VOLUME XXIII NO. 10
NEGLECT SHOWN BY
OFFICIALS TOWARD
MOSQUITO CONTROL
Glut Came When County Had
Most Visitors and No Spray
ing Carried On
Another example of the neglect
of Dare County officialdom for the
rights of its citizens occured in the
lack of effort toward some sort
of mosquito control for which the
citizens pay taxes, but which failed
completely to materialize during
the worst mosquito glut in years
through the past two weeks, and
which most unfortunately occur
red during the Labor Day period
while our coastal area had the
largest number of visitors in his
tory.
The county has two fogging
machines, and has received state
aid to operate them. Information
furnished this paper is that one
was left on Hatteras Island to be
' operated when needed, by the
Deputy Sheriff. Hatteras Island
folks report it hasn’t operated.
One or two instances of spray
ing have been reported in the up
per end of the county, but nothing
effective has been done. Reports
at Manteo indicate that Marvin
Mann, who was formerly in charge
of the mosquito fogging machine
in the Manteo area, had' been as
signed to the duties of looking
after three heating plants, namely
the Dare courthouse, the health
center and the community build
ing, and these duties made it nec
essary to employ at this season, of
all times, another man, who failed
to function, due to illness which
occurred at the outset of the mos
quito glut No one else was found
to take his place.
As it turned up, it was a most
unfortunate and hurtful situation
at a critical time, when numerous
visitors were driven away by the
pests.
DARE COUNTY LIBRARY
HAS PERSONNEL CHANGE
Mrs. Van Ness Harwood Retires; Mrs.
Michael J. Hamm Goes
To California
Mrs. Van Ness Harwood, who
was instrumental in getting the
Dare County library off to a start
some years ago, and who has serv
ed first as librarian and more re
cently as assistant librarian, is re
tiring at the end of this week, to
take life in a more leisurely fash
ion in her home in Manteo. Mrs. R.
O. Ballance of Manteo will replace
her as assistant librarian, work
ing with Mrs. Hal Ward, who has
been chief librarian since Septem
ber 1956.
Mrs. Michael J. (Alberta)
Hamm, who has been in charge of
the bookmobile for a number of
years, left Tuesday for Long
Beach, California, to join Mr.
Hamm, who is stationed there in
the Navy. She was accompanied by
her daughters, Nancy and Pat
Gordon. Miss Jeanetta Overcash of
Wanchese takes over on the book
mobile.
MRS. B. GREGORY, AVON
NATIVE DIES IN NORFOLK
Mrs. Bertha Midgett Gregory,
64, widow of Charlie C. Gregory
and daughter of the late Peleg
and Mrs. Annie Williams Midgett,
died at a Norfolk hospital Wed
nesday Aug. 28 after a heart at
tack on Tuesday.
She was a native of Avon, and
had been a resident of Norfolk
for 40 years, residing with her
son, Charlie C. Gregroy of 9328
Fishermans Rd., at the time of
her death. She was a member of
Christ Methodist Church and of
the Woman’s Society for Chris
tian Service.
Mrs. Gregory is survived by a
daughter, Mrs. Margaret Whitt
kamper of Americus, Ga.; four
sons, Charlie C., Riley M., Allen
R. and Ervin W. Gregory, all of
Norfolk; five sisters, Mrs. Jack
Gand and Mrs. Charlie Hinton,
both of Elizabeth City; Mrs.
Thomas Gray of Durham; Mrs.
Joseph Kropper of Bethesda, Md.,
and Miss Edith Midgett of Wash
ington; two brothers, Raymond
Midgett of''Philadelphia, Pa., and
Edward Midgett of Hialeah, Fla.,
and 12 grandchildren.
The funeral was at Christ Meth
odist Church Saturday .conducted
by the Rev. Robert A. Rose, pas
tor. Burial was in Forest Lawn
Cemetery.
