests for in formation and photographs about the Project. Photographer A. S. Burns has been in the Area re cently collecting photographic ma terial to be distributed with the printed information that is avail able for distribution by the Na tional Park Service. TOURIST BUSINESS BRINGS DARE BIG INCOME IN CASH Cash Income Per Home Ranks High; Hyde Down Near Bottom of List Dare County now ranks 48th among the 100 counties of the state in cash income per /home, thanks to the big boost that has come to it because of the tourist and resort trade. The average cash income per home is now given at $1,514. Its neighbor county of Hyde which is along with Tyrrell, is denied much of its rightful share of this tourist business, ranks 96, only four from the bottom with an average income of $915 per family. Tyrrell ranks 92nd with a little better showing, the figure being $1,040. These two counties are unable to fully share in the resort and tourist travel bound for Dare County, because of the lack of suitable highway connections. Dare County of course, has prof ited immensely from free adver tising so liberally given through the years by its newspapermen friends. In addition, the National Park Service has advertised it widely through all the National Park System, in connection with the Hatteras project, which has been proposed for many years, and I now approaches nearer reality. So evident is the value of the publi city for Dare County that the var ious interests of the county are now spending $14,000 a year in operating a tourist bureau, whose primary function is publicity for the county. Currituck interests de rive much benefit from the traffic flowing to Dare through that coun ty. Os interest are figures concern ing other counties: Rank County Income 55 Currituck 1,424 76 Beaufort 1,269 77 Pamlico 1,256 92 Tyrrell 1,040 96 Hyde 914 Washington County witli excel lent agriculture and much industry now ranks 40th with income of sl,69l;—better even than the larg er county of Pasquotank which is 44th with income of $1,617. Among highest ranking counties in average cash income per fami ly are Mecklenburg, No. 1, $2,690; 'Alamance No. 2, $2,667; Guilford 5, $2,476; Forsyth 7, $2,406 MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1953 MAINLA’D'S OLDEST MAN WILL BE 88 SATURDAY - jS r PH IB - ' ~ THE ANNUAL celebration of the birthday of Capt. Leonidus Rosser Mann of Manns Harbor, oldest liv ing man on the entire Dare Coun ty mainland, will be celebrated Sunday by a dinner to be given at his home by his children. He will be 88 years old Saturday, January 3rd. Mr. Mann is well known in Dare County. He fol lowed fishing and boating all his active life, retiring about 15 years ago. His children are Harry Mann of Oklahoma City, Gaston Mann of Nags Head, Guy Mann of Manns Harbor, Mrs. Calvin Beasley of Manns Harbor and Mrs. Ina Mann Waterfield, who 25 years has been a civil service employe in Wash ington. TROUBLES FOLLOW ROAD TO HAPPY OCRACOKE ISLAND For First Time in 30 Years a Court Sits in Judgment As Peaceful Living Gives Way to Progress By TROY WILLIAMS OCRACOKE ISLAND, Dec. 27. —Ocracoke Island was shocked to the roots of its so-called Elizabeth an brogue this afternoon when the first trial in approximately 30 years was heard before Justice of the Peace Harvey Wahab. The news of the scheduled hearing swept over this sand spit like a prairie fire and the natives from all over the island flocked to the recreation building to hear the tes timony. Maultbey Bragg was charged with assault on the person of Stan ley Wahab. He was found guilty of the charge and received a 30 day road sentence suspended upon the payment of $lO and cost and on the good behavior of the de fendant for a period of six months. The trial and the events leading up to it has been called the “News of the Y’ear.” For a period of 30 years Ocracoke has been known as the one place in North Carolina without any form of law. It re ceived much publicity due to the fact that it did not 'have jail, any law enforcement officers and there are no license on the cars and no license required for driving. The fact that the problems of civilization were slowly encroach ing this Island of legend became evident in 1950 following the con struction of Scott’s highway. The citizens were faced with the prob lem of speeders along the narrow highway, a highway which has been called the road which started from nowhere and ended at the same place.” In order to check the speeders and the Saturday night celebrat ers, Ansley O’Neal was appointed Deputy Sheriff. Additional prob lems appeared when it was dis covered that following an arrest the defendant and all witnesses were forced to travel through four counties to get to Swan Quarter, the county seat of Hyde. This trip, due to the boat and bus schedule, requires a period of four days. As See TROUBLES, 'Page Four BOOTH FAMILY HAS CLOSE CALL NEAR LYNCHBURG. VA. Mr. and Mrs. John Booth, bound for Lebanon, Ky., with their sons John and Robert, had a close call near Lynchburg, Va., when their new Ford was demolished in col lision with a truck which they en countered on the snowy, sleety road. The Booths had been spend ing the holidays with A. W. Drink water, Mrs. Booth’s father, and were en route to Kentucky to visit Mr. Booth’s parents. Mr. Booth returned Christmas day from Nor way, where he has been stationed with the Navy. The four were un injured in the wreck. TAX LISTING BEGINS MONDAY