Newspapers / The Coastland Times (Manteo, … / March 12, 1954, edition 1 / Page 1
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VIE XIX NO. 37 V NuXT MEETING OF SAA TO BE IN PLYMOUTH Washington County To Be Host to Quarterly Meeting, Dr. Ralph Says The overdue quarterly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Southern Albemarle Association is to be held in Plymouth some time about April 1, Dr. W. T. Ralph of Belhaven, the Association President, said this week. The date of the meeting will be announced within a few days. The Washington County Board of Commissioners will be host to the six-county meeting, which will include some 50 representatives from the counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington. Among the chief topics of in terest that will be before the meet ing will be the state’s plan for bridges, and the improvement of U.S. 264 in Hyde County.- Several state highway officials will be in vited to be present. The complete list of members of the Executive Committee from each of the member counties was announced this week by Dr. Ralph, as follows: The list of Executive Commit tees of the Southern Albemarle Association is as follows: The first named is the county Vice President: Beaufort: Mrs. Scott Topping, Pantego; Vann Latham and Mrs. James Younce of Belhaven; Way land Sermons, Washington; Lu ther Paul, Pike Road; A. D. Swindell, Pantego; Mrs. G. W. Marsh, Bath; Mrs. Dan Windley, Aurora; Mrs. John Winfield, Yeatesville. DARE COUNTY. Melvin R. Dan iels L. L. Swain, M. K. Fearing, D. V. Meekins, Mrs. Donis White of Manteo; W. S. White of Manns Harbor; Mrs. Daisy Midgett, Nags Head; Mrs. M. L. Burrus, Hatteras; Mrs. Dewey Wise, Stumpy Point. Hyde County: N. W. Shelton, Swan Quarter; Charlie J. Cahoon, H. L. Sadler and Mrs. Russell Swindell of Swan Quarter; Mrs. Ella Murray, Fairfield; Mrs. Noble, Scranton; Mrs. Ben Leechville; Leon Bal- Lake Landing. in County: A. Corey, .sville; Mrs. Clara Gaines and A. W. Lilley, Jamesville; J. H. Gray, Sr., and Mrs. Charlie Gray, Robersonville; Robert H. Cowan, Henry A. Johnson and Mrs. E. H. Peele, Williamston; one vacancy to be filled. Tyrrell County: Julian H. Swain, Mr. and Mrs. Borden Mc- Cleese, Mr .and Mrs. Charles Cohoon; W. J. White, Mrs. Effie A. Brickhouse, Mrs. Blanche W. Cohoon ,and Paul Liverman, all of Columbia. WASHINGTON COUNTY. Har ry W. Pritchett, H. O. Chesson, Mrs. C. N. Davenport, Mrs. J. M. Davenport of Creswell; B. G. Campbell and Mrs. J. R. Campbell of Plymouth; E. 0. Arnold, Wade Hardison and Mrs. Cedric Daven port of Roper. MANY GIFTS MADE TO MANTEO SCHOOL A. O. Ayers Expresses Apprecia tion for Contributions Made During the Year Several civic organizations, as well as individuals, have shown their interest in the Manteo school this year by making con tributions. The faculty, the local school committee, and the admin istrative officers of the school deeply appreciate both the in terest and the gifts, it was ex pressed this week by A O. Ayres, principal. The P.T.A. has given a dupli cator, a microscope, and a tape recorder to the school. The Wonmen’s Auxiliary of the Amer ican Legion placed American flags in each room in the primary building. The Lion’s Club con tributed paint and labor to im prove the appearance of the gym nasium. Various individuals who asked that there names be with held have contributed in other ways. For each addition —and each was badly needed —the ’■> school is grateful. V XI ST BUREAU TO MEET BUXTON, MARCH 24 As has been the custom since its beginning, the Board of Di rectors of the Dare County Tourist Bureau will hold their spring meeting on Hatteras Island, at the Cape Point Restaurant at Buxton, it was announced this week by Aycock Brown, secretary to- the bureau. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 24. Lawr ence L. SWain of Manteo is chair man of the board. THE COASTLAND TIMES PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA RECORDER’S CT. HAS FULL HOUSE FOR FIGHT TRIAL Last Saturday night proved to be a trying one for officer Donnie Twyne when he tried to make an arrest at the Nags Head Casino. Mr. Twyne attempted to arrest Ralph Beasley, 19, who had had a scuff with Lathan Mann, and was prevented from making the arrest when David James Beas ley, brother to Ralph, and Gar field Curies joined in and lifted the pants, shirt and coat off Mr. Twyne. Dare County Recorder’s Court was full of spectators on Tuesday afternoon to hear the tesimony in the case. « According to testimony, Mr. Twyne waizg Jstairs at the time the fight 'Between Ralph Beasley and Lathan Mann start ed, and the fight was over when he got downstairs in the Casino. Mr. Twyne told Mann to get out side, as he was pretty