* UME XX —NO. 53 1 aUL green and graham BOTH TO APPEAR FRIDAY AT LOST COLONY OPENING Author of the Play, and Chairman of State High way Commission To Speak at Fort Raleigh To night as Drama Begins Its 15th Season; Many Changes Noted in Both Script and Costumes; Much Interest Presages Large Attendance. By AYCOCK BROWN A. H. (Sandy) Graham, chair man of the North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Com mission and Paul Green, who gave the world its first symphonic drama type of outdoor theatrical production will be speakers at the 15th season premiere of The Lost Colony in Waterside Theatre at Fott Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island Friday night. Lights will shine on the be ginning of this longest lived of all outdoor productions at 8:15 o’clock, E.S.T., and performances will be presented nightly (includ ing Monday, July 4th) until July 10, after which there will be per formances every night, except Mondays, through September 4. Sandy Graham will be here to officially represent North Caro lina and its Governor Luther Hodges. Paul Green will make a flying trip from Berea, Ky., where another of his symphonic dramas has its premiere on June 29, in order to be here to greet the audi ence at Lost Colony’s 712th per formance Friday night. Several Changes Director Clifton Britton of The Lost Colony states that there have been several changes in drama this year and many of the cast members will be newly costumed. It will be the most exciting edi tion of the drama’s long run. The changes involved have given more speed to the reduction, and per formances this year will be six minutes shorter than last year and previous years. le of the most noticeable ' jes will be found at the very ■j* mi ng of the drama during the the Wanchese school, and has been highly commended for her work on this Board. Mr. Daniels is like wise known as a big-hearted com munity worker, and his previous interest in assistance work is con sidered an excellent qualification for taking this new post. MEETING AT RODANTHE FRIDAY NIGHT AT 8 TO DISCUSS JUBILEE A meeting of interested citizens — HF fISBjHHPv tr Photo by Ben Dixon Mac Neil! Since he first landed a small aircraft on the Skyco landing strip 14 years ago without knowing precisely where he was, E. W. Grove, wealthy Cleveland, Ohio banker, has come back oftener and sent down more people to taste of the pleasures of a Dare county vacation than almost anybody. He came down last Friday afternoon for a week end outing, just to see the country again before he and Mrs. Grove took off next month for a flying vacation that will take them as far north as Point Barrow, Alaska. When he first came to Dare county Mr. Grove was on a spring vacation with his teen-age son William, who had a week off from school. It was the custom of father and son to take that sort of a vaca tion somewhere. They knew only that they were about 100 miles south of Norfolk when they had to hunt a place to land. They sighted Dave Driskill’s Stinson and came in for a landing. Nobody was around but within a little while Ben Dixon Mac Neill and Albert Bell drove down, just to see if it was anybody who needed anything. Roanoke Island was like that—then. That trip they stayed a week, making short trips here and there by air and in either Bell’s or MacNeill’a automobile, driving around the community. They fished very little, but just looked and sunned themselves in the April sunshine. There was still snow in Cleveland. With time out during the war Mr. Grove has been making several trips a year down here, staying at Parkerson’s Hotel, which was the only one open when they first came, and they liked it so well they have always stayed there. Last Friday they casually telephoned Mr. Bell that they were com ing and suggested that if he could find out where Mac Neill was, to get hold of him. They brought two friends and their wives and spent the week end, making a long flight over the Outer Banks Saturday morn ing. They returned to Cleveland Monday, arriving in time for a day’s work at the bank of which Mr. Grove is president. Young Grove, after trying the bank, is living in New York on his own and has made Mr. Grove a grandfather. Because of its longer cruising range and speed Mr. Grove has finally settled on the Beechcraft Executive as the aircraft suited to his needs. He owned three of the smaller Beechcraft Bonanza’s since the war, but prefers the larger and faster ship for long trips. This spring they skipped Dare County for their early vacation and flew to Yucatan. SCENES YOU'LL SEE IN LOST COLONY'S ISTH SEASON PREMIERE ft.lyl imMM nil I illllH ii 11.I I. Colorful and dramatic scenes that will come to life again with The Lost Colony’s 15th Season Premiere at Waterside Theatre on Roanoke Island are shown above surrounding the view of the amphitheatre where 711 perform ances of the internationally fa- MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1955 mous symphonic drama have been presented to date. The Paul Green play, first presented on July 4th, 1937, has been more responsible for changing the economy and pro moting the progressive growth and development of Roanoke Is land and the Dare Coast than any thing else. The drama today is one of the largest single industries of the arpa. Photo in upper left shows the famous Lost Colony Chorus urtder direction of Nena Williams. The Chorus is made up of students and/or graduates of the Westminister Choir