Newspapers / The Coastland Times (Manteo, … / Dec. 19, 1958, edition 1 / Page 1
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VOLUME XXIV NO. 25 HATTERAS MAN’S BODY FOUND AFTER FOUR NIGHTS IN ICY CANAL ON BODIE ID. ROAD Junius Martin Styron, 47, Presumed Dead of Heart Attack, Caught on Northside of Inlet Because Ferries Couldn't Run; Left Home on Wednesday With Nephew, Roy Austin, Found Sunday Morning By,Sheriff s Party. -f Junius Martin Styron 47, and his nephew Roy Austin 34, both of Hatteras, while in search of relax ation came to Manteo Wednesday of last week, thinking' to get a little beer, meet some old friends and go back home that evening. On Tuesday of this week Styron was buried at Hatteras; his body having been discovered Sunday morning, face down in a roadside ditch after having been partially submerged for four nights and three days while Oregon Inlet ferry traffic had flowed back and forth beside it The stofy of this tragic occur enee is a singular one. Sometime about 8 p.m. Wednesday, the pair visited the home of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Willis at Wanchese, former Hatteras residents. Styron and Austin, both having apparently been full of the holiday spirit, left shortly afterward, saying they were going to ride around awhile. Styron, a tall, heavy, amiable and likeable man was Austin’s uncle. The next episode occurred when Austin showed up at the home of Supt. Bob Gibbs, Park Service Superintendent at Bodie Island. Austin was wet and incoherent from cold and booze, and “wanted help to find his buddy who was lost.” Mrs. Gibbs was home and alone with her young children, but she let him come in to get warm while she tried to locate an offi cer in Manteo, and finally locating Ben Crees in Manteo. Mr. Crees located Sheriff Cahoon who went to the scene and found Austin along the road. Meanwhile Balfour Baum and Gus Hultman had gone down to the Gibbs home to see if they could be of assistance. Austin apparently was unable in his condition to give Sheriff Cahoon coherent information about the circumstances. On Thursday, Austin eslisted the services of an old friend, Thomas Glenn Gaskill, of Wanchese to help him find his uncle. Austin’s ex planation was that they had in tended to return home Wednesday evening, but finding the ferry not running, had decided to pay a visit to the Willis home. He went back to the Willis home on Thursday but couldn’t remember completely what happened. His memory was ,hazy, it appeared, and at one time he said Styron had asked him to let him get out of the car for a moment to seek a post or a tree. When Styron failed to return to the ear. Austin shouted for him, calling his name, but got no ans wer. It was a night, and the wet shoulders of the road tvere undependable for traction. He told Mrs. Gibbs that he had tried to turn the car around in order to continue to seek help in finding Styron, but in this attempt his wheels rolled into the ditch and he was stuck. He was unable to explain to Mrs. Gibbs whether he was north-bound or south-bound, or to give any approximation of the location of his car. The. reports now indicate, that when he and Gaskill failed to find Styron on Thursday, Austin re turned to Hatteras without broad casting any information at home concerning the absence of his uncle. Finally Saturday afternoon Styron’s son-in-law, Roger Far row of Buxton came to Manteo to look for him. When he finally learned something of the condi tions, it was after dark. On Sun day morning Sheriff Frank Ca hoon called his deputies, Darrell Daniels of Wanchese, Clarence Hassell of Wanchese, Clarence Hassell of Manns Harbor, Donnie Twyne of Manteo, and they went over the ground all the way to Oregon Inlet. Retracing their steps Frank Cahoon walked upon the body of Styron lying face down in the ditch with only his rear and the back of his head shewing above water. His body was frozen rigid. , Coroner Jim Vannote said there was no evidence of violence or bruises and it was not considered necessary to have medical exami nation or an inquest. The body, he said was found one-fourth mile south of Maynard Daniels’ cottage “Lookout,” and 200 yards north of the Screaming Eagle cottage'own ed bv Jim Morton of New York. It was on the east side of the highway. Styron’s friends say he was suffering from a heart condition and a severe case of cirrhosis of the tiver. Some of them believe he fell into the ditch after a heart See STYRON, Page Twelve THE COASTLAND TIMES pObUSHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA KITTY HAWK'S NEW $200,000 SCHOOL OPEN IN JANUARY Open House to Be Held on Jan uary 4th Serving Patrons of Six Communities Six communities in upper Dare County will be served by the new $200,000 building now being com pleted for the Kitty Hawk School District covering the northern part of Dare County. The new building which is ex pected to go into service after the New Year holidays is rapidly be ing completed, and the PTA is ar ranging an open house to show it off to the public on Sunday after noon January 4, if present plans can be carried out. To the cost of the building will be added SB,OOO for