o IME XIX NO. 22
bUXTON MAN’S
MURDERERS GET
PRISON TERMS
Slayers of Ross Midgett Tried
in New Jersey Last
Week
The slayers of Ross E. Midgett,
young Buxton man in New Jer
sey on August 30, were tried last
week in Morristown, and four of
them drew prison sentences rang
ing from ten years downward.
Thirteen youths were involved
in the slaying in “Lovers Lane - ’
in Denville. One got seven to ten
years, four drew suspended sen
tences in Superior court and
were placed on probation. The
other eight, all juveniles—were
to be dealt with by juvenile au
thorities.
George Compo, 22, of Denville,
whom police tabbed as the ring
leader, drew the lone prison
sentence imposed by Judge Don
ald Waesche in the case.
Compo was sentenced on a plea
of no defense to second degree
murder on Nov. 9. He could have
received up to 30 years in prison.
He will serve his jail term in Bor
dentown Reformatory.
Those receiving suspended sen
tences were Richard* Mitchell, 16,
Denville; Jerre Hinkle, 20, Morris
Plains; Edward Dresh, 19, Den
ville; and Phillip Kennybrook, 17,
of Denville.
Mitchell, Hinkle and Dresh had
pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The first two were placed on pro
bation for five years, Dresh, for
four years.
Kennybrook pleaded guilty to
conspiracy to commit atrocious
assault and battery and was
placed on probation for five
years.
The four—like Compo—origin
ally entered mandatory pleas of
innocent to first degree murder
but were permitted to plead to
lesser charges.
Midgett, 32, member of a prom
inent North Carolina family, was
«•’ in the pre-dawn hours of
joov l in a lover’s lane in near
ville. He was beaten with
bottle, police said, in a
scueme that involved morals and
robbery.
SCOUT FUNDS TO REACH
GOAL OF OVER $7,000
*
Julian Oneto Raises $643.31 in
Dare County; Campaign Closes
End of This Week
Roland T. Orr, Boy Scout fin
ance chairman for the Albemarle
District, announced following a
report meeting this week (Mon
day night, Nov. 23, that the Dis
tricts goal of $7,000 is in sight.
$6,300 has been turned in to the
finance secretary, Mrs. Sanford
P. Aydlett. There are several
large pledges to be turned in this
week which will push the drive
over the top.
The amounts contributed by
the various counties and com
munities are as follows: Camden
County, Chairman H. Clay Fere
bee, $188; Currituck County,
Chairman Samuel Walker, $200;
Dare County. Chairman Julian
Oneto, $643.31; Pasquotank
County, Chairman Charles Vann,
$35; Elizabeth City, Chairman
Holland Webster, $3,800; Chowan
County, Chairman Charles Over
man, SSO; Edenton, Chairman
Gerald James, $940; Gates Coun
ty, Chairman C. V. Cross, Jr.,
$130; Perquimans County, Archie
Lane, S4B; and Hertford, Chair
man John Biggers, S3OO.
Mr. Orr stated that he hoped
campaigners would turn in all
contributions by the end of the
week so that the campaign may
be officially closed.
All funds are being deposited
in an Elizabeth City bank for
1954 operating expenses.
DAVID MIDGETT OF WAVES
ENLISTS IN COAST GUARD
Cape May, N. J. David Mid
j** 18, seaman recruit, USCG,
( .he son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil
xidgett of Waves, North Caro
<«ua is scheduled to complete the
12-week course of recruit train
ing at the U. S. Coast Guard Re
ceiving Center in Cape May, N.J.,
early next week. The course
schedules the basic duties en
countered as a member of the
nation’s oldest seagoing force.
Seaman Recruit Midgett grad
uated fith the class of 1953 from
Cape Hatteras high school, where
he was active in basketball, soft
ball and the 4-H Club. Midgett
joined the Coast Guard on Aug
ust 31, 1953, and is now under
going training with Recruit com
pany E-19.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
MAKING PANTEGO GREAT PORK CENTER
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NOBODY EVER GOT AHEAD WORKING ONLY EIGHT HOURS A
DAY. That’s a sign that Scott and Miriam Topping might well nail
over the door of their Pantego pork plant. Read about them elsewhere
in this paper. Maybe someday they will be as famous as Kingan’s in
Kansas City. We hope so. (Daily News photo.)
