VOLUME XX NO. 49
25 SENIORS WILL
GRADUATE FRIDAY
FROM MANTEO HIGH
Seventeen Junior High Diplomas
To Be Awarded; Prof. B. G.
Childs of Duke University
Is Speaker
Twenty-five seniors of Manteo
High School will receive their di
plomas Friday night in graduating
exercises to be held in the school
auditorium, xhey are Sarah Alford,
Carol Ann Allen, Bebe Danuk,
Kuby Gallop, Lizette Headley, Bar
bara Midgett, Jeannetta Overcash,
Carmen Pridgen, Lois Sears, Imo
gene Shannon, Jewel Tillett, Leu
Tillett, Shirley Midgett, Ri-hard
Bell, .Jackie Cox, Larron Daniels,
Woodson Fearing, Jr., George
Henderson, Pat Kee, Murry Mann,
Arvin Midgett, Elwood Pridgen,
Lloyd Walker, Lester Ward and
Ronnie Meekins.
Marshals are Carl Hayes, chief;
Thomas Biggs, Thomas O’Neal,
Thelma Williams ani Betsy Mid
gett.
The commencement address will
be made by Professor B. G. Childs,
Professor of Education at Duka
University, Durham. Shhl'*y Mid
gett, valedictorian, will pronounce
tne invocation, and Pai, Kee, class
president, will give the address of
welcome. Wayland H. Fry, faculty
member, will introduce the speak
er. Dr. A. C. Holland, principal,
will present the diplomas and the
benediction will be pronounced by
Carol Ann Allen, saiutatorian.
Class .Night Thursday
“Senior Merry-Go-Kour.d” was
the form of Class Night exercises
scheduled for Thursday night. The
first scene was in the form of a
garden. party, the second scene
was a review of the class - high
school years; and the third scene
was a look of 20 years into the
future. Pat Kee, Class president,
made all introductions. Jackie Cox
was historian, George Henderson
prophet, and Imogene Shannon
testatrix.
Eighth Grade Graduates
Junior High School commence
ment exercises are to be Friday
morning under the direction of
Wayland Fry, eighth grade teach
er. The theme is “Life, An Ad
venture in Living. ’ The scripture
reading and prayer by William
Dough; a song “Boosting the Man
teo School” by the class, assisted
by members of the seventh grade;
“Building a Life - ’ by Marjorie
White; “Good Citizenship” by
Clyde Hassell; “Living in Ameri
ca” by Suzanne Allen; New Fron
tiers” by Jo Ann Ballance.
Those graduating are Suzanne
Allen, Jo Ann Ballance, Billy
Brown, Bebe Burrus, Johnnie Cox,
William Dough, Sandra Dowdy,
Judy Etheridge, Clyde Hassell,
Glenda Midgett, Wanda Midgett,
Odell Quidley, Tessie Tillett, Mar
jorie White, Anrew Mohovch,
Jackie Ward and Nathaniel Thomp
son.
Marshals are Nancy Gordon,
Sara Cutrell, Gary Meekins and
Ray Midgett.
Baccalaureate Sunday
The baccalaureate sermon was
delivered Sunday night in the
school auditorium by Rev. A. C. D.
Noe, rector of Saint Andrews By
the-Sea Episcopal chuych at Nags
Head. Rev. H. R. Ashmore of
Mount Olivet Methodist Church,
Manteo, read the scripture and
Rev. H. V. Napier of the Manteo’
Baptist Church pronounced the
benediction. Miss, Ann Daniels
played “Melody in G Flat” as a
prelude and the high school glee
club sang as an anthem “A Pil
grim’s Journey” by Wilson. Hymns
were “Come, Thou Fount of Every
Blessings” and “Lead On, 0 King
Eternal.”
GREAT FISHING FAVORS
DARE MAINLAND AREA
Although we read little about
it, largely because of the diffi
culty of transmitting quick re
ports, there is much good fishing
done in the Manns Harbor-East
Lake area. The N. C. Wildlife Re
sources Commission is developing
an access area near Mashoes on
the Dare Mainland and from this
point East Lake, with its fine
fresh water fishing is easily
reached. South Lake is also a
favorite place for fishermen.