additional -equipment to supplement the equipment now used' in the present school. It is financed by a bond issue which has been made pos sible by the rapid growth of beach property in the district. Except for a driveway, parking area, and a few other necessities, the build ing is now almost ready for use. The 'school is of yellow brick on a 15-acrc site. Communities to be served by this building arc Caffeys Inlet, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Colington, Kill Devil Hills and Roussapock. The building which includes the main entrance houses the princi pal’s office, health room, teachers’ lounge, gymtorium (combination auditorium and play roof), library, cafeteria, commodity storage room, heating plant and restrooms. The other building bas eight classroom, more than is needed now but provided in the confident belief that school enrollment will grow. One of the rooms not now needed for classes will be used for showing educational film' strips, where screen and projector can remain set up. The primary rooms open on the playground as well as into the main hall. They have their own toilet facilities, and a combination drinking fountain, and lavatory with soap and paper towels. Every classroom has a sink in it, as does the teacher’s lounge. Student restrooms include hand washers. Classrooms and the principal’s office have one wall of glass, with windows below and a special non ' glare glass above, the first school in the State to use this type of glass. In the gymtorium, one wall is paneled, to cover a space for stor ing the auditorium chairs when not in use. The cafeteria dining room is connected with the gymtorium with a wall of double doors, so that the two may be converted into one ropm, either for community dinners or for programs attended by more than the seating capacity of the gymtorium. Back of the stage is a large room, primarily intended for a dressing room for school entertain ments, but which can also be used for small gatherings and is expect ed to be put touse by the com munity. An outside entrance to this room would eliminate the nec essity of going through the gym torium to reach it. The Stephens architectural firm in New Bern served as architects for the structure, with Frank Mc- Call .of Drexel, general contractor. TOUGH LUCK FOR FAMILY OF JOHN MOORE, JR. The Christmas season seems the toughest time misfortune could come to anyone, and the family of John Moore Jr., a young Coling ton man had it last Wednesday when the home which they rented, burned down, with all the furni ture and the clothing of the Moore family except what they wore that day. Mr. Moore was away at work, the three children were away at school, and Mrs. Moore was down the road visiting a neighbor when the kerosene stove set the house afire. Despite the prompt effort of the Kill Devil Hills fire de partment' several miles away, nothing could be saved. Neighbors of the Moore family organized a committee to receive contributions of money, clothes, furniture, ete., to help the couple and their three children to get a new start. Those interested in aiding the family should get in touch with the Dai* County Welfare office; Mante*. MEN WHO NOW DIRECT COUNTY'S $300,000 ABC BUSINESS JUg ■(I BA 3SL 9 I I it A I ■ -nt ik 4 ■ Tb ■ x.i [A i v vm- 9 ■Mv * Or I * S'* J o'JW I <5, |S M' )O/|' I UL/ik | T 4r I I LAST WEEK on Thursday, Dare County’s new ABC board was sworn in and began the direction of the 21-year-old system which has grown until it is one of the greater sources of income for the county. Reading from left to right, they are, sitting: William (Scotty) Gibson of Hat teras; L. D. Hassell of Manteo and J. Curtis Gray of Kitty Hawk. Standing is Robert H. Midgett of Manteo who has been with the system 21 years, most of this time supervisor of the two stores: Manteo and Nags Head. Aycock Brown photo. —— Mr. Gibson, who with his wife, the former Nettie Robinson of Hatteras, owns the Atlantic View Hotel at Hatteras has been suc cessful in this enterprise since they bought it some 20 years ago. To this they have added a modern case. They have a married daugh ter, and the Gibsons are hard NEW ABC BOARD HEAD HAS RECORD IN ACCOUNTING ■ <JIL fcgiail LEIGH D. HASSELL WHEN the Dare County Commis sioners recently began giving con sideration to the question of whom to select as members of the Coun ty ABC Board to supervise the management of a county-owned business that has passed the $300,000 mark in annual gross sales, it was apparent that today’s needs and future prospects of the ABC system needed men of mark ed ability. Horace Hooper, success ful business man himself was first to recognize this need and after considerable discussion with Mr. Hassell with the appeal that his services, were needed got him in terested and won his consent to undertake this responsibility. Few people know that Mr. Hassell is the active head of a business with an annual gross of upwards of a half million dollars a year, and fewer know he has held a diploma from General Motors for the past 18 years, awarded for outstanding efficiency in the accounting sys tem of that giant organization in North and South