North Carolina Newspapers

V r E XIX NO. 34 1 Q S. MEEKINS LIVED BUSY LIFE 4-SCORE YEARS 7S ~ Pioneer , 3alt<, of Dare County Born ...ay 1870, Dies Feb. 11. Death claimed Theo. S. Meek ins Friday afternoon, February 11th, following an illness of nearly two weeks. He was Man teo’s oldest active business man. He would have been 84 years old May 21 next. His passing ended the eventful career of a man who had been a busy man all his life. During his career, he had held many public offices, he had been a leading merchant of the county, had been a building contractor, and operator of freight and pas senger boats and mail routes, a school teacher, a fisherman and at one time built an ice plant at Manteo. At the time of his death, he was an active real estate and insurance man, and he was per haps most widely known for his extensive career as a real estate developer. He was suddenly taken ill about 12 days before his death and died in Albemarle Hospital, Elizabeth City, Friday afternoon last week. Theodore Stockton Meekins was bom at Rodanthe, May 21, 1870, the oldest son of the late Luke Mark and Elizabeth Emily Douglas Meekins. He attended the common schools of Dare County six months, and a private school for four months, yet ac quired enough education that he once served as a teacher at Kin nekeet during the summer months of his young manhood. In 1896-98 he served as a Jus tice of the Peace. He removed to Manteo following a period as a surfman 1890-98 in the former U. S. Life Saving Service ,and went into business in 1898 with the late Richard C. Evans, under the firm name of Evans and Meekins, General Store. He serv ed as Clerk of the Superior Court of Dare County 1898-1907, and was N. C. Fisheries Commissioner 1907-11. H< U. S. Migratory Game Ins r Virginia, West Vir- gin Jk ,h Carolina, South Care ad Georgia, 1914-1918. He was Assitant Fisheries Com missioner 1918-1924. Commis sioner Town of Manteo, 1927-29; Member Dare County Board of Education 1831-33. He served a year of an unexpired term as Clerk of Superior Court in 1926 but did not run for re-election. He was followed in this office by C. S. Meekins. He represented Dare County in the House two terms 1945 and 1947. He served as Trustee and Steward of Mount Olivet Meth odist Church, Manteo for 15 years, and as District Steward for two years. Mr. Meekins was one of the most active of the group of Man- See MEEKINS, Page Four FOUR CASES TRIED IN RECORDER’S COURT Court Lasting 30 Minutes Tries Four Cases, Sends Two to Roads for 60 Days Dare County Recorder’s Court Tuesday afternoon lasted not much more than thirty minutes. William J. Midgett, Jr., brought into court to show that he had complied with a previous judgment for the support of his chlidren, was found to be $750 in arrears. He requested to be allowed to tell his story to the judge and prosecuting attorney in private, or have the courtroom cleared, which Judge Baum re fused to allow. Midgett said that he did not want to run anybody in the hole in public, and that was what his story would do. He was allowed a couple of davs to get $l2O to pay on the amount due by the previous court ruling for the support of his children. Otherwise he would have to carry out a 60 day sentence on the roads. St. Clair Basnight, charged with sideswiping Johnny Krider, failed to appear. Basnight was to hav' •» put under a S2OO ap in .fV. ext Tuesday. He was re f . in court by Wallace Gr. * George Edward Pledger, Ne gro, was found guilty of failing to comply with a court order for the support of his illegitimate child. He was sentenced to 60 days on the roads. Joseph Daniels, Negro, who ap peared under a capias, was also found guilty of non-compliance with a previous court order for the support of his children. He was supposed to have been mak ing payments of sl2 per week but was in arrears s2ll. His sen tence was 60 days on the roads. THE COASTEAND TIMES PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA DARE REPRESENTATIVE WITH COLINGTON’S OLDEST MAN BT • I r, * I Hon. R. Bruce Etheridge with John Hawkins Meekins, 85, oldest man on Colington. (See story). John Hawkins Meekins, Colington’s Oldest Man, 85 Years Old Feb. 13 Recalls Many Things of the Days Gone By—Cold Win ters, Beaches Covered With Tali Pines and Berries By Roger Meekins John Hawkins Meekins, Colling ton’s oldest man, celebrated his 85th birthday Saturday, February 13, and many of his friends and relatives dropped by to pay their respects. Among those there were the three children: Mrs. Robana Toler, Mrs. Evelyn Haywood, and Mr. and Mrs. John Oscar Meekins and son; also, Rep. Bruce Ether idge, Leven Stetson of Manteo; Mr. and Mrs. Barney_ Midgett of Kill Devil Hills; Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Toler and daughter, and Clara Faye Haywood of Broad Creek Village, Norfolk; Sarah Hill, Mrs. Aldine Hayes, and Edith Tol er. John