drunk. “Then Ralph Beasley came up and hit me and then I hit him - with a blackjack,” Mr. Twyne said. “After that I don’t think Ralph hit me any more, but then James Beasley, Jr., grabbed me from behind and someone threw a coat over my head and started ■ hitting me in the face. ’ Ras Westcott, operator of the Casino, came downstairs about the time Garfield Curies started hitting Twyne. “Mr. Curies was throwing it to him in the face,” . Mr. Wescott said. “I told him to quit, and then he started swing ing at me and I ducked. The se cond time he glanced one off my eye, and it was sore on Sunday.” Somewhere in all the scuffle ■ Chief of Police M. C. Mitchell , appeared on the scene. Ralph > Beasley grabbed him around th® i neck from behind and locked his > legs around Mr. Mitchell’s body. ; “Mitchell was laying in the floor when I saw him,” Mr. Westcott , testified. ’ Ralph Beasley says he didn’t 1 strike Mr. Twyne after he (Beas- • ley) was hit with a blackjack. “I • fell out to the floor colder than 1 a cucumber,” Ralph Beasley testfiied. Mr. Twyne had told him that he was under arrest. Accord ; ing to Curies’ testimony, he ’ (Curies) was trying to aid Ralph, ' whose head was bleeding, when the scuffle between Twyne, Cur j les, and James Beasley begun. ; “They were treating you rough, weren’t they?” was Judge Baum’s . remark when officer Twyne of . sered as evidence his torn clothes. ; Twyne lost both his gun and ! blackjack, which was found in . two pieces later, during the L fight. Mr* Twyne then took offi cer Mitchell’s gun while he was • laying in the foor, and someone , took that away from him, too. All three of the boys, Ralph • Beasley, David James Beasley, I Jr., and Garland Curies, were '■ charged with four counts: (1) • assaulting an officer, (2) resisting arrest, (3) interfering with an officer making an arrest, and (4) causing a disturbance in a public place. David James and Ralph Beas ley were found guilty of all four counts. The sentence was six months on the roads, suspended on condition each pay a fine of SSO and the costs of court, and that they not be found on the premises of the Nags Head Casino for a period of three years. James was also guilty of a charge of speeding 65 miles per hour, the fine being $lO and the costs of court. ’ In the case against Curies, he was found guilty of assault on an officer and inflicting injuries, and of creating disturbance in a public place. The sentence for that count was 60 days, suspend ed on condition that he pay a fine of S4O and the costs of court, and that he not be found on the Casino premises for 12 months. He was also found guilty of as sault on Ras Westcott, for which the sentence was 30 days, sus pended on payment of $lO and costs. Other cases were as follows: Bill Pearson, charged with as sault on a female, Thelma Wise, was dismissed of the charges. According to her testimony, “we were just wrestling and playing around outside of the Casino.” According to the testimony of Ras Wsecott, who saw the inci dent, Pearson knocked her down outside of the door. “Well, I don’t know which is right, the man or the woman,” Judge Baum commented. “But I would think the woman was more conscious of what was go ing on.” he dismissed the case. Walter Wilbur Spencer, charg ed with failing to yield the right of way on the highway, paid a fine of $25 and costs. A NAGS HEAD NATIVE RETIRES FROM SERVICE bTTV . wi AL - ' Chief Boatswain Ernest L. Tillett, USCG, of Deep Creek, Va., (Rt. 3, Box 227 F, Ports mouth) retired from the U. S. Coast Guard in Norfolk last week after 29 years of continuous serv ice, most of it spent on sea duty. He is a native of Nags Head, N. C., where he was bom Jan uary 24 1906. Prior to his enlist ing in the Coast Guard in 1925, Tillett worked as a fisherman. He went on rum-runner pa trol out of New York aboard the old destroyer McDougal , and three years later was transferred to the destroyer Manning based at Norfolk. He stayed in the Norfolk area until 1937 when he was assigned to the Coast Guard tug Guard at Seattle. Between then and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Tillett served aboard the cutters Atalanta, Morris and Bonham all operating in the Alaskan area. When war broke out he was aboard the buoy tender Hemlock based at Ketchikan, Alaska, and remained aboard the ship until 1943 when he was given com mand of the 180-foot buoy tender Woodbine working out of Nor folk and later San Juan, P. R. Early in 1944 the Woodbine was ordered to the South Pacific where the ship handled aids to navigation for the U. S. fldet. A year later, Chief Boatswain Tillett was made commanding officer of the buoy tender Speed well at Norfolk. Late in 1945 he took command