DREDGE CREWMAN SUFFERS
BROKEN LEG ON TUESDAY
In an accident early Tuesday
morning, Sylvester Lawrence, Jr.
sustained a broken leg between the
knee and the thigh when an anchor
fell on him while he was working
on a Norfolk Dredging Co. dredge
engaged in deepening the channel
at Oregon Inlet. He was treated
at Memorial Clinic in Manteo and
then transferred by Twlford’s am
bulance to a hospital in Morehead
City.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
ANOTHER OLD SHIP
TO BE SUNK SOON
NEAR LONG SHOAL
The Commander, Naval Air Bas
es, Fifth Naval’District, Norfolk,
Virginia, has submitted revised
plans to utilize a surplus Navy
vessel in lieu of the construction of
a pile-mounted steel frame marker,
as an aircraft reference marker at
latitude 35°-36’-30”, longitude
75°-43’-59” in Pamlico Sound near
Long Shoal Point, Dare County.
Plans submitted show the vessel
will be settled on the bottom of
the sound and securely anchored
against possible movement in ap
proximately 8 feet of water. The
vessel is shown to be 153 feet long,
24 feet wide, and 19 feet deep. All
exposed surfaces of vessel marker
is to be painted international
orange. Plans showing the pro
posed vessel reference marker may
be seen at this office and at the
post office at Engelhard, North
Carolina.
Objections to the proposed work,
if any, will be received until Sep
tember 13, 1957, in the office of
Army District Engineer at Wil
mington, N. C.
TRAVEL GROUP ON
OUTER BANKS ON
LAST WEEK END
Plans For Promotion Discussed
During Meeting at Carolinian
at Nags Head
Headed by its president, Voit
Gilmore of Southern Pines, the
Travel Council of North Carolina, 1
Inc., held its late summer meeting
at The Carolinian on Nags Head
Friday and then toured the Outer
Banks on Saturday.
The group visited Coquina Beach
on Bodie Island, the museum of
the Sea at Cape Hatteras light
house, rode the toll-free, state
operated ferry Governor Umstead
across Hatteras Inlet and then
proceeded to Ocracoke village.
Arrangements had been made
by the Rondthalers of Ocracoke to
have members of the island’s Civic
Club meet the group at the Inlet
for the island visit over the new
Ocracoke paved road. On the is
land the group was entertained at
luncheon by Sam Jones of Nor
folk at his fabulous Berkley
Manor.
Attending the Travel Council
meeting in addition to the organi
zation’s vice presidents, Mrs. Em
mett Winslow of Nags Head, T.
E. Pickard Jr., Charlotte and
Beekman Huger, Canton, were del
egates from as far away as Ashe
ville, Fontana and Winston-Salem.
On Fridy afternoon in the
hotel’s Cypress Room civic leaders
of Dare Countjl met with the
group to hear various discussions
on the organization’s plans for
promoting the travel industry of
the State. Speakers on the pro
gram included: Bob Garvuy of Old
Salem Restoration, Winston-Sa
lem; Kenneth Knight, publisher of
Collins Travel Book; Ed Pickard
of Carolina Motor Club; W. H.
McCown, president Dare County
Tourist Bureau; R. E. Jordan, of
The Lost Colony; Charles Parker,
State Advertising Division; Mrs.
Winslow, and others.
Gilmore gave a report on the
Governor’s Anti-Litterbug cam
paign and the place marking pro
gram by a committee spearheaded
by Bill Sharpe of The State Maga
_„uu civic organizations
were sponsors of hospitality and
social functions during the meet
ing and Roanoke Island Historical
Association entertained the group
at a performance of The Lost
Colony.
MRS. HATTIE WOODHOUSE,
CURRITUCK NATIVE, DIES
Mrs. Hattie Trueblood Wood
house, 65, died Monday at 9:10 a.m.
in the Albemarle Hospital after a
long illness. She was a native of
Pasquotank County and had been
living in Poplar Branch for the
past 18 months. Prior to moving
back to Poplar Branch she lived in
Birmingham, Ala. for many years.
She was the daughter of the late
Noah and Mary Askew Trueblood
and was a member of the Poplar
Branch Baptist Church.
She is survived by har husband,
Oscar M. Woodhouse of Poplar
Branch; two sisters, Mrs. R. L.
Hawkins of Charleston. S. C. and
Mrs. T. J. Penn of Levittown, Pa.;
four brothers, the Rev. C. Herman
Trueblood of Goldsboro, S. C. True
blood of Charleston, S. C., Dr. E. J.