Hawkins Meekins was born at Chicamicomico February 13, 1869, the son of Matilda Frances Midgett and Anthony Meekins. Soon after that his parents moved up to Nags Head and then Coling ton. He has followed the water all his life. • • When he was 11 years old, John Hawkins started fishing, and for 22 springs he set long nets for the run of shad. At 12, he took charge of a boat at the salary of $3 per month. “There wasn’t much money around back in those days,” Mr. Meekins recalls. “Things were cheap, but there wasn’t any money to buy with. I believe people got more enjoyment out of life then— you hardly ever saw anybody with any money.” That was way back before the turn of the century. Chub were selling for 5 cents per pound, rock from 5 to 8 cerits, and shad brought about 10 cents. Herrings weren’t worth anything, but the people salted them for their own use. There was no market for crabs. Sometimes a thousand salted her-' rings could be sold for $3-$5. Ice then came from somewhere up north, cut in blocks from the riv ers and shipped south. It was kept between layers of sawdust in pack ing houses, and lasted a long time. Today there is not one hog, sheep, or cow on Colington Island, but John Hawkins recalls when the people raised just about every thing they needed to live on. They killed and salted their own meat, had plenty of milk and made their own butter, had big gardens and raised vegetables the year round. “There was plenty of game in the woods then, and ten thousand geese and ducks were around here every winter, but it’s seldom that you see one now,” Mr. Meekins re called. “Why,” he went on, “it used to be that you could kill and sell all the game you wanted to, but now it seems that everything you do is a violation of the law unless you’ve got a license.” When he was 23 years old, John Hawkins married Miss Sally Shan non of Manteo, and last December 27 she was 88 years old. The mail used to come into Col ington by sailboat once a day, and sometimes twice. There were no gas engines around then. The sail boat sailed from Powells Point in to Kitty Hawk Colington, Nags Head, and then Manteo, and made the return trip by the same route. Mr. Meekins himself once ran a freight route to Elizabeth City, but did not run the mail. Passenger fare on the mailboat to Elizabeth City was less than 50 cents. Mr. Meekins also hauled gas from Elizabeth City to Manteo for sev eral years. Bodie Island beach, where Mr. Meekins spent some part of his early life, used to be covered with tall pine trees. Today there is not a blade of grass on some of that land. He also remembers visits back to Chicamicomico, or now Rodanthe, which was then covered with trees. Now there is only myr tle bushes and wire grass. He re calls that the men traveling in the boats up and down the beach would sometimes stop to pick berries in the woods. Today there are no berries—and no woods. Severe storms which washed salt water in to the once beautiful woods killed the flora. Mr. Meekins has seen quite a number of storms in his day .“I saw a storm once," he said, “that if it was to happen again there wouldn’t be a building left stand ing on Nags Head. For three weeks afterwards you couldn’t drive a horse and cart across the beach. Why, some people even had to row a skiff across the beach from the station to get to their homes on the soundside.” Many times he has seen the sound frozen over, and he has walked from Colington to Kitty See OLDEST, Page Four MUCH BUILDING IS UNDERWAY IN NAGS HEAD AREA State’s Oldest Ocean Resort Continues To Develop On All Sides By Aycock Brown Nags Head—This ocean resort area which embraces the newly in corporated town of Kill Devil Hills, the flight famous community of Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores and the northernmost acreage of America’s first oceanside National Park, the Cape Hatteras Seashore ‘Recreational Area is currently ex periencing its most rapid develop ment. The Dare County tax ap praisal office listed almost 1,200 structures in the Nags Head re gion as of January 1, 1954. Since January 1, work has started on many new houses, ranging from vacationists’ cot tages, to new units for motels and hotels, all of which will be ready before the peak tourist and vaca tion season begins this year. The official county listing in cludes only cottages, business firms, hotels and tourist or motor courts. Majority of the cottages also have garages, some with apartments and other out build ings. More than 400 of the new struc tures have been built during the past two years as the last survey of buildings made by the Dare County Tourist Bureau showed less than 800 buildings in the area. The cun-ent survey includes the soundside villages of Kitty Hawk, Avalon Beach And Nags Head but does not take in Colingtoh Is lands, nor the village of Duck which is now connected with the beach developments by paved high ways. Neither does the survey in clude Hatteras Island and its com munities where scores of build ings to care for tourists and vaca tionists have been completed with in the past two years. ANNOUNCES FOR HOUSE Hon. R. Bruce Etheridge of Manteo this week announces his candidacy for another term as Representative of Dare County in the General Assembly. He has served the past two terms, and several terms prior. He formerly served in the State Senate in the early 1900’s. He served as N. C. Director of Conservation and De velopment for 16 years. MANTEO, N. C. