XIII NO. 27
HIGH SPEED WORK
NABS AN ESCAPED
CONVICT IN DARE
Sheriff Cahoon Catches Man
Before He Is Missed
From Truck
Sheriff Frank Cahoon can chalk
up an unusual achievement. Wed
nesday, he nabbed an esacped con
vict almost before he got away.-
A 40-year-old long termer with
28 years to go, was observed jump
ing off a highway truck near the
home of Dennis Evans. Oliver Gil
bert refused to give the man a
ride, but reported *it promptly to
the Sheriff’s office.
Gilbert had seen the man get
into Lloyd Midgett’s taxi near the
Manteo stoplight. Sheriff Cahoon
learned from Midgett that the
convict had gone to the El Gay
restaurant at Nags Head, and
promptly got there, and captured
him. He was found drunk and full
of fight. Sheriff Cahoon and Pa
trolman Holt got him under con
trol. They were able to report the
capture of the man to the High
way guards who were on their
way Lak io Cun Luck before they
we e ?.ya~2 that he had escaped.
Th? —?.??? ~zz z~z c* a group
of cmvieis returning to prison
camp after a day’s work in the
Manns Harbor vicinity.
NIGHT HUNTERS IN
DARE APPREHENDED
WITH DEP. SHERIFF
When Federal wardens swooped
down in Dare County and rounded
up some eight men charged with
hunting unlawfully at night on the
beach near Nags Head, they in
cluded in their list Dare County
Deputy Sheriff and Justice of the
Pea<;e, Donnie Twyne of Manteo,
and refused to respect his detailed
explanation that he was an officer
of the law himself, and had a right
to be there. Included in this group
were a number of teen-agers from
Manteo. Some of the men contend
ed they were not hunting but were
only waiting to give others a ride
home. Some were apprehended
with game, while others are said
to have been able to stash their
away, and return for it later.
Included in the raid were Twyne,
Tillett, Jr., W. B. Fearing,
Jr., Charles Midgett, Edward Eth
eridge and Merle Meekins, Jr., of
Manteo; Earl Tillett and Luther
Midgett of Wanchese. A ninth boy
got away and his companions de
clared from the speed he put on
while running, he can enter the
long distance races.
The group will be arraigned be
fore a U. S. Commissioner and if
probable cause is found, will be
bound over to Federal Court.
MANY VISIT BUILDINGS
AT KILL DEVIL HILLS
Kill Devil Hills. Since the
National Park Service officially
dedicated the reconstructed
hangar and camp buildings at the
Wright Brothers National Mem
orial here on December 14, thou
sands of visitors have seen the
structures and the interiors
which have been refurnished ex
actly as old pictures showed the
structures when Wilbur and, Or
ville Wright were here 50 years
ago to achieve their conquest of
the air in powered flight.
The magnificent Memorial
Monument atop Kill Devil Hill
has taken second place tempor
arily in popularity among visitors.
That is probably because of dis-*
comfort one experiences in climb
ing to the top of bleak grass
covered Kill Devil Hills. The
hangar and quarters buildings
may be reached by autos using
the north drive of the National
Memorial reservation, which
leads to the granite boulder
marking the exact site of the
first flight on December 17, 1903.
Horace Dough, superintendent
of the area stated today that De
cember 1953 would make a new
record for number of visitors at
the first flight site here. This
will be due to the fact that from
December 14 through December
17, thounsands of persons from
all parts of the nation and world
* attended the 50th Anniversary of
Powered Flight in a gala and ex
** citing golden ceremony. Despite
extremely cold weather, more
than 10,000 persons have visited
the area during the current
month, according to estimates.
PARKER FAMILY HAS
REUNION AT WANCHESE
The Parker family of Wanchese
held its annual Christmas reunion
on Sunday, December 27, at the
home of Mr a.nd Mrs. Marvin
Parker in Wanchese. Approx
imately 50 people were present
for the noon-day meal, and 19 for
the evening meal. *
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
fl mF ” • ■'■■■' ' '••• - ' z'S ‘
I'rffe- < ■ 7 • 7 ■ M ■ ■
.... ■ wflw?