Seth Dawson and three friends
from Kinston Thursday landed the
100 fish, which was the day’s
limit. These fish included several
varieties, among them being a 7
pound bass. The party stopped at
the Croatan Motel.
On Alligator River at the East
Lake ferry slip is'a picnic area
with tables, comfort stations, etc.
for the convenience of tourists,
likewise on the opposite side of
the river at Sandy Point. Gradual
ly facilities of this kind are being
added to make the area more at
tractive to tourists and fishermen.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
REALLY HAULING IN THE BLUES THIS YEAR
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HERE’S A PARTY that really got their share of bluefish on Tuesday.
Fishing aboard Joe Berry’s “Phyllis Mae” just off the Nags Head Coast
Guard Station and on southward to Oregon Inlet, they landed 425 blue
fish and one stray false albacore. Heading up the party was Red Hollo
man of Ahoskie, father of Mrs. Francis Meekins of Manteo, who is hold
ing his granddaughter, Susan Meekins. Left to right in picture, are:
Joe Berry, Mr. Holloman, Bercham Earley, Carlyle Askew and Harry
Holloman of Ahoskie. Just the previous Tuesday, Holloman, fishing
with another party, landed 360 bluefish from same boat. All boats re
ported fishing early this week, with catches being nearly all blues.
SCHOOL BUS DRIVER
EXAMINATION NEXT WEEK
Mrs. Allie Johnson, school bus
driver examiner, will be at the
courthouse in Manteo on Thursday
and Friday, June 9 and 10, to give
examinations to all prospective
school bus drivers. The study class
will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday,
June 9, and will be followed by
road test for each person.
Every person interested in be
coming certified as a school bus
driver, is requested to be present.
FINISHES BUSINESS COURSE
Miss Carolee O’Neal of Manteo
is scheduled to graduate Friday
morning, June 3, from the one-year
business course at WCUNC,
Greensboro, the exercises to take
place at 11 a. m. in the Elliott
Hall ballroom. Miss O’Neal plans
to work in Manteo this summer,
but has not made definite plans for
the fall. Her mother, Mrs. Warren
O’Neal, left Thursday for Greens
boro to attend commencement and
bring Carolee home.
I Fishing A
Jr AS REPORTED BY AYCOCK BROWN M
FIRST BLUE MARLIN
TOPS 1954 DARE RECORD
By AYCOCK BROWN
Hatteras.—Al Plews blue mar
lin, landed on Saturday, May 28,
near Diamond Shoal Lightship off
Hatteras, was the first of the sea
son and also the largest of its
species taken with rod and reel
off the Dare Coast since 1953. The
Glenburnie, Maryland, angler’s
fish scaled in at 464 pounds, and
measured exactly 11 feet from tip
to tip, four foot and 11 inches
aroilnd its girth and three foot
and nine inches between its tail
spread.
Largest blue taken last year, a
442 pounder landed on June J 2, by
Dr. j. C. Overbey of'Norfolk, Va.,
was the second prize winner in the
international fishing contest oper
ated by Field and Stream maga
zine. (It was Dr. Overbey who
landed a 572%-pounder in 1953,
which was largest blue marlin
taken anywhere in the world dur
ing 1953. Hhis record fish was
boated in approximately the same
location off Hatteras where Plews
landed his big fish last Saturday.)
Plews’ 464-pounder was boated
two hours and 35 minutes after
the strike. He was using a skipped
mackerel (whole) for bait. His
tackle was a Penn O rod loaded
with 72 pound test line.
Plews was fishing with Capt.
Ernal and Raymond Foster aboard
the former’s cruiser Albatross 11.
Foster, who operates Foster’s
Quay and the Albatross fleet here,
and Capt. Edgar Styron,, operator
of the Blue Marlin Docks, which
also features big game billfishing,
each reported raising other blue
marlin, and also white marlin dur
ing the week.