Trueblood of Gaffney, S. C., and
Norman Trueblood of Elizabeth
City.
Funeral services were conducted
Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in the
Blackwell Memorial Baptist
Church. Rev. A. J. Eure, pastor
of the Poplar Brandi Church, offi
ciated, assisted by Dr. R. W. Kick
lighter, pastor of the Blackwell
Memorial Baptist Church. Burial
was in New Hollywood Cemetery.
ENROLLMENT GAIN
NOTED IN SCHOOLS
OF DARE COUNTY
Manteo High Has 529 Students;
Cape Hatteras 316; Kitty
Hawk 122; Wanchese
115; Negro 70
While all pupils had not enrolled
on the first day of school Tues
day, the opening day showed a
gain in enrollment over last year
of 17 in Dare County. Largest
gain was 45 in the Manteo school,
due to new families moving to
town, and the transfer of ten stu
dents formerly taught at Manns
Harbor.
Total enrollment on opening
day this year was 1189. Last year
1,172. The Manteo school on Tues
day showed 214 high school stu
dents and 315 elementary.
Cape Hatteras school gained
nine students, with 236 elementary
students and 80 high school stu
dents. Kitty Hawk’s elementary
school had a loss of nine, with
122 elementary students on Tues
day. Wanchese lost 11; Its enroll
ment was 115. Manns Harbor
school lost 14, its enrollment was
19. Stumpy Point school lost two;
its enrollment was 18.
The negro school at Manteo lost
1. Its total enrollment was 70, of
which 12 are in high school.
Total elementary students 883;
in high school, 306.'
It is to be expected that several
more students will enroll soon in
the schools. In fact, attendance
was larger on the second day of
school. All students do not report
on the first day for various rea
sons. Newcomers do not always
make application promptly, as law
now requires.
Some of the students of high
school age in the north end of the
county go to school in other coun
ties, out of antagonism over the
consolidation of the Kitty Hawk
high school with Manteo. This
number proved sufficient to keep
Manteo school out of another
teacher, whose services would have
benefitted all students.
MANTEO YOUTH IS
HELD ON CHARGE OF
THEFT OF TWO CARS
James Midgett, 16-year-old Man
teo youth, Tuesday in Dare County
Recorder’s Court drew two 30-day
jail sentences on charges of driv
ing without a license and careless
and reckless driving and was also
bound over to Superior Court on
charges of having stolen two au
tomobiles. Deputy Sheriff Clarence
Hassell swore out a warrant for
Midgett August 29 on three charg
es: driving without a license, care
less and reckless driving, and steal
ing a 1949 Ford belonging to Ches
ter Tillett. As a result of this inci
dent, officers also reopened a case
in which Midgett had been charged
with stealing a 1947 Dodge belong
ing to Leonard V. Rogers last
May; earlier, because of his age,
it had been agreed not to prosecute
him on this charge if he kept out
of further trouble.
Johnnie James of Kill Devil Hills
came into court and pleaded guilty
to a third offense of driving with
out a license; Judge W. F. Baum
ordered the defendant pay a fine
of SSO and costs.
An illegal parking charge
against Milbum Ersel Norman of
Powells Point was dismissed. A
capias was ordered issued for Eve
lyn Benton Nickel of Cheverly
Md., who failed to appear in court
on a charge of speeding 48 m.p.h.
in a 35 m.p.h. zone.
Defendants in all remaining
cases reported submitted and paid
fines prior to court. In the speed
ing category, these included:
speeding 75 m.p.h., William Ran
dolph Weaver of South Norfolk,
SSO fine and costs; speeding 85
m.p.h. in a 35 m.p.h. zone, Margar
et Pearl Chaleston of Manteo, SSO
fine and costs; speeding 55 m.p.h.
in a 35 m.p.h. zone, David Richard
Brisbon of Nags Head, Robert John
Frazier of Robson, W. Va., Harvey
McClaude of Swan Quarter, and
James F. Howe of Middleboro,
Mass., S2O fine and costs each;
speeding 54 m.p.h. in a 35 m.p.h.
zone, Frank Wylie Jarvis, Jr. of
Burlington, and William Edward
Yates of Richmond, Va., sl9 fine
and costs each; speeding 52 m.p.h.
in a 35 m.p.h. zone, Milton Clyde
Campbell of Chapel Hill, Edward
Wilson Sanderlin of Norfolk,
Jacque Fancon Price of Bridge
ville, Pa., Willard Frederick Kelly
of Norfolk, and William Vernon
Sadler, Jr. of Clayville, Va., sl7'
fine and costs each; speeding 50
m.p.h. in a 35 m.p.h. zone, Preston!