MILLION DOLLAR
BUSINESS BUILT
UP IN 15 YEARS
The Toppings of Pantego Be
gan Small But Worked
Hard in Sausage
Business
Toppings Country Sausage!
It’s a name that has gone a long
way during the past 15 years. It
has given the Beaufort County
village of Pantego a million
dollar industry, and it has be
come a monument to an unbeat
able man and wife team who
didn’t stop work when they were
tired, and the going was rough.
Scott and Miriam Topping
haven’t long been in their new
quarters where they can now
dress out as many as 300 hogs a
day, if they want to. It’s a plant
that you might not easily dupli
cate for less than SBO,OOO. And its
a long way from the sausage
business Scott Topping started on
a kitchen stove, back in 1939
when folks hereabout hadn’t
quite recovered from the depres
sion. Those were the days when
Scott had to really worry about
where he could find SIOO to ex
pand his business.
The other day he counted up
and found out where he was pay
ing out a thousand dollars a week
for labor, and that he will pay
this year to the farmers of the
area, better than a million, one
hundred thousand dollars for
hogs.
The fame’ of Topping’s country
sausage has spread across the
nation. Letters come from many
distant places, demanding Top
ping’s sausage meat by mail. Re
cently a long distance phone call
came from Washington, D. C. “I
want you to send me some of
your sausage meat”, the caller
said. “I went down to Hyde
County, and Mrs. Watson served
me some of it at Engelhard Hotel.
She told me where she got it
from.”
Now there are always folks
who sit and wish for a business
of their own. Many of them will
never have one, and some of
them will believe to the end of
their days they never had a
chance in life. Os course there are
people who wish for something
full blown, turned over into their
hands. And there are folks who
look with disfavor on those who
have succeeded.
Doubtless Scott Topping would
tell you, when he got in the sau
sage business, he had no idea of
anything except trying to figure
out away for the time being to
feed himself and wife, and the
babies that were coming along.
Anyway, he used to buy two hogs
a week, and make them up into
sausage in his sister’s kitchen,
and he had the good luck to get
hold of a super-saleswoman, Mrs.
Louise Ricks, to introduce Top
ping’s country sausage from [
house to house in Belhaven and
Pantego. That’s how Topping’s
country sausage got started on its
way, until it is now sold in vol
ume everywhere in eastern North
Carolina and four salesmen on
See TOPPING, Page Eight
MANTEO BANK ISSUES
SIB,OOO FOR CHRISTMAS
i Christmas Club Members Deposit
$2,000 More in Past Year
Than Previous One
The Bank of Manteo last week
paid out around SIB,OOO to de
positor’s in the Christmas savings
club. The club seems to grow
, each year, as year before last
; only $14,000 was on deposit at
’ payout time. Last year’s, club
paid out $16,000.
1 Money received through the
club seems to come in handy
! for everyone this time of year,
' not only for gift buying, but for
such other purposes as paying
taxes. One important point of the
club is not being able to with-
I draw the money, ..therefore it is
| left until around the middle of
’ November, when all the checks
are sent out.
The bank’s 1954 club will be
gin Monday, December 7.
FORMER HATTERAS MAN
IN ACCOUNTING FIRM
Corlett W. Burrus, son of E. E.
Burrus, well-known Hatteras
man, and formerly associated in
business with his father in Hat
teras, is now associatedin the
new certified public accounting
firm of COOTES and BURRUS
of 431 Granby St. Norfolk. Mr.
i Burrus has resided in Norfolk for
several years. He is one of the
most highly regarded young men
from Dare County.
WILLIAM HOWARD BARNES
BURIED AT SALVO TUESDAY
Funeral services for William
Howard Barnes, 81, who died
Monday morning at the home of
his daughter, Mrs. Charlie Whid
bee of Manteo, were conducted
I at 10:30 o’clock Tuesday morning
at the Twiford Funeral Home
chapel by the Rev. H? R. Ash
more, pastor of Mt. Olivet Meth
odist Church, and the Rev. P. M.