Styron predicted that even more
blue marlin than landed in 195,
when 19 of the great fish were
boated, would be caught this year.
The catch by Al Plews has given
a good start off towards this an
ticipated total catch for season
here. The big blues will be run
ning until October.
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
' St -
PROFESSOR B. G. CHILDS, Pro
fessor of Education at Duke Uni
versity, ’Durham, who will make
the address to the senior class of
Manteo High School at the gradu
ation exercises Friday night.
OCEAN PIERS PRODUCING
BLUES, TROUT, WHITING
Kitty Hawk—Memorial Day
week end saw an ocean pier bo
nanza in the Kitty Hawk and Nags
Head sectors with anglers making
the biggesat catches, so far this
season of blues, gray trout and
whiting. One pier operator at Nags
Head reported that several “boni
ta,” false albacore or “little
tunny” which ever name seemed
to be most suitable, were also
landed.
One observer who seems to know
his fish, stated that the so-called
little tunny or bonita, were actu
ally false albacore. This species
has been coming closer to shore
this year than in any previous
season. Last week an agler caught
one in the surf along the beach
and Warren Jennette of Jennette’s
Pier stated that several ranging
from eight to 12 pounds had been
caught. Joe Davenport of Wan
chese landed the 12-pounder on
Sunday. This fish is normally a
Gulf Stream specimen.
The pier operators reported that
their anglers were catching most
of the trout and blues with Sea
Hawk lures and usually near the
offshore end of the piers. This is
the general locality where the
false albacore have been taken and
also with artificial lures. Whiting
have been hitting shrimp and
bloodworms. Whiting have been
caught by the bushel and when in
dividual anglers caught from 40 to
60 blues from the pier during the
past week end it was not consider
ed unusual.
Surf casters are catching the
same species reported from piers
and they have also been caught by
trailers and still fishermen operat
ing in Roanoke Sound and off
Wanchese.
Each of the ocean piers were
patronized by many hundreds of
anglers on each of the Memorial
Day holidays, and they accounted
for many thousands of fish, it was
See FISHING, Page Five
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 1955
DRAMA ACTIVITIES
DUE TO GET OFF
TO EARLY START
Lost Colony Dance Rehearsals Be
gin in Manteo Tuesday,
June 7
By AYCOCK BROWN
Manteo.—Dance rehearsals for
Paul Green’s symphonic drama
“The Lost Colony,” which will open
for its 15th season in Waterside
Theatre here on Friday, July 1,
will begin in Manteo next Tuesday,
June 7, it has been announced by
Dick Jordan, general manager of
the show which has outlived all
other productions. Marvin Gordon
of New York City, who for the past
two summers has been featured as
the Eagle solo dancer of Kermit
Hunter’s “Unto These Hills” at
Cherokee, will be the choreog
rapher and Lost Colony dance ar
ranger this year. He will also play
the role of Uppowoc, the sensa
tional solo dancer of the Paul
Green drama.
Fifty or more persons having
roles as Indian, milk-maid or
colonist dancers are scheduled to
report for the rehearsals, which
will be held in Manteo High School
gymnasium, at 10 o’clock Tuesday
morning, for assignment and in
struction. Gorden, who is replacing
John Lehman, is scheduled to ar
rive in Manteo Monday night. Fred
Haley, Lost Colony organist is
scheduled to arrive at the same
time.
44 Local Dancers
Os the total number of dancers
in the cast, 44 residents of Roanoke
Island, some with several years of'
Lost Colony experience, are in
cluded. Local resident tentatively
assigned as milk-maid or Indian
maiden dancers include: Jo Anne
Ballance, Judy Etheridge, Suzanne
Allen, Lois Peterson, Linda Mann,
Sandra .Dowdy, Judy Willis,
Thelma jJan Williams, Dotty
Crumpacker, Alice Midgett. Mary
See DRAMA, Page Five
ABC BOARDS HOLD THREE
DAY MEET AT NAGS HEAD
The N. C. Association of Alco
holic Beverage Control Boards be
gan its two-day meeting Thursday
at 10 o’clock with registration at
the Carolinian Hotel, Nags Head.