Hatcher Bradshaw, Jr. of Rocky
Mount, Susan Richdale Tally of
Warwick, Va., and Joseph Oliver
Duke of Glenburnie, Md., sls fine
and costs each; speeding 49 m.pJi.
in a 35 m.p.h. sone, John Watson
Wheeler of Greensboro, and F.
Jack Jeuck of Winnetka, Hl., sl4
See COURT, Page Four ,
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1957
SERVING AT KEY WEST
WITH FLEET SONAR SCHOOL
Mr 1 / 1
- * .'•? 34 < s ijWs-; Is
Key West, Fla. (FHTNC)
Navy Lt Cdr. John P. Harris, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey C. Harris
of Kitty Hawk, N. C., is serving
at the Fleet Sonar School, Key
West, Fla., as head of the Opera
tions Section of Officer Instruc
tion.
He reported to Key West Aug. 9
from the destroyer USS Moussen,
where he served as the Executive
Officer.
During Lt. Cdr. Harris’s naval
career, which began in 1944, he has
seen service on board two destroy
ers, a cruiser and a troop trans
port. Mr. Harris was also a naval
aviator for three years.
Lt. Cdr. Harris, his wife, Wad
ealene and their two children live
at 2429 Fogerty St., Key West,
Fla.
HAY FEVER RELIEF
ON DARE COAST
RAGWEED SCARCE
Kill Devil Hills Said to Have
Nothing to Trouble Hay
Fever Sufferers
The hay fever season is on, and
its runs from August 15 to Sep
tember 30th. Many people have
learned there is less ragweed pol
len on the Dare Coast than any
other place, and they come here
for relief. In fact, the Kill Devil
Hills area is said to be freest of
all of this exasperating contribu
tor to sniffling.
According to the Geographic
Society, Puerto Rico and Alaska
are without this pollen but in the
continental United States, how
ever, seven or eight million victims
of hay fever will lay in a stock
of nose tissues and join the an
nual chorus of sneezing.
Each season, the villainous weed
sneaks some 250,000 pounds of pol
len into the air. Not a single state
escapes the fallout, the Society
says. *
A Formidable Foe
“Science has not yet found an
effective way to eradicate the
weed. Seeds may lie dormant for
20 years. The best way to fight
hay fever, many believe, is simply
get out of ragweed-infested zones.
JURY LIST FOR DARE'S
OCTOBER COURT GIVEN
The following persons’ names
have been drawn for jury duty at
the Fall Term of Dare County
Superior Court slated to begin
October 21st, according to a list
released Tuesday by Melvin R.
Daniels, clerk to the board of
county commissioners:
Hatteras: William Woodard
Peele, Anderson Midgett, Frank
P. Gaskins, Carl N. Hollis;
Manteo: Charlie O’Neal, James
E. Clark, Mrs. Vivian Ryder, Mrs.
Annie Johnson, Edward C. Ether
idge;
Wanchese: Mrs. Alex Davis,
Charlie J. Crank, Arthur P. Har
ris, Myrtle Tillett, Donald P.
Gray;
Stumpy Point: Riley R. Payne,
Mrs. Margaret Best, Bennie L.
Payne;
Buxton: Edna Barnette, Shelly
Frontis, Albin B. Fulcher, J. Ken
drick Gray;
Kitty Hawk: Raymond Perry,
Boyd Basnight, Herman A. Tillett,
Edward L. Rogers, Alvah E.
O’Neal, Arnold Perry, A. W.
Fletcher, Barney B. Midgett;
Manns Harbor: Janet Tillett,
Grace White, William S. Pinner,
Clyde Ward, Mrs. Brent Hassell,
Mary Crees;
Avon: Loran P. O’Neal, Marie
Hooper, Mitchell J. Gray Jr.;
Kill Devil Hills: Robert A.