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1954 OREGON INLET FERRY STICKS ON SAND BAR f By Ben Dixon Mac Neill Uncommonly low tides with a westerly wind, a thick fog, a compass three points off, and a broken steering cable extended the nine o’clock northbound trip of the Oregon Inlet ferry until late afternoon Tuesday when ris ing tide and the continued haul ing of the Oregon Inlet U. S. Coast Guard crew arid the idle Oregon Inlet ferry got the craft pried loose and into deep water that seemed very deep and wel come after a day in water that ranged from no inches at all to a little more than knee deep, measured by the leg of Theodore Stockton Midgett, driving the Hatteras bus. Even Capt. Pam Gallup, in charge of the run, and who us ually looks with a somewhat jaundiced eye upon all that is within sight commented upon the fine state of the weather when he pulled away from the ramp on the south side of the Inlet—and within ten minutes he was lost, hard aground and with a futile steering wheel in his hands when the big cable leading to the rud der broke where somebody had once welded it ineffectively. But his radio worked and with in a minute or so he had Capt. John Wilson, superintendent of ferries in this territory, on the air and within a few minutes more there could be heard the roar of the engine of the U. S. Coast Guard rescue boat taking off from the Oregon Inlet station dock. For a minute or two it sounded as if it would be there in another minute or two and then it was lost in the fog. So thick was the fog and so shallow the water that it went aground before reaching the marooned ferry. But after a little it showed up, coming cau tiously through the murk, with Bos’n Mate Edward Midgett at the wheel and Seamen Tillett and Scarborough at the lookout, lines ready. Meantime Gallop and Joe Davenport, the Highway Depart ment’s miracle man bulldozer man had spliced the cable to the rudder. Bos’n Midgett got a line aboard and Gallup opened his throttles, all three of them. The ferry continued in place and the Coast Guard parted hawsers. At noon Bos’n Midgett removed the bus passengers and some others who were brought to Manteo by Scotty Gibson, who had been waiting for a chance to get across the Inlet and home to Hatteras. Throughout the day the Coast Guard stood by and shortly after noon Captain Wilson arrived with a crew that could do little for the stranded ferry. But noth ing but a rising tide and a chang ing wind could promise any help to the marooned people aboard the foundered ferry. They went dinnerless. “CARMEN” WILL BE PRESENTED IN MANTEO Grass Roots Opera Company To Give Two Performances March 5 Grass Roots Opera, the North Carolina institution that has de veloped an international reputa tion, is to return to Manteo on March 5 in 2 performances of Cartnen, it is announced by Mrs. Lawrence Swain, president of the sponsoring organization, the Maneto P.T.A. This unque travel ing group, formed in 1948 by A. J. Fletcher, Raleigh attorney and business man, to give aspiring singers an opportunity to perfect their art before the footlights and give the public a chance to hear opera in English, was last heard here in the opera DON PASQUALE. Grass Roots Opera, which is admisistrated by the Extension Division of the University of North Carolina in cooperation with the North Carolina Feder ation of Music Clubs, has pre sented over two hundred perfor mances of opera in this state since the first performance dur ing the 1949-50 season. All per formances are sung in English. The roster of singers for the 1953-54 season includes some of the nation’s finer younger voices. The young artists come from In diana, Ohio, Virginia, Texas, lowa and Missouri in addition to North Carolina. The Tar Heel singers are from Weldon, Green ville and Raleigh. Mri. Aileen Lynn, well known Raleigh pianist, will again head the staff of accompanists. A na tive of Tennessee, Mrs. Lynn is the wife of J. T. Lynn of the fa culty of State College in Raleigh. ’ Robert Bird is Director of the, group. HATTERAS SCHOOL SITE SOUGHT BY EDUCATION BOARD Ten Acres Sought Opposite Methodist Church in Buxton The Dare County Board of Education Tuesday night meeting in Manteo voted approval of ac quisition of ten acres of land for the erection of the long delayed high school