The program called for fishing at
1 p.m. following a buffet luncheon
and a dinner at 7 o’clock with
attorney Wallace Gray of Manteo
delivering the address of welcome.
The Dare County ABC Board is
host to the convention, bringing
about 100 guests to the Carolinian
and the Wilbur Wright. H. W.
Rothrock of Halifax County is
president of the association. The
members are accompanied by their
wives. Speakers on the program*'
included W. T. Allen, State chair
man Peter Cooper, of Salisbury;
Frank K. Sims, Jr., and Major
George Racey Jordan. Cocktail
hours were provided for each day
from 4:30 to 6:45 p. m., with en
tertainment for ladies at 2:30 in
the lobby each day, and 2 o’clock
p.m. Friday a closed meeting of
all distiller’s representatives at
the Wilbur Wright Hotel.
Dancing was featured each eve
ning until 1 p.m.
Invocations were held at each
session, not by a minister, but by
Mr. W. D. McMillan on Thursday
and Mr. E. McD. Miller on Fri
day.
MEMORIAL DAY BRINGS CROWD TO MANTEO AIRPORT
LAST WEEK END was a big week end for Dare County, with the big
gest Memorial Day crowds ever to visit the area. The Manteo Airport
was doing a rushing business all week end, as may be seen from this
photo. Around sixty planes used the field during the long holiday, with
most of them staying several days, while their pilots were enjoying
the beaches, fishing, bathing and having a general good time. Repre
sented in this group were clubs from Pittsburgh, the largest; Baltimore
and Richmond. Many points in North Carolina were represented too,
but no large groups used the field. Airport operator W. M. Henderson
had a busy time, and to top the week end off, his daughter, Patricia, who
has been in Okinawa for two and a half years With government service,
arrived in Washington Sunday. Needless to say, Henderson took off
immediately and brought her home. The family is now enjoying a happy
reunion. On her return trip from Okinawa, Miss Henderson visited every
country along the western route.
31 YEARS AGO FISH
WERE PLENTIFUL IN
RELATION TO NOW
And They Told Us You Just Can't
Catch'em Up; Long Disproved
By Waste and Destruction
By EARL DEAN
Thirty-one years ago isn’t such
a long time for Dare County whose
history goes back to more than
300 years ago, but some interest
ing bits of news appears in the
papers in 1924 that make interest
ing reading today.
In September, 1924, Stuart
Rogers, an ardent fisherman from
Elizabeth City in those days, was
said to have broken the world’s
record by being the first man to
fish from a Ford automobile while
crossing Oregon Inlet. Trolling
from his Tin Lizzie 31 years ago
for blue fish, Mr. Rogers caught
two big ones and hung the third.
Hatteras Inlet was then three
quarters of a mile wide and said
to have been situated “between the
hunting grounds of A. S. Austin,
of Hatteras, and Ocracoke Island.
Witnesses to this unusual feat
were A. S. Austin, Sam O’Neal, A.
S. Austiri, Jr., Dick and Monroe
Austin, all them living on Hatteras
See 31 YEARS, Page Five
ROANOKE ISLAND NATIVE
IS HONORED IN MISSOURI
. '“'IE *.'•/
'll
DR. WILLIAM CARLYLE
ETHERIDGE on May 27th was
honored by the presentation of a
portrait of himself to hang in the
University of Missouri where he
has been a staff member for 39
years. The painting is by Daniel
Mac Morris. Dr. Etheridge was
born on Roanoke Island June 30th,
1885, the son of the late Daniel
Warren, (Dock) and Humantla
Meekins Etheridge. He graduated
, from State College, Raleigh in
1906 and Cornell in 1912, becom
ing a Phd in 1915. HeHias been
professor of field crops at Mis
souri since 1916, and the head of ;
the Department of Agronomy. He
is the author of several widely
known textbooks in his field. He
has received many honors from
American societies and univer
sities; commended by
Officials, and nationally known as
a man of ‘rare ability and public
service. Withal he never forgets
to come back home frequently to
visit his brothers, Ned at Manteo
and Norman at Virginia Beach,
I and his sister, Mrs. Mildred
O’Neal, in Manteo.