Porter, pastor of Salvo Methodist
Church. Burial was in the fam
ily plot at Salvo. Mr. Barnes was
a native of Salvo, Dare County,
the son of Mr .and Mrs. John
Barnes, a member of Salvo Meth
odist Church and a retired car
penter. Surviving besides Mrs.
Whidbee, his daughter at Manteo,
are five grandchildren and five
great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Naomi Wescott sang
“Safe in the Arms of Jesus” ac
companied on the organ by Mrs.
Rennie Williamson, at Manteo.
The casket was covered With
a'Y’all of red roses.
At Salvo the church choir sang
“Nearer My God To Thee.”
Myron V. Midgett, William J.
Duchanan, William J. Batts,
Jimmie A. Gratton, James A.
Jacobson and Curtis E. Scarbor
ough served as pallbearers.
Some years ago, he cooked for
the boys at Gull' Shoal Coast
Guard Station. He was always a
popular figure in the community,
and he has lived in Manteo for
several years and made many
new friends. The old homeplace
he had at Salvo he sold' to Capt.
SteVe Basnight of Manteo.
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1953
PAVED HIGHWAY,
SEASHORE PARK
“BANKS” BOOMING
New Motel and Cottage Fa
cilities Under Construc
tion on Hatteras
Island
By AYCOCK BROWN
Buxton. A building boom,
i the likes of which have been vis
■ ualized by only a few people,
. for Hatteras Island along the
i Outer Banks is now underway.
Responsible for it all, as any of
the builders might tell you. has
been a new all-paved state high
way between Nags Head and
Hatteras, and the fact that Cape
Hatteras National Seashore Re
creational area, is being esta
blished in the area, and has given
the region additional publicity.
At Buxton, cottage court own
ers who experienced business far
above expectations during the
1953 season are expanding their
facilities to take care of antici
pated business in 1954. George
Fuller and associates are enlarg
ing an eight unit e- “age court
filled to capacity d’ ; the past
six months. Three-apartment
units, and four efficiency apart
ments are being added to Cape
Hatteras Cottage Court. Edgar
Hooper is building four addition
al units. Mr. and Mrs. E. P.
White plan a four unit motor.
court shortly on the ocean beach |
near Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
R. D. Owens of Nags Head is
constructing a 10-unit modem
motor court between Rodanthe
and Waves, where local interests
have built several smaller tourist
places during the current year.
The court Mr. Owens expects to
complete by March 1954, will also
have restaurant facilities. The ex
pected cost of his court will be
approximately $50,000.
Other new places constructed
during the past year include
Orange Blossom Inn, and Light
house View, Cape Hatteras Cot
tage Court and Cape Point Res»
1 taurant. Several local homes
have been converted into guest
houses.
National Park Service officials
have announced that the former
residence of Cape Lighthouse
keepers’ quarters is being con
verted into a building that will
house a maritime museum of the
area. It will be under the super
vision of Park Service rangers,
several of whom have already
been transferred to the area.
New building at Hatteras is
also planned for the 1954 season.
“Scotty” Gibson of Atlantic View
Hotel has added additional rooms
and a modern restaurant to his
facilities during the past year.
Andrew Austin owner of Durants
Motor Court and apartments has
also increased his facilities. A
new large building serving as an
appliance store with several
apartments on the second floor,
is owned by Shanklin Austin. A
modern storage, tackle and bait
shop catering to anglers and
vacationists has been completed
and operated by Willie Newsome
during the current year.
The Outer Banks region has
experienced its best travel year
and the season is still underway
here with just about all accomo
dations taken by anglers coming
to the area to fish for channel
bass and other species.
So great has been the tourist
travel to the area this year that
plans are already under way to
have additional ferry service at
Oregon Inlet during the season
of 1954, it was stated by high
way officials.