Young; «
East Lake: Wilbur W. Cahoon,
Emmett E. Smith, Joe N. Spruill;
Salvo: Willie Hinnant Sr.;
Frisco: Leonard L. Rollinson,
Bennie B. Bai-nett;
Nags Head: Frank B. Dinwiddie,
M. R. Frazier, William L. Ed
wards;
Waves: Dorland Midgett, Dewey
A. Midgett.
DARE BOARD VOTES,
ACCEPT WORK ON
COURTHOUSE. JAIL
Appreciation Voted to Organiza
tions Which Helped Fight
Last Month's Forest
Fire
The Dare County Commissioners
Tuesday at their regular Septem
ber meeting unanimously voted to
accept the work done on the addi
tion to the courthouse under the
general contract with the excep
tion of the parapet coping, which
is to be replaced to meet original
specifications. The new jail was
accepted also as being completed
according to contract.
The board voted however to di
rect the county attorney to obtain
a list of all supplies of material
incidental to the general contract
for construction of the courthouse
addition and to have a duly exe
cuted lien waiver obtained in each
case. The firm holding the gen
eral contract for the job defaulted
in the contract, and the work was
finished by the bonding company.
Appreciation for help in fighting
the big forest fire on the Dare
mainland last month was voted by
the board to: the state Department
of Conservation and Development
and Forestry Service, the U. S.
Navy at Weeksville and the Fifth
Naval District at Norfolk, the U.
S. Carine Corps at Cherry Point,
Edenton, and Camp Lejeune, the
National Guard of Elizabeth City,
the volunteer fire departments of
Belhaven, Kill Devil Hills, and
Manteo, and the U. S. Coast
Guard.
The board received from
the Aetna Insurance Company,
through its agent, R. Bruce Ether
idge, a report of the company’s
assessed 100% insurable value of
county-owned buildings, as fol
lows: courthouse (old), $25,000;
courthouse and jail (new), $70,000;
community building, $42,000;
health center, $30,000; hangar at
airport, $22,800; dwelling at air
port, $5,000; airport office, $5,000,
storage building at airport, $2,000;
county school garage, $3,200; and
police station at Nags Head,
$2,400.
In addition to receiving routine
reports from county officials, the
commissioners also passed on a
number of projects requesting
work by the State Highway Com
mission. The board voted to peti
tion the commission to provide a
bridge over the main canal bisect
ing the Kitty Hawk Road with a
mean clearance of seven feet or
more over the average high water
mark, to provide a similar bridge
over the same canal as it bisects
Highway U. S. 158, and to provide
a similar bridge in Hatteras vil
lage over the canal that drains the
central pond area of the village;
the bridges were termed necessary
from an engineering standpoint to
take care of the flow of water in
each instance and to furnish navi
gation facilities for small boats.
The board also approved requests
for surfacing of four county roads,
two at Avon, one at Hatteras, and
one between the Atlantic View Inn
and the Sea View Inn on the
beach; the latter road would be an
access road between U. S. 158 and
the new road, and its surfacing
was requested as soon as the new
road is completed. Another request
was that the Highway Commission
put an Oregon Inlet ferry sign at
the intersection ’of the causeway
road and the road leading to Wan
chese.
SCHOOL PROMOTION
FOR HARRY THOMAS
Will Be Assutant Principal of Williams
School in Burlington, With
Enrollment of 1500
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hunt Thom
as and son, Harry Hunt, Jr., left
Tuesday for Burlington after
spending the summer at their home
on the shore of the north end of
Roanoke Island. Their do-it-your
self project is working in this home
which they purchased several years
ago. Mr. Thomas is lighting direc
tor for the Lost Colony, and Mrs.
Thomas (the former Marjalene
Midgett of Manteo) is a member
of the cast and choir.
On returning to Burlington,
where he has taught for seven
Mr. Thomas will assume the
new duties as assistant principal
and counselor for boys at Williams
High School, where the enrollment]
is 1500 and the teachers number
55. He will also teach physics and
act as advisor to the student coun
cil. In past years, in addition to
his teaching duties in the school,
Mr. Thomas has been conducting
classes in mathematics for veter
ans, at night
Mrs. Thomas will teach fifth
grade in Burlington, and she is
also employed as soprano soloist
at the First Presbyterian Church.