of the 190-foot tender Orchid at Norfolk, and sailed her t the Philippines sev eral months later handling aids to navigation work there until 1947 when the ship was turned over to the Philippine govern ment. Tillett then returned to the States and was assigned as search See TILLETT, Page Four SWAN ADD TO SCENIC NATIONAL SEASHORE Wild Geese Scheduled To Migrate During March Full Moon Thousands of swan, consider ably more than in former years, have been ■ feeding at the Bodie Island and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge areas recently. Appearance of these great white waterfowl in these waters have provided an unusual scenic attrac tion for visitors to Oregon Inlet and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore region. Persons driving along the new all-paved Hatteras highway pass adjacent to the ponds of Bodie Island near the Lighthouse and through the refuge where the swan have been feeding. Swan have absolute protection from hunters and the great water fowl seem to know that they will not be harmed. It is not unusual to get close to the swan because as one visitor stated, “They are as gentle as farmyard fowls.” Most of the swan feeding at Bodie Island and in the wildlife refuge spent past of the winter season in Currituck Sound waters, the haven for many thousands of waterfowl each year. Since the hunting season ended early in January the Canada geese have also become gentle and great flocks of them feed close to the highway to the National Seashore as it passes through the Pea Is- Isand Wildlife refuge. Canada geese are beginning their migratory flights to far north breeding Ind nesting grounds from the waters and sanctuaries of the North Carolina coast. The greatest migration is scheduled for the full moon of March. “That is the time,, according to Fred Latham of Belhaven, “that wild geese leave local waters— always on the full moon of March.” Latham should know because part of his Beaufort County farm is set aside as a sanctuary for geese and waterfowl. MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1954 PAGEANTTRYOUTS SATURDAY NIGHT HIGH SCHOOL GYM * Tomorrow night will be a big night for many Roanoke Island ers, when they gather in the Manteo High School gymnasium to tryout for roles in the 14th season of The Lost Colony. Meeting at 8 p.m., the tryouts will be held under the super vision of Samuel Selden, director of dramatic arts at the University of North Carolina. About 100 roles are expected to be filled by Islanders this year, it was announced by Lost Colony manager Dick Jordan recently. The cast is made up of about 200, so one-half will be local talent. Rehearsals will begin the first week in June, and those who play major roles will be needed full time for seceral weeks until the opening of the show. In addition to Dr. Selden, Clif ton Britton and Mrs. Irene Smart Rains will be on hand to assist in the tryouts. The majority of parts played by Islanders will be Indians or colonists, and some, of course, will be given minor speaking roles. The statewide tryouts will be held in Chapel Hill during mid spring. OCRACOKE’S CANDIDATE FOR REPRESENTATIVE Snr ti * jfe/ ' y C. F. BOYETTE, first candidate to announce from Hyde County this year for Representative, is Ocracoke Island’s second offering for the House in more than 100 years. Ocracoke Township com prises Ocracoke Island, which is a subtropical recreation paradise some 30 miles off the Hyjle Coun ty mainland. It has about 750 in habitants, or about one-eighth of the county’s population. Now that it has become more acces sible through ferry servflfe and a road down the Outer Banks which enable its people to drive around to the county seat in a short time its people wish more participation in county affairs. Mr. Boyette, a University grad uate, a teacher for 17 years, a former farmer, believes he is well qualified from his experience to the farmers and the schools of serve the needs of the fisherman, Hyde County. A most interesting campaign is anticipated. 