Newspapers / The Coastland Times (Manteo, … / Nov. 12, 1954, edition 1 / Page 1
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ILUME XX NO. 20 UMSTEAD FIRST TO DIE IN OFFICE IN OVER 60 YEARS Virginia-Born Lirther H. Hodges Steps Up in Ra leigh This Week The death of Governor Wil liam Umsjead of North Carolina in a Durham hospital was a deep blow to North Carolina. He was highly popular and a conscienti ous servant of the state. On Tuesday of this week, following the funeral of Gov ernor Umstead, the Lieutenant Governor Luther H. Hodges of Spray, a 56-year-old native of Virginia was sworn in to fill out the term of Governor Umstead, which has more than two years to run. It was only a year or two ago, that Virginia had a governor, born in North Carolina, Govern or Battle. Governor Umstead was born May 13. 1895. His ailing heart weakened by pneumonia, brought death in Watts Hospital, at 9:10 Sunday morning. He was 59. Under the State Constitution, Lt. Governor Luther H. Hodges succeeded Umstead as Governor upon taking the oath of office Tuesday afternoon. Hodges was sworn in as Governor at a ceremony held in the hall of the State House of Representatives at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Chief Justice M. V. Barnhill of the State Su preme Court administered the oath. The Governor’s funeral was held at the Trinity Methodist Church at Durham at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Dr. C. D. Barclift pas tor, conducted the services. The body lay in state for two hours prior t o the services. Burial was at the Mt. Tabor Church at Bahama, a tiny com munity in Durham County. There Umstead rests near the bodies of his father and mother. He was the first North Caro lina Governor to die in office since the death of Governor David G. Fowle on April 7, 1891. See UMSTEAD, Page Four CRACOKE ASSEMBLY > LOSES PARSONAGE Fire Claims Effects of Both New and Old Pastors Ocracoke, November 6—Fire o f undetermined origin burned to the ground the parsonage of the Assembly o\God Church on Ocracol-e Islanc? 'Thursday night last week. Fortunately no one was in the home at the time, but the fire caused a double lefss in that two families had all of their personal belongings in the par sonage at the time. Rev. Ernest Powlesland and family, the re tiring pastor, and Rev. Walter Whitaker and family, the incom ing pastor, were holding a joint meeting at the Church. The Powleslands lost in the vicinity of a hundred dollars in cash, a new electric sewing machine, their family Bibles, one of which had been brought from England years ago, and all of his sermons of many years. The Whitakers, a young married couple, also lost about a hundred dollars, their sterling silver, and all of her wedding gifts, as well as all per sonal belongings. The fire had gained such headway when it was discovered that only one suitcase, containing books, could be pulled from the front room through the door. With no fire protection, other than the apparatus of the local coast guard unit, consisting of a pump and hose, it was only through the efforts of a quickly formed bucket brigade that the Sunday School an'd Church, ad jacent to the parsonage, was saved from destruction. The par sonage was a complete loss. It was insured for $2,000 and the Congregation plans to rebuild it as soon as possible. In the mean time, Rev. Powlesland has left for his new pastorate and Rev. Mr. Whitaker and family are zing at the home of Mrs. Zion oster. Through the wellknown friendliness and generosity of Ocracokers, a purse as well as personal clothing items were given to both families. Rev. and Mrs. Whitaker, who began their work here this Sun day, have one child, Deborah, age’ two. Mrs. Whitaker is a na tive of Lewiston, N. C., Mr. Whitaker of Indiana. Jle received his training at South Eastern Bible Institute, Lakeland, Flori da. He held a pastorate at Ports mouth, Virginia, but comes to Ocracoke Assembly of God Church directly from evangelist work in Indiana, Florida, and North Carolina. THE COASTLAND TIMES PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA YOUNG DEER IS PERFECTLY TAME _ ~ THIS YOUNG DEER shown being fed a bottle of milk by Charles Smithwick, is certainly unusual—he is perfectly tame. The deer first showed up at the Smithwick farm at Ponzer in May of this year, prob ably after having lost his mother. Charles and the other members of the Smithwick family now consider him almost their own. He is free and spends most of the time in the woods behind the farm. But, twice a day, he comes out to be fed. He can down a bottle of milk in almost nothing, too. Another strange thing, the Smithwick’s deer hounds do not bother the deer in the least. Many persons who have had the opportunity to see this young buck have expressed the hope that the friendly young animal will not fall victim to a hunter’s gun. Fine Fishing Brings Business To Aid In Rebuilding of Carolina Beaches Here’s a Complete Official Story of the Damage Done by Hurricane Hazel, and the Work of Rehabilitations That Is Going on In Southeastern North Carolina Raleigh.