for Hatteras Island, and for condemnation of the land if agreement cannot be reached with the owners who are said to be opposed to the sale of the property. The land is a 14-acre tract owned by the heirs of the late George T. Bailey, and who now live in Ohio. The two members of the Board, Roy Gray of Hatteras and Ellis Gray of Avon declined to vote either way on the subject. The State officials are said to have approved this site, and will approve no site of less than ten acres. The county has available from State School bond money about SIBO,OOO to build this school but erection of it has been held up for almost four years following a dispute between various citizens as to its location. This dispute has cost the children of Hatteras Is land the benefit of a modem school all these years, and some loss in the difference in what the money would have bought then, and will buy now. MANTEO AIRPORT ‘BOMBED’ ON TUESDAY NIGHT The 4400 Tactical Bombardment Group stationed at Langley Field, Va., staged a practice bombing raid on the Manteo Airport Tues day night, February 16, from about 6:30 until 1 a.m. The airplanes dropped no bombs, but merely were recorded as to the accuracy with which they arrived over the “target,” according to scheduled time and position. This practice mission was part of a training program in 826 light tactical bombers. They came over the air port at about five minute intervals and reported their position when over target. An Air* Force C 47 was sent down with three crewmen aboard to record the accuracy of the bombers. The crew was: Capt. E. R. Kleinhans, Ist Lt. G. F. Gorman, and Sgt. D. E. Bonnette. FIFTY YEARS OF WEDDED BLISS AT RODANTHE ■ % ' Mg/ f HL - w bfrS 'x ' • 'OH™ KU S&ua HAPPINESS has been the lot of Mr. and Mrs. James Frank Meek ins of Rodanthe, whose entire life has been spent in the area where their home stands, save for oc casional trips to towns in N. C. and Virginia to visit relatives and friends. They have proved one may be happy without travelling a long way from home. On Jan. 31 they observed their Golden Wedding anniversary, at which 169 people called, which is no small number for a community the size of Rodanthe. There were visitors from' all seven villages on Hatteras Island. They received many valuable gifts. The party was attended by their children, and grandchildren, and their seven great-grandchildren. By the sisters of Mrs. Meekins, and the sisters of Mr. Meekins: Mrs. Margaret Midgett, Mrs. Viola Midgett, Ara E. Meekins, Mrs. Eliza Gould of Manteo, Mrs. Rowena Midgett of Wanchese, and Mrs. Lurania Midgett of Ro danthe. By Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Meekins, their son and daughter in-law and their daughter, Mrs. Blanche Willis of Beaufort. Mrs. Willis Children: Mrs. Pauline Willis, Mrs. Eileen Hill, Glenn Willis, Jr., and Louis Pierson Willis also attended. Mrs. Pauline Willis’ children attending were as follows: Harriet Elizabeth, Harry Alton and Baby Donna. Mrs. Hill’s children attending were as follows: Iva Fay and Glenda, and G. B. Jr’s Susan FRIENDS FETE C. MANN ON HIS 78th BIRTHDAY (, ■ O’- CHARLES WILSON MANN, of Manns Harbor, better known as, Charlie Wilson, to everyone, cele brated his 78th birthday at a dinner given in his honor by his children, at the old home at Manns Harbor Sunday February 7th. Mr. Mann has nine children living and 25 grandchildren, most of them living in Dare County, where he has spent most of his life ,and says he intends to spend the rest of it. His age Seems to have nothing to do with his ac tivity, since he is one of the most active men in his community. You will always find him at church on Sunday ,at club meet ings during the month and ready to go to any meetings any where if it is to benefit his community. At his age, he is not building for himself, but for those that will follow after him, he explains. Here’s hoping he will be with us many years to come. Those attending the birthday celebration for Mr. Mann were: Mr .and Mrs. James Mann and son, Jimmie, Mr .and Mrs. Stan ford White and sons, Ray, Stan, and Wade, Mr. and Mrs. Huff Mann and children, Ormand, Maggie, Murray and Sylvia, Miss Linda Gaskill of Wanhese, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Mann, Chas. Al bert and Glenda Mann of Nor folk, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Midgett and daughter, Becky, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Craddock and daughter, Ruth Ann, Mr .and Mrs. Dallas Gray and son, Dal, of Stumpy Point, Charles and Norris Mann of Norfolk, and Miss Mary Agnes Haywood. Carlyle were all present. The party lasted from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cake and punch were served. FREAK MISHAP DAMAGED THREE CARS IN MANTEO To avoid a head-on collision with an approaching green car, and perhaps serious injury, Mrs. Julia Gray, driving a new Dodge at a