1949 FORD RAMS JEEP STALLED ON BEACH ROAD Tommy Burl Lynch, 20, a Coast Guardsman from Oregon Inlet, driving a 1949 Ford south on high way 158 last Saturday morning, collided with a ’4B Willys Jeep driven by Wilbur Donald Spencer, 19, colored, of Manteo. Spencer had backed the jeep out onto the highway about one-fourth mile north of the Kitty Hawk road, where he was loading cement from a cement mixing machine, and the jeep’s gearshift stuck and prevent ed him from getting the machine off the highway in time. Lynch rammed into the jeep, which was owned by Belton Burrus of Man teo. Highway patrolman A. W. An drews of Elizabeth City investigat ed the accident. Charges of failing to grant the right-of-way were preferred against Spencer. No one was hurt. Damage to the Ford was estimated at $450, and to the jeep $25. A SHOE REPAIR SHOP NOW OPEN IN MANTEO The prayers of so many people for a shoe repair shop in Manteo, seem to have been answered. Donald Midgett has come back home and settled down after many years in New York and has opened a shop next to Jones Wholesale Co. It is equipped with modern machinery, Donald is the son of Joe Etheridge Midgett who lived in Manteo for many years, and who is well known in Coast Guard circles. He lives on Coun ty Street, and has a wife and four children. MRS. MIDGETT WATCHES TV WITH GUESTS , ■L I , f I MRS. ELLIS MIDGETT (right) sits and watches television with a couple of her patients at the Beacon Nursing Home in Manteo. Mrs. Midgett has been running the home since 1949, and at present is as sisted by her daughter, Jacquelyn, who is a trained nurse. (Photo by Roger Meekins.) Old Folks Now Get Better Care In Small Homes, Instead Os Institutions Mrs. Ellis Midgett’s Beacon Nursing Home in Manteo Typical Example of Changes in Care of Infirm. By Roger Meekins An old man, with the aid- of a cane, hobbled feebly onto a screened-in porch and weak ly sat down in a cushioned chair. Two brightly-colored love birds flew out of their cage and fluttered about the porch. A considerably younger woman came out and adjusted a pillow behind his head. In another part of the house an elderly woman walked into the living room, perched her self in a soft chair, and turned her head toward the television set. The younger woman came in and adjusted the picture. “That’s good just like that,” said the elderly woman. “Fine! How are you feeling this morning?” asked the younger woman. “Oh, I guess I’m all right,” came the reply. “Well, dinner will be ready in a little while,” the younger woman told her in a daughter ly fashion. “Just take your time, honey,” the elderly woman said. “I’m not hungry just now.” These old people were only two of thousands throughout the state who are being cared for in small nursing homes, where a homelike atmosphere can be created for them. Here a great many of them will live out the rest of their lives, and although not at their old homes, they will be assured that somebody will be responsible for their welfare. Their wishes and desires will be satisfied in every way possible. They are no longer with their families, yet the life created for them will be the best substitute that can be arranged. With increasing research and knowledge of sociology, the State Department of Public Welfare continues to make improvements in the care of the aged. Along with the trend today of smaller families than was com mon a generation or two ago goes the problem of care for those members of the family going into senescence. The smaller families are in a great many cases not properly prepared to care for the elderly people, the number of which is steadily increasing be- MANTEO’S BEACON NURSING HOME >| .... TH- ■ • 1 • - ! ■ ■ THE BEACON NURSING HOME in Manteo, operated by Mrs. Ellis Midgett, is one of the many throughout the state where some old peo ple will spend a good many of their days. In these smaller homes they are subjected to treatment in a more homelike manner, and their lives are made happier by a more suitable environment. • (Photo by Roger Meekins.) cause of prolonged life, resulting from medical discoveries and the living of a more hygienic life. It used to be that with a large fam-1 ily there was always someone at home to look after the older peo ple. Through the years many mas-| sive institutions throughout the state have been built to take care of the old people, but more re cent discoveries have seemed to indicate that better care can be had in smaller homes with fewer patients, where a more homelike atmosphere is created, rather than an institutionalized, routine method of treating human be ings. Old folks are just like any other people—every one has a distinctive personality and re quires personalized treatment. So the great intitutions, sometimes called county homes, sanitoriums, home for the aged, or any other of a half dozen different names, are gradually being abandoned for the change to a better way of treating those in senescence. In order to meet this recog nized need for a better method of treatment, the State Department of Public Welfare is going about i licensing various qualified homes i throughout the state to do the i job of taking care of old folks. ! | One such home exists in Dare ; | County—that of Mrs. Ellis Mid ■ gett of Manteo, the Beacon nurs i ing home. Her home can be used I as a fairly typical example of « what is being done for the old . folks. How it Works