—Visitors by the thou sands, drawn to the southeast ern North Carolina coast by the fine run of autumn fishing, are witnessing the rapid clean-up and rebuilding after Hurricane Hazel. All beaches are now accessible by highway, and there are plenty of all-year hotels, motels, hunting and fishing lodges and camps to take care of visitors. Restoration of seasonal beach facilities is already going ahead. With the exception of pier fishing, practically all beach tumn season is in full swing in activity normal to the late au- Nortth Carolina. Salt water fish ing is usually good through Thanksgiving and is resumed on a large scale around Easter. A new steel pier, just completed at Surf City, is the only one in full operation south of Nags Head at this time, but others from Atlan tic Beach to Kure Beach are be ing rebuilt. Nine ocean fishing piers were lost, and their place is being taken by fishing from the surf and from remnants of the piers. Upward of 200 charter boats are operating from More head City south. Newer, Smaller Beaches Worst Damaged Hatteras and Nags Head were not damaged, and the older beaches to the south —those serv ing a higher percentage of tran sient vacationists, Atlan ti c, Wrightsville and Carolina, came through the great storm relative ly best. They all had a lot of building back from the ocean. It was the newer and smaller North Carolina beaches that were relatively worst hit—Long, Holden, Ocean Isle and New Topsail. Private cottages and small businesses on these new beaches took a fearful beating, but if the owners can find solace it can be iin experience about beach building. A great deal of loss was caused by building too low and too close to the surf. As a rule, older con struction on wooden piles and elevated land, back from the surf, stood up through Hazel. Construction on the sand <pid close to the ocean without found ation proved a miscalculated risk. Hotels Being Restored Only one large hotel, the Breakers a t Carolina Beach, appears to be a total loss. Other hotels stood the blow. The Ocean Terrace at Wrightsville, the State’s largest beach hotel, was buffeted but can be restored. The Ocean King, built of brick and concrete close to the surf on At lantic each, had its front bash r in, but was open for busi I barely a week after the blow. The Atlantic Beach Hotel, a rambling wooden structure, fared worse, but most of its rooms were not damaged. Motels generally, being back from the ocean, came through with small damage. Most restau rants are open as usual, includ ing the large ocean-front seafood place known as “Captain Bill’s” on Atlantic Beach. This was orgi nally reported destroyed, but actually it suffered only minor damage. It is agreed that the disaster stemmed from a combination of circumstances never known be fore—a hurricane from the southeast coinciding with a full moon tide. Prevailing winds along this coast are from the southwest, which blow the ocean away from, rather than onto the land. Coast Contour Little Changed The contour of the coast is not radically changed, although mil lions of tons of sand were shift ed and it will take some time for the beaches to build back to their former height. At present they appear wider and harder than before the blow, however. Numerous sloughs were cut and at least two inlets were widened. It will take some time to see how they shape up. The Army Engineers did a fast job of clearing and remarking the Inland Waterway and traffic is proceeding as usutl. There was some shoaling in Pamlico Sound, on the mail boat route from At lantic to Ocracoke, that requires recharting and more dredging. A count by Jack Farrell of the South Eastern N. C. Beach Asso ciation indicated that only about 20 of 150 charter fishing boats from Swansboro •t o Shallotte were put out of commission. The others are busy with a heavy au tumn run of fish. In the More head City area, with the largest single fleet, virtually all sports fishing craft are doing business as usual, according to a survey by Ted Davis of the Morehead City Chamber of Commerce. Heaviest Damage Area Hazel centered its fury on Long Beach and areas on both sides, dropping off somewhat in intensity as it reached Atlantic Beach and sparing the Outer Banks from Cape Hatteras north from serious damage. The newly developed beaches of Long, Holden and Ocean Isle, which range north east in Bruns wick County from the South Carolina line to the mouth of the C- ’’’ear River, were virtually an of cottage and small establishments, but NG, Page Five MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1954 OPENING DAY’S HUNTING GOOD IN HYDE COUNTY Some Lake Blinds Get Limits by 3 p.m.,; Field Hunting Not Quite So Good Duck and goose hunting