WILLIS E. LEIGH OF
KRAMER BROS. DIES
Well known throughout the
Coastland was Willis E. Leigh,
an official of the Millwork firm
of Kramer Bros Co., who died
Sunday at 6 p. m at his home in
Elizabeth City. He was buried
Tuesday in Hollywood cemetery.
Mr. Leigh was a native of Tyr
rell County, the son of the late
Samuel E. and Ellen Brickhouse
Leigh, and the husband of Mrs.
Marguriete Leßoy Leigh. He had
one brother and two sisters and
was a member of the First Bap
tist Church.
AMIRICAN LEGION TO
MEET MQNDAY NIGHT
The Fort Raleigh Post of the
American Legion wil meet Mon
day night, November 30, in the
Waiichese school building at
seven o’clock, according to an
nouncement by Post Commander
James W. Davis, who urges that
all members attend. ,
WANCHESE MAN
DIST. GOVERNOR
RURITAN CLUBS
James W. Davis Advanced to
Head of Albemarle
District
For his vigorous work in be
half of Ruritan while Lieutenant)
Governor last year, James W. '
Davis of Wanchese was advanced i
to the Prseidency of Albemarle
Ruritan District in Hertford Fri
day night at the district conven
tion.
Mr. Davis, a retired Coast
Guard officer, was active during j
his term in the organization of
clubs at Hatteras and Avon, and i
in re-activating the Poplar
Branch Club. He is a charter
member and former Secretary-
Treasurer of the Wanchese Club.
Mr. Davis spoke briefly at the
Hertford meeting, pledging his
best efforts in the new office dur
ing the coming year.
PTA WILL SPONSOR
GRASS ROOTS OPERA
Bonnybel Evans Picture to Be
Hung in Primary Building
The November meeting of the
Manteo Parent Teacher Associa
tion was held Monday night in
the school auditorium, Mrs. Law-
I rence Swain presiding. Mrs. G.
G. Bonner led the devotional,
using a Thanksgiving theme.
A report from the treasurer
showed a net of $270.70 from the
Hallowe’en carnival.
It was voted to sponsor again
this year the appearance of the
Grass Roots Opera Company, the
opera “Carmen” being preferred
' at this time.
Two pictures have been ac
quired for the school, one for
grades 1-4, the other for grades
I 5-12, these to be used as parent
: attendance prizes. Mrs. Swain re-
• ported that the picture of Miss
• Bonnybel Evans has arrived and
> will be bung in the Bonnybel
> Evans primary school building
t' as soon as it is framed.
j A microscope for the science
II laboratory and a duplicating
■ I machine for the commercial de
. | partment are to be bought for
I the school, this' being voted on
[ after hearing from Mrs. W. S.
j Meekins of the science depart
, ment and Mrs. James of the
commercial department of the
pressing need for these items.
Mrs. John Earle, chairman of
the program on “Better Homes
Make Better Schools”, presented
Mrs. D. E. Evans, county super
intendent, who made an interest
ing talk on “An Ideal School”;
and Mrs. Van Ness Harwood,
who spoke on “Reading to Broad
en One’s Knowledge”. Mrs. Har
wood urged everyone to take ad
vantage of the wide selection of
books available in the Dare
County library.
During the social hour the
hostesses, Mrs. Charles Marshall
and Mrs. Vernon Davis, served
refreshments.
A 61-POUND BASS
CAUGHT AT OCRACOKE
Ocracoke. A sixty-one pound
channel bass was caught in Ocra- j
coke Inlet on Thursday, Novem- j
ber 12th, by Ernest M. Jordan of
Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Mr.
Jordan was fishing from the
Boat Greg with Capt. Stacy
Howard and Capt. Maltbyißragg.
He used a Penn Squidder Reel,
Montaque Glass Rod, 48 lb. test
Weston Hotstretch line. This is
Mr. Jordan’s fifth year offall 1
fishing at Ocracoke. He and Mrs.
Jordan stayed for a week at the
Wahab Village Hotel and it was
during his last day of fishing that
he made the prize catch. He
planned to enter it in the Field
& Stream contest. He took sev
eral pictures of the drum before
he and Mrs. Jordan left on Fri
day for New York.