All three members of the family
1 look forward to the holidays which
they spend in their Roanoke Island
home.
SALE OF $200,000
KIT'Y HAWK SCHOOL
BONDS ANNOUNCED
Sale of $200,000 in Kitty Hawk
School District bonds was consum
mated last Wednesday by the Lo
cal Government Commission, Mrs.
Mary L. Evans, Dare County
superintendent, has been advised
by the commission. The bonds
were sold at an interest rate of
5.1472 per cent, Mrs. Evans re
ported.
Revenue from the bonds is to
be used to build a new elementary
building at Kitty Hawk. The coun
ty school board is slated to set the
date for advertising for bids on
the new school plant at its Octo
ber meeting, and tentative plans
call for the bids to be opened
about the first of November.
CROWDS ON LABOR
DAY GREATEST IN
DARE COASTLAND
Hatteras Island and Ocracoke
Unable to Supply Rooms;
Ferries Jammed on
Week end
The Labor Day holiday brought
to the Dare County coast, and to
Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands in
particular, the greatest number of
people ever to visit it at one time.
Nags Head’s rooming and eating
facilities were crowded, and res
taurants report the biggest busi
ness ever enjoyed.
On Saturday, approximately 960
cars were carried across Oregon
Inlet by the three ferryboats, and
this number of course, includes the
smaller number that made the
northbound crossing. For the most
part, this nearly a thousand cars
was destined for Hatteras and
Ocracoke Island. The new toll-free
Ocracoke ferry was loaded on each
South bound trip.
Rooming facilities on Hatteras
Island were crowded on the week
end, from end to end of the island,
and many rooms in private homes
were taken. Eating places and
firms catering to sportsfishermen
did a rushing business.
With three boats operating
steadily across Oregon Inlet, traf
fic was handled without much de
lay. A wait as long as two hours
resulted late Monday in the rush
when everyone was trying to go
north at one time, and the waiting
list for the boat ran as high as
175 at one time, but with the
boats taking away 18 cars every
20 minutes, the situation cleared
up pretty well. Some 25 cars were
reported left behind on Sunday
night, but none on Monday night.
Now that word is abroad that
free ferries operate all the way
to Ocracoke, a terrific gain in
traffic may be expected to con
tinue in the coming year.
BILLFISH TAKEN BY
ANGLERS ON CRUISERS
Some of the skippers were say
ing “there are still plenty of bill
fish off Oregon Inlet,” but fewer
catches were being made because
the big influx of summer anglers
has decreased, as it always does
with the approach of autumn
monhts.
Capt Carson Stallings of the
Carrov reported one sailfish dur
ing the week. It was taken by a
Suffolk, Va., angler. A whjte mar
lin was landed by an unidentified
angler fishing with Capt. Sam Til
lett aboard the cruiser Tony early
this week. Several large wahoo,
and fair catches of dolphin, ocean
ic bonita, king mackerel and pther
varieties of Gulf Stream fish are
being caught by anglers heading
for the Gulf Stream off Oregon
Inlet.
Capt. Jesse Etheridge of Wan
chese who specializes in bottom
fishing and trolling in local waters
reported plenty of flounder and
other bottom fishes with fair
catches of blues.
Spanish Mackerel Caught
Spanish mackerel, some going
to six pounds, have been caught
by anglers trolling in Hatteras
Inlet recently according to Snow
den Quidley. They are also mak
ing some good catches of blues in
the same waters.
Quidley operates a small store
near the approach to the new toll
free and state-operated ferry in
Hatteras village. He also takes out
tfishing parties. It was on Labor
Day week end that he reported the
catches his parties had made a
few days previously which includ
ed Spanish mackerel going to six
pounds each. “They were so large,
they looked like king mackerel, ex
cept for the golden spots on their
bodies,” he said. The gold spots
identify Spanish mackerel.