began at noon Wednesday, and at Lake Mattamuskeet the refuge protect or, L. B. Tunnell, said Wednesday night that hunters in lake blinds reported a good day of hunting, both for ducks and geese. Several lake blind hunters came in before 3 p.m. with their limits of ducks and some geese. Other blinds got their limits of geese and some ducks during the after noon. Mr. Tunnell stated that both hunters and guides were well pleased with the hunting for the first day. Reports also indicated that goose hunters in fields around the lake were fairly satisfied also. The geese were late beginning to move into the fields from the lake, but most all hunters managed to get in some shooting. Many field hunt ers bagged geese but not too many were able to get their limits. Prospects for the season seem to be better than last year; there are more geese and ducks on hand than there have been in many years, possibly excepting year be fore last. Lake blinds are booked solid until December 24th, and even for some days after Christmas. Mr. Tunnell says that there are some openings in January, and he points out that there is always the possi bility of cancellations. WILDFOWL HUNTING IN DARE SPOTTY ————— Weather has been just too good Wednesday and Thursday, to suit wildfowl hunters in Dare County. Being so fair and warm, fowl remained a long way off, and few reports came in of bag limits being gotten. It was esti mated by L. B. Turner, refuge manager that 8500 Canada geese and 14,000 ducks were at Pea Is land at the opening of the sea son. Hunting starts an hour before sunrise and stops at sundown. The season ends January Bth. REV. P. M. PORTER MOVES FROM AVON TO TYNER Rev. P. M. Porter, after eight years of serving the Methodist charge embracing the three churches at Rodanthe, Salvo, and Avon, and Mrs. Porter left Thursday for his new assignment at Tyner, where he will serve four churches. Before leaving, the charge gave the Porters a generous pounding, in fact one of the largest ever given a departing minister. MISS HELEN DOE DIES Miss Helen Doe, who had made her home in Manteo for several years, died Tuesday af ternoon in the Albemarle Hospi tal, Elizabeth City, where she had been hospitalized for a month. She was a native of Rosedale, New Jersey and burial was in New Jersey. She was a daughter of the late Thomas A. and Clara Harris Doe, and is survived by a brother. Elmer H. Doe of Louis ville, Ky. CHANNEL BASS REPORTED IN CAPE HATTERAS SURF It was no surprise to anglers at Buxton this week when big schools of channel bass began working in towards the surf near the Point of Cape Hatteras. “They always come close to the surf during the full moon of No vember,” said Edgar Hooper. Most of the fish landed were “puppy drum” or small channel bass but a few that scaled at 35 to 45 pounds were also reeled in to the beach by anglers using cut bait as lures. Hooper stated on Tuesday that there had been one report of a 60 pound channel bass being caught in the surf. WILLIAM LEFFUS MEEKINS William Leffus Meekins, 77, lifelong citizen of Avon, died Tuesday evening at his home at 7:30 after an illness of about six months. He was a member of the Methodist church. He is survived by three sons, Earl of Florida and Dammon and Otis of Nor- I folk, also by his wife, Mrs. Annie MopVins, and one brother, Tom Meekins. There’s Nothing Like the Glory of NOVEMBER ON THE “BANKS” By Capt. Marvin W. Howard, Ocracoke, N. C. November is here, come again to visit on us the cold, blue, raw days, where if one is not careful one may catch cold from extra efforts—because its cool, yet not realizing it is still warm enough to perspire freely and thus a cold. These cold, blue, raw and cloudy days bring falling of the leaves from all the trees along the banks except the evergreen. As one watches the shadows along the winding trails or the sandy roads so familiar to the banks, one is able to see bushels of acorns lying on the ground, the many golden-yellow serrated seed of the sea-oat like wise lie in the leas of the sand hill, and the purple flower of the wild-pea has almost vanished while the pods are bursting letting their seed fall to the use of wild-life. As one feels the bite of the blustery,windy day, particularly if a hunter, the urge to take gun in hand, call Rover or Bando or Nipper and go-a-hunting is strong. It would not suffice alone to hunt birds, but rather to take in the wonders of Autumn’s beauty among the woodlands, the salt grasses and the sand hills. All of this if properly viewed presents a beauty unex celled anywhere. Our freedom to hunt, to play, to be able to enjoy these wonders are ours only because our Demo cratic Government or Republic whether you judge it by pony you ride, the old jeep you go fishing in, the speed boat you own, the limousine in the ga rage, or the freedom to worship at the church of your choice, the school, the food on your table or the