J - , ? • ... ’Olr ' *
'J? • VW?. . ' '
i’ s 12 7- IFII wkl? s
' ;■ v?;«':{■ ' Wll'kMg . £■/**.■ i ‘ V> <’ ■- >• <„■*;. ■.. ft. . - ,-’>j— - < z • ’ "
THE BEAUTY AND HISTORY
OF DARE COUNTY coastland is
lavishly portrayed in a recently
completed mural by Mitchell
Jamieson, in the magnificient new
General Accounting office in the
Nation’s Capital. It is the fruit of
the love and affection borne for
this area by Hon. Lindsay War
ren the Comptroller General. The
artist developed the mural from
ideas of Mr. Warren, and visited
the scenes he portrayed. It is a
fine piece of recognition for this
KITTY HAWK MAN HAS
SERIOUS LEG INJURY
Curtis Gray of Kitty Hawk sus
tained the loss of his left leg just
below the knee as the result
a shotgun wound while hunt*. a
rabbits near Kitty Hawk Monday
afternoon. He was in company
with Clarence Parker and Tom
Sawyer of Belcross and Ed Hum
phries of Moyock, and C. P. Prit
chard and Lloyd Hofler.
He is being treated in Albe
marle Hospital, Elizabeth City.
EDLA EARLY TO GIVE
CONCERT DECEMBER 8
Miss Edla Early will present her
first concert since. her return a
month ago to her American home
from Italy on Friday evening, De
cember 8. at 8:15 in the auditorium
of the S. L. Sheep school in Eliza
beth City. Miss Early has been
studying for the past two years
in Italy, having won a scholarship
after her graduation from Greens
boro College. Her career has been
followed closely by many interest
ed friends in this section of North
Carolina. She is the daughter of
Charles Early of Norfolk, Va., and
the late Mrs. Early, who formerly
were residents of eastern North
Carolina.
Tickets will be on sale at the
door, or can be obtained in ad
vance by writing the Elizabeth
City Chamber of Commerce. The
sponsoring organization is the
Elizabeth City P.T.A.
9-WEEKS OLD DAUGHTER
DIES AT AVON WEDNESDAY
Wendy Jean Hooper, nine
weeks old daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Erskine B. Hooper, died
Wednesday night at the family
residence in Avon.
Besides her parents, Erskine B.
and Doris Jean Atkinson Hooper,
she is survived by a brother, Er
skine B. Jr., her maternal grand
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley
Grybeck, and her paternal grand
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ulysses
Hooper.
The body was taken from the
Twiford Funeral Home in Hat
teras, to the family residence in
Avon where funeral services
were conducted Friday at 2 p.m.
by the Rev. P. M. Porter, pastor
of Avon Methodist Church.
Burial was in the family plot at
Avon.
CORRECTION
In the December 25 issue of
The Coastland Times it was erron
eously stated that the door decora
tion contest was sponsored by the
Roanoke Island Garden Club. The
Home Demonstration Club was the
sponsoring organization. •
DARE COUNTY COASTLINE AND HISTORY DEPICTED LAVISHLY IN GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE
great and historic section, to be
thus depicted in a large Govern
ment building. Mr. Warren is ex
tremely happy, he said this week,
that this section is forever per
petuated thus, and he got much
personal joy in seeing placed in
oils in the main conference room
of his office so many reminders
of the section he dearly loves.
A smaller mural in an adjoin
ing office will depict the Dutch
tulip fields of Mr. Warren’s na
tive Beaufort County.
Os the Dare County Mural, Mr.
Warren says:
YEAR-ROUND PLENTY
TAKES DELIGHT AWAY
FROM CHRISTMAS NOW
(Carlton Morris in Gates County
Index).
At this time of the year, the
main occupation of we oldtimers
is sitting around and telling any
one who will take the time to
listen about the vast difference
in Christmas now and a few
years ago.
To hear us tell it, Christmas of
long ago was so far ahead of the
present time that we just don’t
have it any more. Such is not the
case. We are just getting older
and naturally look back with nos
taligia on things of the past.
Christmas is still a wonderful
time of the year, when it is cele
brated right.