MANTEO CORPORAL NOW
SERVING IN KOREA
" Wk
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JO -
A ■ 4 s " k
WALTER L. GREGORY of Man
teo, corporal in the 92nd Chemical
Company is now serving with the
armed forces in Korea. He is 22
years old and the son of Mrs. Sybil
Gregory of Manteo. His grand
mother is Mrs. Josephine Ether
idge, a daughter of the late noted
Capt. Pat Etheridge of Coast
Guard fame, and another great
grand-father of Walter was Capt.
Macajah W. Etheridge, who for
many years was in charge of Coast
Guard Stations in Dare County.
Walter has served a year over
seas, and likes the Army, and may
re-enlist. His mother expects him
home in September.
THREE GRADUATE IN
KITTY HAWK FINALS
Commencement Exercises End Thursday
Night With Attorney Clarence
Morse As Speaker
Graduating exercises at Kitty
Hawk High School came to z a close
Thursday night in the schoql audi
torium when attorney Clarence
Morse of Elizabeth City delivered
the address. Mrs. V. S. Mayberry
played the processional and reces
sional. The audience sang “The
Star-Spangled Banner” and “Amer
ica the Beautiful”; and Rev. W. B.
Gregory pronounced the invocation.
Mr. Morse was introduced by Larry
Parker, member of the graduating
class. Clifton Pery was saiutator
ian and Kaye Whitfield delivered
the valedictory. Miss Alyce Sum
rell presented the diplomas and
Principal E. W. Bryan, the awards.
Graduates were Kaye Whitfield,
Larry Parker and Clifton Perry.
Eighth grade commencement ex
ercises were held Wednesday eve
ning, with the following students
receiving their diplomas: Nancy Jo
Smith, Lloyd Beasley, Johnny Buck
Beasley, Betty Lou Tillett, Billy
Davis, Barbara Sutton, Dallas
See KITTY HAWK, Page Five
OLD JONES PLACE BURNS
IN LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD
The old Asa W. Jones homeplace
in the Lake Neighborhood of
East Lake burned to the ground, a
total loss Friday evening about
night. For many years it was
owned by A. W. Jones, who was a
leading political figure in Dare
County in the latter part of the
last century, and here was reared
his large family .In more recent
years it was owned by the late
John T. Twiddy, and for the past
12 years or so owned by D. V.
Meekins of Manteo.
The place, which sat in an area
surrounded by some 500 acres of
wilderness was being developed by
the owner into a club for sports
men. It was a six-room two-story
house with large kitchen and
dining room adjacent. It was an
old house, framed with hand-hewn
heart pine timber, with split
cypress shingles. It sat in a 30
acre field, which until a few years
ago was cultivated.
The origin of the fire is believed
to have been a trash fire in the
yard which workmen thought they
had extinguished before departing
from work for the day. The house
was in process of conversion to
club house purposes.
DARE PEOPLE ASK TO VOTE
FOR MORE WASTE AND TAXES
The Dare County Commissioners
have called an election to be held
on Saturday, July 9th, whereby
the people of Dare County will be
expected to vote extra debt, and
extra taxes to raise $30,000 to
build a new jail in Manteo, and to
raise $5,000 to build a new jail on
Hatteras Island.
This money is to be added to
$50,000 cash donated to the county
sometime ago, and which is now
idle. In order to build this new jail
in Manteo, the SBO,OOO proposed to
be spent, will provide only an un
finished building, which will cost
many thousands more to finish.
The building is to be erected
where there is now not near enough
room for a structure of this kind.