slow rate of speed, applied her brakes, Saturday afternoon. The driver of the green car was meeting Mrs. Gray on his left hand side. The quick thinking of Mrs. Gray saved his life, and he passed by and kept on going. But Mrs. Gray’s new car, due to a mechanical defect, swung to the left side, and crashed into Mar tin Kellogg’s 1953 Lincoln and Mrs. Kenneth Scissle’s car, and then went back across the street and through the window of Fear ing’s store. Naturally, the event was some what embarassing to Mrs. Gray who is a skillful driver, but it goes to show that the best of them get in a jam at times. Many people gathered around, because happening as it did when the town was crowded, some lit tle excitement followed. Mr. Kel logg rushed to the aid of Mrs. Gray, who was considerably bruised and told her not to mind the car, but he hoped she wasn’t See MISHAjP, Page Four Single Copy 70 OPPOSING COUNTY COLLECTION OF BEACH GARBAGE Rotarians Air Out Views of Manteo Toward Taxpayers Footing Bills on Beach Should garbage and trash be col lected on the Dare Beaches of Kit ty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head at the expense of Dare County? If so, why should the county continue this collection within the limits of Kill Devil Hills, now that it is incorporated, unless the same be done in the town of Manteo? These questions touched off a debate with some spirit Monday night in the Manteo Rotary Club, which is composed of many of the business men of the community. And it is likely to go further, now that the subject has been brought out in the open. For many years the county has footed the bill for taking up trash and garbage on the beach, begin ning in a small way with collec tions twice a week, and finally every day, until the cost now has reached a total of $9,000 for the past year. There were many people who pointed out that this has been a good investment for the county, in that the Dare Beaches, while pay ing at least half of all the taxes in the county, took nothing back in return. Its summer property owners had no children to share in our schools and increase their costs, and no welfare problems to burden our tax funds. Moreover, the improved appearance of the beaches encourages still further building and investment. Refuting the argument in favor of collections in the town of Man teo, it was pointed out that for many years county funds have largely financed the police force of the town, and given many other benefits, including a large part of the cost of the town hall. It may now be expected of course, that with Kill Devil Hills having taken on municipal stature, there will be some change in views toward the garbage set-up. One thing that has not set too well with some taxpayers is the re valuation last year which wiped a huge sum off the tax books. The valuable ocean front property in the area, is set up at less than 20 per cent of its value, while other property of the citizens elsewhere in the county is valued on the basis of 65 per cent of its value. Quick figures reveal that much more than a million dollars were lost in valuations on the beach. Ocean front lots selling readily at $4,000 to $5,000 are valued at only $750. There are ten miles of ocean front, and by taking only five See COLLECTION, Page Four AVON RURITAN ORGANIZATION COMPLETE NOW Community Projects Discus sed; Officers Announced; Haultman Entertains The Avon Ruritan Club is now fully organized, according to C. T. WiPiams, reporter for the club. The club held its regular meet ing last Friday night, February 12, and discussed several subjects for community improvement, such as garbage disposal, road improvements, and other items of major importance. The officers of the club, elected some time ago, are as follows: William E. Meekins, president; F. G. Gray, vice president: E. F. Scarborough, treasurer; Luther Meekins, chaplain; P. D. Wil liams, song leader; D. J. O’Neal, sergeant-at-arms; C. T. Williams, reporter. The club was honored by the presence of Gustav Hultman, the chief ranger of the Cape Hat teras National Seashore Park, who was an invited guest. He entertained tse chib by showing pictures of the various national parks throughout the country. The most interesting pictures to the club were those of the Kitty Hawk-Nags Head section to the Cape Hatteras Light. Mr. Hult man also gave the club a very interesting speech, elaborating about the duties of a ranger in their relationship to the National Park Service and the various communities of the Outer Banks. The club wishes to thank Mr. Hultman for his congeniality and wishes him much success with the Park Service. An old fashioned oyster stew was served the club by Mrs. P. D. Williams, Mrs. Earle Meekins, and Mrs. Ralph Scarborough. At the next meeting this Fri day night there will be more dis cussion about proposed projects for the improvement of the com munity.