I do not contend that most
children miss out on the real
pleasure of the season, for they
have so much during the year
that they are unable to get any
thrill out of anything at Christ
mas. Nine days before that day
of days, my oldest son, who is 11,
, has been unable to decide on any
particular gift for himself and
when he doqs decide, changes his
I mind on an average of once a
day. Every program on TV shows
various gifts and he changes with
each program. •
When I was a lad, which has
been a long time ago, we started
' preparing for Christmas several
weeks in advance by practicing
for church programs. We would
go into the woods and bring out
holly berries, moss and cedar and
decorate the schools and church
es. Christmas Eve night we
would all gather at the church
and the children would stand up
and recite poems and sing songs.
No one understood them but their
proud parents, but since every
parent there had one or more
children on the program, every
body was happy.
When the program was over,
in would come one of the neigh
bors dressed like Santa and all
the younger kids would get a big
thrill out of just seeing the old
fellow. Small gifts would be
taken from under the tree and
passed out by some of the older
girls, who were so dressed up
they were almost unrecognizable.
After a while it was time to go
home and away we would all go
in the cold night time. Sent to
bed as soon as we reached home,
we thought that the next day
would never arrive, but despite
our best efforts to stay awake,
we would soon be asleep, al
though nervous tension would
arouse every kid in the neighbor
hood long before daybreak and
out of bed we would scramble.
The gifts left by Santa were al-
See DELIGHT, Page Four
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 1954
“The mural depicts the res
t I Ft. Raleigh, the cradle re
p. .enting Virginia Dare (I wish
so much the artist had put a baby
in the cradle as I suggested):
copies of Governor White’s draw
ings; the tree with the word
CROATOAN; the Atlantic Ocean
in a storm; the Dare County
courthouse; Kill Devil Hill and
the Wright Memorial; the Oregon
Inlet Coast Guard station; first
flight and plane; a fisherman’s
cottage with the nets hung out to
dry; gulls; a large piece of drift
wood; shells on the beach; Pea
|BENJ. F. CAHOON, 75,
DIES CHRISTMAS DAY
Benjamin Franklin Cahoon, 75,
a native of Gum Neck but a
resident of Roanoke Island for
the past 50 years, died Christmas
day at 11:30 a. m. following a
long illness, at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. A. H. Ward in
Manteo. He was the husband of
the late Mamie Daniels Cahoon.
His parents were the late Ben
jamin F. and Sarah Meekins Ca
hoon of Tyrrell County. He was
one of the best known and most
highly regarded citizens of Ro
anoke Island. He was a retired
fisherman. He had resided at
Wanchese until about 12 years
ago when he came to Manteo to
make his home with Mrs. Ward,
his only child. He is survived
also by three grandchildren: Lt.
Alvah Ward, Jr., USA, Miss Leila
Ward and Mrs. Brantley Brown.
He was a member of the Wan
chese Methodist Church.
The funeral services were con
ducted December 26 at the grave
side in Manteo Cemetery by Rev.
H. R. Ashmore and Rev. C. W.
Guthrie of Manteo and Wanchese
churches. »
A solo, “The Lord’s Prayer”
was sung by Rev. Phillip Quid
ley, “Abide with Me” was sung
by the Manteo Church choir. Pall
bearers were old neighbors and
close friends: W. Crowder Tillett,
M. L. Daniels, H. L. Davis, Ed
ward C. Green, Marvin Mann and
D. V. Meekins.
HIGH TIDES ON
THE FISHING GROUNDS
OREGON INLET FOR JAN.
A.M. P.M.
Friday 1 4:15 4:28
Saturday 2 5:03 5,18
Sunday 3 5:49 6:02
Monday 4 6:32 6:47
Tuesday 5 7:16 7:31
Wednesday 6 7:58 8:17
Thursday 7 8:42 9:03
Friday 8 9:28 9:51
Saturday 9 10:15 10:43
Sunday 10 11:06 11:39
Monday 11 12:01
Tuesday 12 0:41 1:01
Wednesday 13 1:47 2:06
Thursday 14 2:54 3:15
Friday 15 4:00 4:20
Saturday 16 5:00 5:23
Sunday 17 5:54 6:12
Monday 18 6:43 7:00
Tuesday 19 7:27 7:45
Wednesday 20 8:08 8:28
Thursday 21 8:46 9:08
Friday 22 9:23 9:50
Saturday 23 9:59 10:28
Sunday 24 10:36 11:10
Monday 25 11:15 11:55
Tuesday 26 11:59
Wednesday 27 0:44 12:50
Thursday 28 1:39 1:49
Friday 29 2:37 2:50
Saturday 30 3:34 3:51
Sunday 31 4:29 4:45
—Photo by Abbie Rowe, Courtesy National Park Service.