Wahoo and King Mackerel
Willie Newsome of The Sports
man’s Headquarters at Hatteras
telephoned the Tourist Bureau in
Manteo on Thursday to report
catches of wahoo up to 55 pounds
-
Single Copy 70
DISTRESS VOICED
AS LOST COLONY
SHOWS DECLINE
Attendance Drops Despite Unpre
cedented Number of Summer
Visitors to Area
Unless something is done soon,
and in a big way, the Lost Colony
will be lost to Roanoke Island
people. It’s on the skids. In the
face of the greatest number of
people ever in Dare County during
a season, its attendance fell to a
new low. It lacked income to pay
out in proper shape. It took in
some $12,000 less than last year.
The attendance this season,
which closed Sunday night with
711 persons present, totalled only
36,142, a drop of 6,059 under last
season’s attendance. Due to rising
costs of operation, the show needs
a sharp gain in attendance, or
more gate receipts from year to
year to year in order to forge
ahead. It deserves an attendance
of 75,000. It should never have
less than 50,000 in order to keep
on top.
The situation is giving grave
concern to people of the Roanoke
Island area, where income has fall
en off sharply in private homes
which have prepared for accommo
dating tourists. The decline of the
Lost Colony is of grave economic
importance on the whole island
and particularly in Manteo, whose
businessmen do not share directly
in the great influx of visitors to
the beaches and the lower banks,
these visitors being here primarily
for recreation or for fishing.
The Lost Colony is the only im
mediate money-maker for Roanoke
Island which has no industries.
For some years it has lacked suf
ficiently intensive promotion. It
has lacked publicity,—the kind es
sential to its success, and which
of necessity must be beamed to the
people who are natural patrons of
a show of this kind. Many pepole
who have seen it, say the show
has been cheapened and made less
interesting by changes that have
been made in the interest of econo
my during the past several sea
, sons, and by lack of direction,
(more apparent since Sam Selden
left. The choir too, is considered to
compare unfavorably with the
Westminster College choir from
New Jersey which served the
show for so many years.
Despite the loss sustained by
Lost Colony, other outdoor shows,
narrfely the Cherokee show, “Unto
These Hills,” and the pageants at
Jamestown and Williamsburg,
which latter two, were also writ
ten by Paul Green, have shown a
great and profitable growth.
The directors of the Lost Col
ony, who other than an occasional
meeting, have never manifested
too much activity or interest in its
behalf, have a first class task now
cut out for them. The show suffer
ed for many years by being made
a vehicle for politics and profits.
It was loaded up with un-needed
help to make jobs. Some of its di
rectors were largely concerned
with finding jobs for their rela
tives and became vicious and bitter
toward the manager or others who
opposed such policy. The show is
too valuable and too helpful in
many ways to be allowed to go
to seed. It’s going to have to bring
in some high priced, experienced
and capable talent if it ever hopes
to get out of the doldrums and
worse, for which it is now headed.
Manager Dick Jordan reports
this week that steps have already
See SHOW, Page Four
REV. D. O. GUTHRIE DIES
IN "FAYETTEVILLE TUESDAY
The Rev. .Douglas O’Dell Guthrie,
former pastor of Currituck County
Methodist Church, died Tuesday at
5 a.m. in a Fayetteville hospital
after an illness of several years.
He is survived by his mother
and father, the Rev. and Mrs. C.
W. Guthrie of Wanchese; his wife,-
Mrs. Maude Parrish Guthrie and
four sons, Charles, Jack, Billy and
Odell, of Dublin, Bladen County;
two brothers. Jack Guthrie of Ten
nessee and Sam Guthrie of Penn
sylvania.
Funeral services were conducted
Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Meth
odist church in Dublin, Bladen
County, of which he was pastor.
INCREASE OVER AUGUST 1956
SEEN AT WRIGHT MEMORIAL
Attendance at Wright Brothers
National Monument during August
1957 totaled 68,909, according to
Horace A. Dough, superintendent
This marked an increase of 5.5
percent as compared to August
1956 when 65,266 visitors were
counted.
“The total visitors for January
through August 1956 was 228,696
as compared with 263,240 for the
same period this year," Dough re
ported. Automobiles passing over
an electric counter at the approach
to monument is the basis from
which the visitor count is obtained.
•
... ..