College, Princeton, N. J. Top right scene shows Eleanor Dare singing a lullaby to her new born daughter Virginia Dare. Talented Ann Mar tin of Cherokee, with a rich back ground of theatrical activity in her career, plays the role of Eleanor Dare, the female lead, for her sec ond season this year. One of the very dramatic and most exciting scenes of the play is shown in 'Unto These Hills' Gives Indians Full Measure Os Sympathy, Understanding, Opportunity This, With Many Other Attractions, Makes the Far Journey To The Mountains Well Worth While. By CATHERINE D. MEEKINS The season of outdoor theatre is on in North Carolina. Our own “Lost Colony” by Paul Green is scheduled to open Friday night, July 1. “Unto These Hills” at Cherokee and “Horn in the West” at Boone opened last Saturday night and my husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to at tend the opening of “Unto These Hills.” Being fully aware of the great dramatic quality of “The Lost Colony” and knowing how complete and professional a pro duction it is, I went to the moun tain show not a little biased, and expecting a show somewhat infer ior to our own. However, I was in for the surprise of my life, be cause “Unto These Hills” is also a great dramatic achievement and equally as well done as our own show. As far as comparing the two shows is concerned, it would be hard to do so. Where “The Lost Colony” is a great symphonic dra ma with the music interwoven as an integral part of the production, “Unto These Hills” is straight dra ma with a certain amount of inci dental music. The Indian dances were most interesting and extreme* ly well-done, as why shouldn’t they be? Their choreographer is Foster Fitz-Simons, who was for several years choreographer for “The Lost Colony” and who did such a mag nificent job of it. He also has one t>f the leading character parts in the mountain show, and does it to perfection. In addition, he is associ ate director. Where “The Lost Colony” covers a comparatively short period of time, “Unto These Hills’ covers a period from the coming of De Soto in 1540 until 1842, when the re maining Cherokees were allowed to live in peace in their native hills, after most of their tribe had been removed to Oklahoma across the Trail of Tears, their suffering beyond our comprehension. Having been an “adopted na tive” of Roanoke Island for the last 25 years, I love every inch of lower left as Uppowoc, the Indian Medicine Man begins his dance to drive away the spirits followed by the massacre of the sleeping In dians by Governor Lane’s men. Marvin Gordan of New York, the drama’s choreographer, plays Up powoc. Colorful scene of the play portrays a Garden Party reception by Queen Elizabeth. The Queen again this year will be played by Mary Wood Long, who has been with The Lost Colony for many seasons. She is shown receiving Eleanor White (later Dare) as her master of Ceremonies, played this year by William L. White Jr., of Topsham, Maine. Waterside Thea tre, designed and built by Albert Q. Bell is the center picture, and the spot where the expected record breaking 15th season premiere will be held on Friday, July 1, one week from today. (Photos by Aycock Brown, Dare County Tourist Bu reau and Dick Bruckse, Ports mouth (Va.) Star.) Dare County, and especially our beautiful Waterside Theatre on Roanoke Island, the home of “The Lost Colony.” But, being hill-bred I reveled in the beauty of the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee. Built in a natural amphitheatre, with towering mountains as a back drop and other mountains on all sides, the theatre has the best acoustics I have ever heard at an outdoor production of any kind. In the high, thin mountain air, the actors did not have to battle with the heavy sea-level'atmos phere and the ever-present winds that our actors have to combat. We had seats in the fifth row back in the center section, just about the best seats in the theatre, but I am sure those seated high in the back of the theatre heard every bit as well as we. We arived at the road leading to the theatre about 30 minutes ahead of opening time and our hearts fell when we were told we would have to park at the foot of the mountain, as the parking lot near the theatre entrance was al ready filled. A steep mountain climb was not much to our liking; but just as we had parked our car and started toward the road, we discovered that the management was running shuttle busses from the foot of the mountain to the See TRIP, Page Ten REDUCTIONS IN TAXES AT KILL DEVIL HILLS A reduction in taxes to 25 cents per SIOO has been made this year by the town Board of Kill Devil Hills, and Schedule B. Privilege taxes have also been reduced. The new budget set up to operate the town for the fiscal year beginning July 1, totals $15,297.25. The items covered by this bud get are as follows: General gov ernment expense $4,797.25; Police Department $2,600; Fire Depart ment $1,000; Contingency S4OO and Street Department $6,500. CLOSING OF BINGO GAMES AT NAGS HEAD CREATES FURORE IN MANY CIRCLES Highly Controversial and Exciting Court Action Sponsored by Four Church Groups Comes to A Head, With Padlocking of Establishments; To Be Heard Saturday, July 9th by Judge Mor ris at Currituck. McCOWN PRESIDENT OF MANTEO ROTARY CLUB , f, < / gj^;. . . JjSj WALLACE H. McCown, Manteo attorney will take office Monday night, July 4th as president of the Manteo Rotary Club, succeeding John H. Long. Mr. McCown is a former Secretary