Island Snow Goose Refuge; the
ocean in a calmer mood with an
old wreck on the beach; the
wreck of the George A. Kohler,
now destroyed; Jockey’s Ridge'
and sand dunes; Pamlico Sound
and fish houses and fishing boats;
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse; sea
oats and willets on the beach. I
understand that there is a well
known Irish whisky named
Jamieson. In the lower right
hand corner a bottle is washed
up on the beach and the artist
has placed his name on it.”
The Chairman of the Com-
RINGS TUNES ON GIANT
DUKE CARILLON BELLS
ROMAN LEE PATRICK
It delights us to follow the
career of our young people of the
Coastland. It’s a thrill to know
that in so many of them is the
foundation for greatness, as
among other people we read
about. Ours are no less great be
cause they are close home. Some
years ago at an Engelhard Com
mencement we were delighted
with the accordion performances
of this fellow, when a small lad.
We got equal or greater pleasure
in reading in an issue of some
weeks ago of the Duke University
Chronicle, that this same fellow
was playing tunes on the giant
bells of the University Carillon,
and taking the place of the in
ternationally famous Anton
Brees, when he goes to the Bok
Tower in Florida for the winter
season.
Not many weeks ago, we stood
under the beautiful Bok Singing
Tower at Mountain Lake, Florida,
and meditated upon the genius
that went into its making, and
the generosity of the Dutch Im
migrant who rose to wealth and
fame in America, and in dying,
gave to Florida and the Nation
this masterpiece of beauty and
service.
Well, young Roman Patrick is
a medical student at Duke with
two more years to go, but he can
find his fame in at least two di
rections, if he should choose. He
will have to be the judge of
which one will lead him to great
service to his people. He may
give ease and bring healing to
aching bodies, or he may through
his music, lift the downhearted,
comfort the desperate and inspire
the zealous to greatness too. May
be he can pursue both ways with
success. We don’t doubt it. Any
way, her is what the Duke paper
See PATRICK, Page Two
mision of Fine Arts has written
Mr. Warren a highly congratula
tory letter on this mural by
Mitchell Jamieson. “It was a
happy coincidence,” he said,
"That the commision could in
spect the painting with you on
the 50th anniversary of the his
torical flight of the Wright Broth
ers at Kitty Hawk.”
Mr. Warren explained the
scenes in detail. It is of interest
that the entire membership of the
Fine Arts Commission visited the
office in a body to view the
mural.
I BIRD CLUB MEETING
AT NAGS HEAD SOON
By AYCOCK BROWN
Nags Head. Members of the
Carolinas’ Bird Club will arrive
here on New Years Day and on
January 2 will have a field day
in the marshlands of the Outer
Banks generally and Pea Island
National Wildlife Refuge in par
ticular. The Carolinian will' be
headquarters for one of the
members on the North Carolina
coast.
Bob Wolff of Greenville, here
recently to help complete plans
for the field day and meeting,
stated that up to 125 persons may
attend. Already L. B. Turner,
manager of Pea Island National
Wildlife Refuge is making ar
rangements to take care of the
large group.
NORTHEASTERN CANCER
CLINIC POSTPONED WEEK
The Northeastern Cancer Clinic
will be postponed from its usual
time of the first Friday in each
month until January 8, 1954 be
cause the Health Department will
not be open on January 1 as is its
custom. The Clinic will be held
Friday, January Bth, 1954 in
Elizabeth City, N. C. at the
health Center with registration
beginning at 1:00, Mrs. W. W.
Finlator, clerk, announces. A free
chest X-ray will be given anyone I
who wishes it along with the ex-1
amination of the five areas of the
body where Cancer is most easily
found and cured. No appointment
is necessary but a priority may be
secured by writing the Cancer
Center, Elizabeth City, for one.
Please bring a robe or housecoat
with you.