freedom to speak in public without fear. You are fortunate by the fact that you are living under a system of government based on the dignity and free- Trip to Ocracoke Interesting, Eventful and Full of Surprises Nags Header Gives Impressions of First Journey to Famous Fishing and Vacation Spot Anyone who enjoys the wide open spaces (both land and wa ter) should make at least one trip to the picturesque village of Ocracoke, North Carolina. It was indeed an interesting erperi ence; but a word of warning! Don’t make any definite appoint ments back home and expect to return in time to keep them. You will probably get back a day or two later than you planned. You can’t blame it on any one parti cular thing either. It seems that fate, in the form of winds, tides, lack of communication and off schedule ferry service, all con spire to keep you on Ocracoke once you get there. I found out after this trip that the easiest way to get to Ocracoke is to be born there. When Grace and I and Abe and Bessie Williams (they’re our rich neighbors who own a jeep) decided to make this trip we, of course, consulted the map and figured roughly that Ocracoke Village lay about 80 miles south west of Nags Head as the crow flies. Unfortunately we can’t fly like crows so we made the trip by highway, ferry, sandbar, sandune, beach and the grace of the good Lord who watched over us every minute. Except for a pouring down rain the trip was somewhat routine until we were herded aboard Frazier Peele’s four ferry and started the last water lap across Hatteras Inlet. After three unsuccessful tries we finally made the chan nel in the face of a stiff north west wind and were headed for Ocracoke Island. The inlet was a bit choppy and we shipped a lot of water, but we were as sured by Skipper Austin that there was no danger and that he would have us safely “ashore” in a few minutes. I think the word he, intended to use was “aground” because in a few min utes that’s excatly what we were. The nert order to come from the skipper was “Alright boys, let’er down.” He was refer ring to the car ramp at the bow. It came down withh a mighty splash and promptly disappeared under water. The Skipper look ed toward our jeep and shouted. “Back’er right off now and don’t stop ’til you hit land!” Abe and I looked at each other as if to say “Where’s any land?” As far as we knew we were stiil a long way from any “land” that we knew anything about. But Abe, being an old Navy man and not dom of the individual, that de rives its powers from the bottom up rather than the top down. The four freedoms which were so respectively brought to the pub lic by the late Franklin D. Roosevelt. These freedoms we enjoy in the good U. S. A. and now especially along the Outer Banks where thus far the land has never been posted to any great extent, therefore the hunt er can stroll with his dog “heel ing” or watching the “retrieve” as the hunter kills a dove or other wild-life in season. The beauty rare can be seen along the hills, thru the lone some woods, the wide open marshes where the green salt grasses are interspersed by another salt grass or weed blood-colored. A marsh-h e n o r rail cackles and jumps, flies away apparently laugh ing at the lover o f nature, too far away for the kill, or the slow moving heron or bittern as they camouflage by the reeds or cat-tails. That wonderful classic, Grass can well describe the flat open ings at the head of creeks where cattle feed, and horses wild ac company them. Along these openings or flat prairie lands nestling between the woods and hills where a creek wanders thru the marshes to the sound. The salt sage is turning purple and shows brilliant in northerly winds. The grass is still green in the pocosins and adds to nature’s beatuy and so I’ll add to this writing the Classic Grass: “Grass is the forgiveness of Nature— her constant benediction. Fields trampled with battle, saturated with blood, torn with the ruts of cannon, grow green again with grass, and carnage is forgotten. See NOVEMBER, Page Eight one to disobey the Captain’s orders, mumbled a silent prayer and backed into the middle of Pamlico Sound. Surprisingly enough the water only came up to the floorboards, and since Abe’s jeep was an amphibious offspring of a union between a Coast Guard DUKW and a Sher man tank, we made the shore be ing guided by a couple of buoys which we passed on the wrong side. We rode the flats most of the remaining fourteen miles into the Village. We passed acres of beach covered with millions of seashells. It was truly a paradise for the visitor who iikes to find the rare and different types for his collection. Occasionally we found ourselves on the “inside road” as the two sand ruts were sometimes called. We did not get a good look at any of the famous Ocracoke ponies so num- See TRIP, Page Eight POST 26 AMERICAN LEGION OVER MEMBERSHIP QUOTA Manteo Post No. 26 of The American