MANNS HARBOR CLUB
PLANS PRIZE NIGHT
Ways and Means Chairman,
Mary Agnes Haywood of the
Manns Harbor Youth Club, states
that plans are under way for a i
“Grand Prize Night” to be staged
at the Community Building,
Tuesday, December 15. Prizes are
to be solicited from the local
business places and tickets will
be on sale by the club members
within a few days. The winner
of the turkey on “Guess the
Pumpkin Seed” contest will be
announced the same night. Pro
ceeds of this event will go to
ward completion of the Com
munity Building Project, which
the club has undertaken for the
current year;
PROGRESS RAPID NOW ON
50TH FLIGHT CELEBRATION
IN DARE, DECEMBER 14-17
Replicas of Buildings Used by Wright Broth
ers in 1903 Under Construction at Kill Devil
Hills; Scene Will Look Like The Memorable
Day 50 Years Ago.
By AYCOCK BROWN
With four sponsoring groups
co-operating to make it the big- i
gest celebration of its kind ever
held anywhere, the plans for the
golden anniversary of powered
flight here at Kill Devil Hills and
Kitty Hawk on December 14-17
are well underway. The sponsor
ing agencies and their leaders in
clude Kill Devil Hills Memorial '
Society of which General Frank ,
P. Lahm is president and Miles
L. Clark chairman of board of
directors; the Air Force Associa
tion, headed by George C. Ken
nedy with Ralph V. Whitener as '
program director; National Park ,
Service, directed by Conrad L.
Wirth with Horace Dough as
local superintendent of the
Wright Memorial area here and
the North Carolina 50th Anni
versary Commission headed by
Governor William B. Umstead
with Carl Goerch as chairman.
“The four day celebration at
Kill Devil Hills will salute all
phases of aviation,” said General
■Lahm. “Monday, December 14,
! will be private flyers and pioneer |
day. On Tuesday we will honor
I the aviation industry, the manu
facturers, suppliers and the air
lines. Wednesday will be defense
day and Thursday, December 17,
will be Golden Anniversary
) Da y”
General Lahm, (U. S. Army re-{
tired brigadier general) was a 1
close friend of the Wright Bro-I
thers and was taught to fly by i
them.
Whitener for the Air Force i
Association has announced that
there will be aerial demonstra
tions and ground exhibits on each '
of the four days.
“We will reenact the first I
flight on December 17, at the
same hour and over the same
course as it was done in 1903. ’
jsaid Whitener.
> Governor William B. Umstead
j assured representatives cf the
i sponsoring celebration agencies
that North Carolina would give
every support possible to make
the observance the most out
standing of its kind held any
where.
Carl Goerch, chairman of the
Governors 50th Anniversary
Flight Commission announced
that top-ranking state and ‘na
tional officials would be present
for the celebration.
Julian Oneto, ot the Nags
Head Chamber of Commerce has
announced that his organization
will be responsible for housing
visitors to the celebration.
Mrs. Lucille Purser and Oneto
of The Carolinian are chairmen
of the dinners, while local in
vitations to same will be handled
by committees headed by Mayor
Martin Kellogg, Jr., of Manteo
■ and C of C Manager Forrest
Jones of Elizabeth City. Lunch
eons are planned for each of the
four days with Notable speakers
on the program.
Co-Chairman of the publicity
and press facilities are Aycock
Brown of Dare County Tourist
Bureau and A. W. Drinkwater of
Manteo, the retired telegrapher
who in 1908 handled more than
. 40.000 words of press copy for,
newsmen covering the Wrights’
experimental flights at Kill Devil
Hills that year.
Arrangements for concessions
at the site of the celebration at
Kill Devil Hills are to be under
the supervision of Horace Dough
superintendent of the National
Memorial area.
The Civil Aeronautics Admin
istration will install an operations
set-up at nearby Manteo airport
to handle the great number of
visitors who will come to the
area by air and already arrange
ments have been made for trans
porting these visitors from the
airport to the site of the celebra
tion here, at Kitty Hawk and in
Nags Head.