SWAN QUARTER SEAMAN
RATED AS STOREKEEPER
Washington, D. C. (FHTNC)—
The Bureau of Naval Personnel
has announced that it is an ad
vancement in rating for Dwain
H. Mason, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Nathanial S. Mason of Route 1,
Swan Quarter, N. C., to store
keeper second class, USN, while
serving aboard the destroyer USS
Zellars.
The advancement came as a re
sult of a world wide competitive
written test which consisted of
questions testing military and
professional skills.
To be eligible for the written
quiz, Naval personnel had to ex
hibit proficiency in the on-the
job phases of their ratings.
Single Copy 7#
“OLD CHRISTMAS”
CELEBRATION AT
RODANTHE JAN. 5
Only Place in Country Still
Honoring Old Custom
In Coastland
Rodanthe. Christmas comes
twice each year to Rodanthe and
Waves, here on Hatteras Island,
and the second observance of
January 5, is one that has been
celebrated through the centuries,
or since the Outer Banks of
North Carolina was first settled
more than three hundred and
fifty years ago. There are other
places in the world where an
“Old Christmas” is celebrated on
January 6 or Twelfth Night and
the Epiphany, but nowhere else
is the second observance follow
ing the modern Yuletide on Jan
uary 5.
The Rodanthe citizens who ad
here to the custom are not sure
why January 5 is their “Old
Christmas” although present gen
erations observe that date, just
as their ancestors through the
years celebrated the occasion on
the fifth day of the New Year.
They will agree that the date of
their Old Christmas celebration
falls on the Eve of Epipfiany and
they will also accept the Twelfth
Night theory as a reason'for the
custotA but the more logical
and generally accepted explana
tion of why January 5 is their
old Christmas date goes back to
the 16th Century and the days of
Pope Gregory XIII who revised
the old Julian Calendar in use for
centuries prior to that time.
It was not until the mid-17th
Century that England and her
colonies adopted the Gregorian
Calendar, and then from the Eng
lish-speaking people there was
much dissention. It meant the
loss of 11 days when the New
Style Calendar was adopted.
Thus Christmas which had been
universally observed by English
peoples came 11 days earlier or
the December 25th of our present
I day. It was years before the New
Christmas was universally ob-
J served. In recent years, during
the current Century as a matter
of fact, the people of Rodanthe
and Waves began observing New
Christmas, but they also cele
brate on January 5, the tradi
tional Yultide of their ancestors.
Mythological Angle
There is one phase of Old
Christmas Celebration here
which has a mythological aspect.
That is the traditional “Old
Buck” the mad bull of Trent
Woods which shows up at every
celebration. There is always an
“Old Buck” attending the Ro
danthe-Waves Old Christmas
party, parties which include re
ligious phases, a Christmas tre«
and gift-giving, dancing and carol
singing.
Some believe that “Old Buck”
was injected into Old Christmas
celebrations here by a ship
wrecked Scandinavian, because
the Norse in their mythology had
a bovine beast at the celebrations.
Here the “Old Buck” is not a live
bull, but one crudely and comic
ally constructed from the skull
of a Banker “cattle-beaste” and
a body of cow hide beneath
which one would upon examina
tion find human propellation.
Already plans are underway to
make the Old Christmas celebra
tion of 1954 the greatest in the
history of the community. This
will be made possible because
paved roads now connect the
communities of Hatteras Island
and where is used to take hours
of travel over roadless beaches
to reach the community, the trip
today from any village on Hat
teras Island can be made in a
matter of minutes.
Responsible for the celebration
this year which will include the
Christmas tree, religious services,
carol singing and Old Buck will
be the Midgetts, the Herberts, the
O’Neals and all other families of
the community. After this phase
of the celebration there will be a
square dance in R. D. Oken’s new
motel, The Chicamacomico, half
way between Rodanthe and
Waves.
MRS. CATHERINE PERRY
KITTY HAWK POSTMASTER
Mrs. Catherine Perry of Kitty
Hawk took office December 31
as postmaster at Kitty Hawk suc
ceeding, Mrs. Hettie M. Baum
retired, according to V. G. Wil
liams, Dare County Republican
chairman. Mrs. Carson Meekins
will continue as assistant. The
new postmaster is the wife of
Lee Perry, and has resided in
Kitty Hawk for the past 11 years.
She is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Allen H. Hayman of Point
Harbor.