IN DARE CO. All Townships Subject to Quadrennial Re-Assess ment; Much Property Increased in Value A schedule of tax listing dates in Dare County, beginning Monday January sth is being advertised, and is arranged convenient for the citizens of all precincts. There will be seven listing days at the courthouse, and three days each at Wanchese, Manns Harbor, Kitty Hawk, Stumpy Point, Avon, Hat teras and Buxton. There will be two days in East Lake township and at Kill Devil Hills, and one day each in Salvo, Waves, Rodan the, Nags Head, Colington, Duck and Frisco. The listers for townshsips are as follows: Nags Head, Mrs. Lucy Midgett of Wanchese; Atlantic, Mrs. Beulah Perry of Kitty Hawk; Kennekeet, Mrs. Rachel Austin of Avon; Hatteras, Mrs. Edna Gray of Buxton. Willis L. Daniels is tax supervisor. The year 1953 is a re-valuation year in North Carolina. Due to rapid growth in value of real es tate in some portions of the coun ty, there is much property not pay ng its share of taxes. On the other hand there is considerable property, notably on the mainland of Dare County which has de clined in value. Hatteras Island property has shown a sharp up turn, for here property which cur rently sells at SIOO per acre and up is now listed for sls per acre. Likewise in some areas north of Oregon Inlet, where ocean front age sells for $35 a foot, it is some times listed at sl2 or less. more Guilders BETTING ON THE PARK’S FUTURE Investments Being Made at Hatteras In Hotels and Tourists Courts By AYCOCK BROWN Hatteras.—From Kitty Hawk to Hatteras, the Dare Coast vacation region is now experiencing one of its biggest off season building booms in many years. A check of construction work on vacation fa cilities along Dare’s coastline of almost 100 miles was completed here today. Andrew Austin, owner of Aus tin’s Apartments and Durant’s Motor Court, stated this week that he not only planned to build ad ditions to his motor court proper ties, including the old Durant Life Saving Station Building but that he was also planning to build a 30-room hotel on the beach near the National Seashore Area’s lim its which will skirt the outlying section of this village. Ready for opening during the Spring vacation season is a new annex of seven rooms and a large restaurant at Scotty Gibson’s Atlantic View Ho tel. It was announced last week that Mrs. Nacie Austin has es tablished the “Ocean Air Tourist Home” here and is ready for the reception of guests. Edgar Hooper at Cape Hatteras is building several beach apart ments adjacent to George Fuller’s Cape Hatteras Cottage Court. Since the completion of the Hat teras Island Highway from Nags Head a number of Buxton resi dents have established tourist homes and guest houses and Mrs. Leona Jennette has a new and modern restaurant in that village. On Nags Head, Archie Burrus, is building a 16-unit face brick consctruction motor court which will be ready for opening by Spring. The Carolinian Hotel is adding at least 24 units to its 64 room hotel anil the dining room is being enlarged. B. M. Hedrick of Kill Devil Hills has completed ren ovation of his cottage court and many other facilities for vacation ists are in the planning stages now for the Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk regions. R. D. Owens is planning to build a new fishing pier to be located at Rodanthe, if he is given a green See PARK, Page Four MISS HALLIBURTON RETURNS TO HOME IN DARE COUNTY Miss Sarah Halliburton, who in 1951 was editor of The Belhaven Pilot, and who spent 1952 in news paper work in South Carolina has returned to her home at Kill Devil Hills in Dare County where she owns a number of beach cottages, and here she plans to reside. For the present, she has undertaken some newspaper work for the Coastland Times of Manteo. Miss Halliburton before coming to Dare County had done newspaper work in Roanoke Rapids and she has had wide experience in newspaper pub lishing, having owned several newspapers in Missouri. GOVERNOR SCOTT MAKES A FINAL REPORT THIS WEEK ON FOUR YEAR’S PROGRESS An Administration That Has Built Roads Where Roads Were Most Needed Is Now Ending; It Has Brought About Tremendous Rural Development, Aided Numerous Long-Forgotten People. NEW DIRECTOR NAMED | FOR THE LOST COLONY ■ o wh' jaf a jpP ,7 / i CLIFTON BRITTON, founder and director of the Goldmasquers of Goldsboro High School, one of America’s most outstanding high school dramatic groups, has been named director of Paul Green’s symphonic drama The Lost Colony here on Roanoke Island next June 27. Samuel Selden, head of the Dramatic Arts Department of the University of North Carolina, who has directed the drama since its original premiere in 1937, remains with The Lost Colony as supervis ory director, a post he will .also hold with at least two other sym phonic dramas, including Horn in the West at Boone. General Manager Dick Jordan of I The Lost Colony announced Brit- | ton’s promotion to the director- I ship of the drama this week as he | opened the drama’s business in ! Manteo. “There is no question but what i Britton with his dramatic back ground, will produce an outstand- | ing production of The Lost Col- ; ony during its 13th season,” said Jordan. “He has been with the Lost Colony Company, first as , stage manager and more recently | as associate director for the past six seasons and with Britton and j Selden working as a team, we be lieve those who witness perform- | ances of The Lost Colony in 1953 will be seeing the best produced show in its history.” Britton’s “Goldmasquers” is the ( largest high school dramatic de partment in the South. He also | founded and directed the Chi Pi j Players at East Carolina College lin Greenville, has acted in or di- { I rected more than 200 shows and' | authored four plays during his; career. NAGS HEAD SHELL COLLECTOR VISITS MEXICAN BEACHES Nags Head.