The set-up works this way. A • person desiring to be licensed as • a nursing home makes an appli ; cation to the county welfare de- • partment, and is in turn passed I on to the state department, which j sends an inspector to look over • the situation. The home must be s inspected for its health condi tions—sunlight, air, heating, E plumbing etc. Along with this - must come a report from the lo ; cal fire warden. Further, the j home environmental situation! > must be gone through thor s oughly, to check any family dis t eases, and emotional situation— ; a social history of the family, f “The motives of the person See OLD FOLKS, jPage Four Single Copy 70 WOODS FIRE WAG’S TOUGH BATTLE ON ROANOKE ISLAND Several Homes Threatened But Neighbors Came to Rescue Wednesday Evening Valiant work on behalf of many people finally brought a large woods fire under control on Roanoke Island last Wednes day evening, and saved three homes in immediate danger. The origin of the fire which broke out to the rear of the Brown Ether idge home, has not been satis factorily determined but is gen erally believed to have come from left-over embers of previous burnings. Carelessness is so much in order these days, and as no one is ever prosecuted for unlawful burnings, which often result in great damage and loss, that very few people indeed ever ex ercise care, or put out fires when they leave them. This fire threatened the home of Mr. Etheridge and of his son in-law, Gordon Riddick, as well as a colored house known as the Baker home, at the boundary of the Airport. Some 40 or 50 acres of land were burned over. Few people were at their homes in the vicinity at the time the fire started. Fire Warden Frankie Hemil wright came over from Manns Harbor with several men, and the Manteo Fire Department went to the scene in force. The crew of the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company with manager William- Ernst Jr., came to the scene with liberal aid and stood by to the last. The men of Nags Head Coast Guard station, local high school boys, and numerous neighbors came to help. Mrs. Brown Etheridge who finally got her nerves settled Thursday morning when she looked out and found the fire hadn’t got loose again, says she wants to thank everyone for their help. “Words can’t express how grateful we feel,” she said. And there are many other home owners living near by who will say amen. It would have been a big disaster, had there See FIRE, Page Five IMPROVED RAMPS ARE PROMISED FOR FERRIES Short Ramps Have Caused Damage To Many Cars Leaving Ferry Short landing ramps at the Oregon Inlet ferry docks will soon be replaced by longer ramps, it is announced. The short ramps which make the approaches to the ferry slant at an angle of from 15 to 35 per cent, depending on the depth of tide, have resulted in damage to hundreds of automobiles going to and from Hatteras Island. The damage, sometimes results in crushed mufflers, but usually it is the exhaust or tail pipe that is crushed, making it necessary for replacements. Clark Stratton, chief of opera tions for the southeastern divi sion of the National Park Serv ice here this week said that he had been advised by district highway officials that the ramps are now being constructed and will be placed at the ferry docks on or about Aoril 1. In the meantime some motor [ ists, irritated by the damage caused to their automobiles as a result of the improperly designed and short ramps have threatened to “sue the state,” for the des truction of their exhaust pipes, mufflers and bumpers. Stratton stated that he had been advised also that arrange ments had been completed by the Department of linterior and the N. C. Highway Commission to ac quire two government Utility Landing Craft which will be con verted into ferries similar to the “Governor Umstead” now oper ating at Oregon Inlet on the waterlink of the new all-paved Hatteras Highway. The new fer ries will be in commission before the peak of the travel season which is expected to show con siderable increase between Nags Head and Hatteras Island this year as result of the new and now operating Cape Hatteras Na tional Seashore Area. TOURIST BUREAU HANDLES 500 REPLIES THIS WEEK Tuesday the Dare County Tour ist Bureau answered 188 inquiries which were received over the week end. “It looks as if we may have about 500 inquiries to answer by the end of the week,” Aycock Brown said on Wednesday. The Bureau received many inquiries on Monday and Tuesday which had not been answered at that time.
The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.)
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March 12, 1954, edition 1
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