Legion has exceeded its membership quota for 1955 according to information re ceived from State Headquarters in Raleigh. James W. Davis, Commander of the Post, has received a letter from the Legion Adjutant, Nash McKee, expressing thanks to the membership chairman, all Post officers, and membership work ers for their effort. The quota of Post No. 26 is 54 and the membership for 1955 to date is 57. Quotas are assigned earh Post by the state headquar ters and are based on the aver age membership of the Post for the past four years. “We do not intend to stop our membership drive now that we have reached our quota,” Post Commander Davis said. “There are many more eligible veterans who have not yet joined our Post and we invite them all to become members.” REVIVAL IN PROGRESS AT MANTEO ASSEMBLY OF GOD A Revival got underway Tues day night at the Assembly of God church in Manteo, and will continue each night at 7:30 for at least two weeks. The visiting minister is Rev. L. V. Pierce of Reidsville. The public is invited to attend. Single Copy CELEBRATION IS PLANNED FOR DECEMBER 17TH 51st Anniversary of Flight To Be Observed at K. D. Hills The 51st anniversary celebra tion of Wilbur and Orville’s first successful powered flight at Kill Devil Hill will be observed at the site, and in the dining room of The Carolinian at Nags Head on December 17, next month, ac cording to Miles L. Clark of Elizabeth City, chairman of the board of directors of the Kill Devil Hills Memorial Society, which will sponsor the celebra tion this year with the coopera tion of the Air Force Association, the National Park Service and the North Carolina 50th Anni versary Commission created last year by the late Governor Wil liam B. Umstead. “The observance which will pay homage to the aviation pio neers this year will not be on so elaborate a scale as last year,” said Clark. “It will be of such importance however, that many nationally known correspondents for newspapers of the world are to fly here for the celebration.” Ralph V. Whitener, program director of the Air Force Asso ciation who spearheaded the in ternational observance on the Dare coast at Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head last year, will meet with local mem bers of the sponsoring society within the next few days to complete arrangements for the celebration. FREAK FIRE DAMAGES DRINKWATER COTTAGE Curtains Burns Result of Intensi fied Heat from Glass Ash Tray Early morning sun rays mag nified by a glass ash tray is be lieved to have been the cause of a fire Thursday which damaged the small cottage in the A. W. Drinkwater yard. It was tempo rarily unoccupied, and the fire, which had burned the lace cur tains and melted parts of a metal Venetian blind had done its worst, and burned out just as it was discovered by Mrs. John Booth. The lace curtains had appar ently caught on fire from the ash tray which was nearby. Damage resulting was more than SIOO. It all goes to show that no one can tell when or how fire will start. TWO DARE BOYS COMPLETE COURSE AT CAMP GORDON Camp Gordon, Ga.— Pvt. Arnold L. Midgett of Manteo, will graduate this week from the Power Equipment Maintenance course, one of the many courses offered at the Sountheastern Signal School, Camp Gordon. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. St. Clair Midgett. The Power Equipment Mainte nance Course trains enlisted per sonnel to install, operate, adjust and maintain gasoline and diesel engine units which are used for generating electrical power in the field. Pvt. William M. Hooper of Stumpy Point will graduate this week from the Southeastern Signal School. Camp Gordon, Georgia. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Hooper. Pvt. Hooper received training • in the operation of miltary com munication equipment, climaxed by a week of field training un der simulated combat conditions during his nine week course. Pvt. Midgett and Pvt. Hooper will now be reassigned to an active unit of the United States Army. The Southeastern Signal School is a component of the Sig nal Corps Training Center, a mammoth communications col lege, which supplies framed sig nal technicians to Army units all over the world. WILL LEWARK CATCHES BIG HAUL OF STRIPERS Kill Devil Hills.— Capt. Will Lewark, retired Coast Guard officer is again the champion rockfish fisherman of the Dare Coast. This season he has landed more of these fish, which visit ing anglers call striped bass, than any other person. To date his best catch was 179 stripers taken from the waters of Albemarle Sound in one day of fishiing. He was fishing alone but instead of using one trolling rig, he had several and on one pass through a school of stripers he hooked 21 fish.
The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.)
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Nov. 12, 1954, edition 1
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