Single Copy 70
SUPERIOR COURT IN
DARE GRINDING OUT
REPORTS —DIVORCES
One Murder Case; Two Divorces
Granted; New Jail in Manteo
Recommended by Grand
Jury
Court day came to Dare County
to start another of the regular
semi-annual terms, Monday, and as
usual, all the parking places were
blocked, with none left for people
who come to trade at the stores.
Judge Clifton L. Moore of Burgaw
presided. In three days few cases
were disposed of, due to lengthy
civil actions before the court, and
delay in picking jurors.
Wednesday was consumed with
the trial of John Davis Scarbor
ough, who pleaded not guilty of the
second degree murder in March of
Ephriam Daniels, Jr., whom he
killed almost instantly on a public
road near Manteo, with a single
bullet from a .22 calibre rifle fol
lowing a drinking bout. Scarbor
ough was represented by W. H.
McCown of Manteo, and Forrest
Dunstan of Elizabeth City. The
case went to the jury of seven
women and five men late Wednes
day afternoon .
There had been no agreement
on Scarborough’s case by the jury
at a late hour Thursday aftrenoon,
and as predicted earlier, a mis
trial was to be expected, whereby
the county will be subject to ex
pense of again trying the case.
Judge Moore had been well prim
ed by courthouse advisers before
opening court,” and he told the
Grand Jury in his charge that the
old jail should be replaced by a
new one, which was what the
spenders are urging at the court
house. When the Grand Jury ten
dered its report, prepared for it
by Register of Deeds Melvin Dan
iels, it recommended the existing
jail be torn down and a new one
these, columns, it would do.
built, as we predicted recently in
The Grand Jury report slipped
up also again in commenting on
the recent county audit saying,
“The audit shows the finances of
the county to be in good condition,
and all funds accounted for.” The
Grand Jury didn’t read the audit,
or it might have written its own
report; otherwise it would have re
ported the improper handling of
one SSOO item, and it would have
shown that there was up to a year
ago more than $1,200.00 in fines
and costs during the past seven
years still carried on the books,
some of the parties being dead or
departed and who never will pay.
Prior to seven years ago, there
were several thousand dollars
more uncollected, and now forgot
ten. '
The Grand Jury didn’t know the
law about publication of the county
audit each year. The law requir
ing this is on page 292 of the
laws of 1947, and is entitled Chap
ter 252. It specifies an audit be
made each year, but as many as
two years have gone by before an
audit was made, and the board has
n’t published an audit in the past
eight years. The Grand Jury could
have been a little more thorough
and found out why the county
board doesn’t want their audit out
in public. They do not want the
public to read the auditor’s, com
ments about how work is carried
on.
In this week’s court for the sec
ond time, a mistrial was ordered
in a case in which Melvin Leon
Evans was charged with driving
while drunk. A case against John
Herbert Bowser, charged with non
support of an illegitimate child,
was continued. A nol-pros was or
dered in the case of Margaret
Scarborough Evans, charged with
driving while drunk. She had mov
ed to Texas. Non-suits were or
dered in the case of Henry Arm
strong and James Tilden White
hurst, charged with violation of
the game laws.
Roy Ambrose’s case alleging vio-
See COURT, Page Five
FERRY TRAFFIC SHOWS
HEAVY INCREASE
Ferry traffic over all routes in
Dare County showed a large in
crease above traffic the same per
iod of last year. On Memorial day
week end, the count at Oregon In
let ferry showed over 1400 cars
carried Saturday and Sunday
alone, wiith promise of outgrowing
the Labor day week end business
of last year which totalled only
1,600 cars for the period.
Similar increases happened on
the Croatan Sound and Alligator
River Routes. Publication of the
new schedules are made this week,
showing increases in service over
all routes except Alligator River.
Stand-by boats will be provided
this year, it is stated, and the extra
boats recently put into service
during rush days have effectively
cleared up the traffic snarls which
heretofore caused much complaint.