—Jesse Newman, owner and operator of a shell craft shop and shell museum at Nags Head is now on a tour of Mexican and Central beaches searching for new specimens to add to his stock. His collection here is one of the most complete, privately owned shell collections in . America and in recent years has become one of the resort’s show places and a mecca for concholo gists from many sstates. This is his second trip to the beaches of Latin America in search of shells, both on the east Gulf | coasts and the coasts of the Pa cific. A few weeks before his de parture for Mexico and Central American countries, Newman re ceived some 4,000 pounds of sea shells from the Philippine Islands and the South Pacific. Hundreds of varieties of shells were in the lot ranging from minute speci- i mens that one must look at through magnifying glasses to giant Sea Clams and all types of conchs. Newman started shell collect ing as a hobby several years ago. He came to the Dare Coast dur ing the mid-30’s to work at one of the national park service sand fix ation camps, married here and de cided to go into the shell busi ness. In addition to the many var ieties he has on display in his j museum, many common variety of shells are made into souvenirs by the Newmans and sold to tourists., Single Copy 70 Governor W. Kerr Scott is ■ closing his administration this week. At times it has been a stormy one, but accomplishments for the State have been many, particularly in the aid given to i long-forgotten rural areas. The state has made progress, and /Governor Scott leaves to his suc ' cessor a 40 million dollar surplus. Some 27 millions more than he found on entering office. ' On Tuesday night, the Gover nor made the following state wide radio address which is a comprehensive report to the peo ple: Fellow Citizens of North Caro lina: From time to time during the past four years I have enjoyed— through the magic of radio—the privilege of many talks with you. This is my final visit, as your Governor, into your homes. Ten days from now, a new adminis tration will take over; and I am confident that it will continue to build upon the firm foundation laid, step bystep, by succeeding administrations since the days of Governor Charles B. Aycock. The political structure that our forefathers fashioned is flexible and guarantees to the people the power to obtain for them selves and for their children the ser vices and facilities they desire and feel they can afford. The people are sovereign. When the shouting and tumult is over, their expressed verdict always prevails. Oftentimes the thinking of the people is far ahead of that of their political leaders. This has been demonstrated time and time again. My recognition of this fact I came more than thirty years ago. (Some of you have wondered [what forces worked, and what I circumstances operated, to lead 'my feet along the path of the Governorship. It was realization, shared by my Haw River community neigh bors, of intolerable road and school attendance conditions that started my feet along that path. ‘Political and social leadership /was lagging far behind the needs iof the people and the conscious i longings of the masses of the peo ple for better roads, better schools, adequate hospital and ; other health facilities, and access ito electricity and telephone ser j vices. , When I think back upon what life was like in Alamance Coun ty years ago, I remember that Imy children and my neighbors’ ' children walked two or three | miles in snow, sleet, rain, and 'mud to drafty schoolhouses. At I noontime, they would eat cold and soggy sandwiches that their mothers had prepared for them before daybreak. Snifhng colds flu, sore throats and pneumonia were the common lot of all children in those days— leaving the little victims, in many instances, crippled for life. Going to Church on Sunday was a struggle because of the roads—for days at a time—were impassable even for buggies and ' wagons. When I became county agent of Alamance County, and later your /Commissioner of Agriculture, and imy geographic horizons expand led, I found that the same con tiont existed elsewhere through i out the state. As we review the past, let us not forget that two-thirds of North Carolina’s population is rural—that one-third live and I work in the cities and towns; another third live in the country and work in the cities and towns; and the other third both live and work on the farm. i And let us also remember that what is bad for two-thirds of the people is bad for all—an impov erished, mud-tax afflicted, rural population makes poor customers for any trading center or metro politan area. I became a candidate for Gov ernor because of these two con victions—that rural North Caro lina was a land of forgotten peo ple, and that what is bad for two thirds of the people is bad for all. ' I And now lam going to 16t you .in on a little secret. For a quar- I See SCOTT, Page Five
The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.)
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