Battlefield equipment herved a
peaceful purpose this week at i
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina,
birth place of powered flight. Dr.
J. C. Harrington and Frank ,
Barnes, Regional Archaeologist
and Regional Historian, respec
tively, of the Department of In
terior’s National Park Service, <
used a mine detector to locate the
exact spot on which Orville and i
Wilbur Wright had built two i
See CELEBRATION, Page Four i
Single Copy 7?
CURRITUCK MAN
LOST OVERBOARD
ON THANKSGIVING
Robert Cahoon, Harbinger
Contractor, Disappears
While Out Hunting
Robert Cahoon, 35, of Harbing
er, apparently drowned in Curri
tuck Sound shortly after 1 o’clock
Thursday afternoon and the
body had not been recovered
late Friday morning.
Cahoon, Bobby Cahoon, 14, his
son, and Melvin Matthews, his
brother-in-law, started out early
Thursday morning to hunt ducks.
Cohoon left the others at the
blind and went out in his out
board motor boat.
Thursday afternoon, Wallace
O’Neal of Aydlett saw a motor
boat with the engine still run
ning. The boat was turning round
and round in the water. O’Neal
and his son went to the empty
boat and managed to take it in
tow. The boat was later identi-
I fied as that Cahoon had been
using.
A search for the body in the
seven-foot water was begun im
mediately. Dragging operations
and a helicopter search failed to
produce the body at sundown.
The search was resumed Friday
morning.
Cahoon, a native of Virginia,
had spent the past 20 years in
i Currituck. He spent his early life
lin Tyrrell County. He was the
son of R. Vance and Mae Spencer
;Cohoon of Currituck County. He
i was the husband of Mrs. Erma
| Cahoon, a member of Gum Neck
i Christian Church and Coinjock
I Masonic Lodge. He was a mem
ber of the firm of R. V. Cahoon
and Son, building contractors at
Harbinger.
Surviving besides his wife, par
ents and Bobby is another son,
Johnny one brother, Dennis in
See CAHOON. Page Four
SPECIAL AIR MAIL
FLIGHTS DEC. 14-17
•let Planes To Fly Mail to Kitty
Hawk and Kill Devil Hills
from Dayton
Jet planes will fly special air
mail cachets to Kitty Hawk on
each of the four-aays of the
Golden Anniversary of Powered
Flight celebration at Kitty Hawk
and Kill Devil Hills on December
14-17, it is announced in Wash
ington by Ralph Whitener of the
Aid Force Association and nation
al coordinator of the event com
memorating the achievement of
Wilbur and Orville Wright, 50
years ago.
The American Air Mail Society
is sponsoring the cachets as col
lectors’ items.
An Air Force jet fighter plane
will carry the cachets on opening
day of the celebration, Monday,
December 14, from Dayton Ohio,
home of the Wrights to Kitty
Hawk, the birthplace of powered
flight. The flight will be made in
little more than one hour as com
pared to the four days it took
I the Wright Brothers to travel the
same distance from Dayton to
j Kitty Hawk in 1900, the first
j year they arrived on this coast to
begin experiments which led to
powered flight in their rugged
built plane the “Kitty Hawk,” in
1903.
The Dayton-Kitty Hawk cach
ets will be put on board the jet
plane at 8 A. M., during a spe
cial ceremony arranged by the
Wilbur and Orville Wright Mem
orial Squadron of the Air Force
Association. Norman Miller, Ohio
Wing Commander of the Associa
tion, at 11 West Monument
Street, Dayton 2, Ohio, will
handle all cachets mailed to him
by philatelists who want to have
their own cachets included in the
flight The air forces of
Canada and Great Britain have
been invited to fly cachets to
Kitty Hawk on two of the four
days of the celebration.
Helen M. Ross, P. O. Box 149,
Milburn, New Jersey, will es
tablish the rules for collecting the
cachets, and will receive and dis
tribute the cachets at Kitty
Hawk. Inquiries on cachets
should be addressed to Miss Ross,
it was stated.