of the Club. Ralph Swain is the new Vice-presi dent; R. D. Sawyer, Treasurer, and See McCOWN, Page Ten HOME AGENT RESIGNED DAY BEFORE BRINGING ACTION AGAINST BINGO Others Back Water Under Force of Vig orous Antagonism in Behalf of Games; One Signer Agreed to Withdraw It now appears that Mrs. Vir ginia (Pat) Wescott had resigned as home agent for Dare County, in a letter transmitted to her superiors the day before she at tached her name to, the petition for the closing of the bingo games. On June 21, due to circumstances and costs involved in the require ments essential to become a per ice she has concluded acceptance manent worker in Extension Serv os permanent work would be to her disadvantage. Dare County will be without a home agent for sometime to come, due to lack of experienced workers in this field. Here is Mrs. Wescott’s letter of resignation: Miss Florence Cox District Home Agent Raleigh, N. C. Dear Miss Cox: The letter from Miss Dakin with details from my becoming a mem ber of the Federal Retirement system has upset my outlook on the future considerable. I am per fectly willing to conform to Ex tension regulations but having to go back to years service in Bertie and Durham counties requires that I repay more than eleven hun dred dollars. To receive a monthly income after I am 62 years old would be fine, but one of the pur poses of my working now is to give our children educational ad- See AGENT, Page Ten WANCHESE SOLDIER * - SkL. mI ■- W. L : ;- < • •" Eufe ■v < PVT. TOMMIE D. D.ANIELS, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ruford A. Dan iels of Wanchese, and the husband of Mrs. Edna M. Daniels, who entered the armed services on May 17, is receiving his basic training at Fort Jackson, S. C. He will re turn home in the early part of August. Single Copy 70 One of the most far-reaching court actions ever undertaken in Dare County came to a head last Thursday night with the serving of a court order padlocking 3 of 4 four bingo games at Nags Head, and summoning the operators to appear on July 9th at 10 a. m. be fore Judge Chester Morris at Currituck courthouse to show cause why they should not be per manently enjoined against further operation of the game of bingo. The action was brought in a petition signed by Mrs. Marjorie Wescott and Mrs. Virginia P. Wes cott of Manteo, following senti ment expressed by the three Meth odist Church Boards of Manteo, Wanchese, and Kitty Hawk, and the Manteo and Nags Head Baptist Churches, which began early last fall. The two signers are leaders in church and community work and say that they sincerely oppose the game of bingo for moral and reli gious reasons and were moved further by the strong support urged upon them by religious leaders of the congregations men tioned. A terrific furore has been aroused on the Dare Beaches, where the most of the business in terests look upon bingo as a harm less, but highly profitable amuse ment to the beaches. The reactions range from fear to highly volatile indignation. Some interests fear that the beaches will suffer a tre mendous loss in trade and tourist business. They contend that a great number of people who patronized the resorts have come only because of the bingo games. Many of these people are open and above board in their support of the games, and in their fight to retain them. But some letters sent have been anonymous, disgraceful, and ridiculous in the extreme. Because the two Mistresses Wes cott were in quasi-public employ, Mrs. Marjorie Wescott, a capable stenographer employed heretofore by the Dare County Tourist Bu reau, and Mrs. Pat Wescott, hav ing recently been employed for a full year as Dare County Home Agent, appeals have been directed to their superiors demanding their dismissal. (Two such letters, frankly signed, are reproduced elsewhere in this newspaper to day). But many anonymous, venomous and cowardly’ letters have been sent through the mails to the two signers of the petition. Many bit ter telephone calls have been re ceived. Here is one of the letters mailed, postmarked at 3 p. m. Sun day from Elizabeth City: “Dear Marjorie: Writing you a few lines in re gards to what you have done in regards to the bingo on the beach you have took all this mistake on your self used the people of Wan chese and Manteo for your alabi and what you know about this you don’t know nothing out of the way you don’t go there and you know nothing what goes on except what you heare and as a friend to you and your whole family I want to give you some advice first thing you do you go draw that warrant get your name out of this you are making your self pretty busy and playing pretty smart you are put ting your whole family on the spot I have heard plenty about your husband stealing from the govern ment and you know this too when he was doing this you are going to be dealt with in a mighty bad matter you will loose your job the other party will do the same mabe burned out of home mabe shot blowed up, mabe your daughter kidnapped you won’t know what will hanpen study this matter over carefully let conscience be your guide act now dont wait maybe prolong serious trouble a friend to you and your whole family „ “do something at once” E. City, N. C. June 26, 1955 On the other hand many mes sages of congratulation and promises of support have come to the two Mrs. Wescotts, which in dicates a surprising number of people who think bingo should go. Cash Basis Fostered Trouble See BINGO, Page Nine