Carolina. His prior experience includes the work ing out of difficulties of a utility system; as head of accounting for the Manteo Boatbuilding Co. which was one of the biggest contractors in the coastland under the defense program of World War 11, and as a Chevrolet dealer for nearly 30 years. He began his business edu cation as a lad in Norfolk, got his early training with Norfolk auto mobile dealers. He is one of the hardest workers in his community for fraternal and educational causes, and was a tireless worker during the recent primary for a progressive program in Dare County. His wife is the former Ima Jolliff, and they have two sons. WANCHESE PAGEANT The cantata pageant, “The Christmas Story,” will be present ed at the Wanchese Methodist Church Sunday evening, Dec; 21, at 7:30. The public is cordially invited to attend thia special Christmas program. MANTEO. N. C.. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1958 workers in behalf of civic and fraternal and church causes. Curtis Gray of Kitty Hawk is a native of Avon, but has been some 20 years engaged in contracting for beach home owners in the northern area of Dare County. His wife is the former Minnie Gray of Salvo, and they have three daughters and a son. TO HOLD OLD CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL AT RODANTHE JAN. 3, TWO DAYS EARLY Unique Celebration to Take Place Saturday Eve ning Wi+ti Ustaal Oyster Roast, Dance, and Minstrel Program; Proceeds to Be Used in Re pairing Community House Serving Three Vil lages—Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo. An unusual thing about Rodan the’s unusual festival in celebra tion of “Old Christmas” is in the books this year. It will be held on January 3 and not on January 5, the day which is traditionally ob served by the people of the three neighborly villages comprising the Chicamacomico community. Reason for holding the festival on Saturday, January 3 is that on a week-end more of the former residents of the community, the home boys and girls working away from home, will be able to enjoy the occasion. As the Old Christmas date drops back toward the middle of the week, fewer persons are able to attend. The observance of the “Old Christmas” date is a survival of a traditional custom when some hun dreds of years ago, religious peo ple refused to accept legislative edict setting the calendar ahead, wherein some 12 days were lost. Religion then dictated to many people that it still did not change the day on which Christ’s birthday should fall. Rodanthe people, like all other people of the Coastland now for many years past have come to ac cept Dec. 25th as the date, but the continued observance of the Old Christmas date cherished by their great grandparents is ob served also, and celebrated annual ly out of respect for tradition and community prestige. And this respect and reverfence for old customs of the past, and for the opinions of the coastland’s rugged pioneering ancestry, is looked upon by people from out side the coastland as something worthy of remembrance and praise. Because this celebration is some thing unusual in the nation, and only a few regions of North America still cling to it, the Ro danthe festival has grown in re cent years until it attracts more spectators than the small build ing’s 200 capacity can accommo date. Much of the affair is held out of doors. The people of the community have provided a free oyster roast, and free dance music for many years. Good roads have made it possible for so great a number of people to attend, that the resources of this small neigh borhood have become unduly taxed to pay the cost of the celebration. The two hour program in the school house, the oyster roast etc., all are now charged for from citi zens and visitors alike, in order to See FESTIVAL, Page Twelve YOUTH KILLED BY SHOTGUN IN HAND OF A PLAYMATE Tragic Ending of a Mistletoe and Christmas Tree Hunt on Roanoke Island High hopes for a happy Christ mas for three little boys and their families ended Wednesday after noon when Melvin Lee (Buddy) Flowers, 12, came to his death from a shot-gun blast some three miles north of Manteo. The gun* went off while in the hands of Marvin Clark, 12 year old son of Andrew Clark. The Flowers boy, with Bill Houlton, 11, were on the porch of the Clark home. Young Houlton had a hack-saw and had set forth to cut a Christmas tree. The Clark boy went and got an old-model breechloading shot gun to take along to shoot mistletoe down from the trees. Tl;e gun went off, and the Flowers boy died in a few minutes. Mrs. Clark, who was on the premises but some distance from the house heard the shot, came and found -the little boy dy ing, and ran for help. The other two boys, frightened out of their wits, ran off. The little Clark boy rode his bicycle to Manns Harbor, then came back and went to the home of an uncle Willie Rogers, who returned him home, bike and all. The lad was so completely frightened and stunned by the mishap that he couldn’t give a complete account of how it happened. The boys grew up near each other and had been playmates all their lives. They were of the same age, and were good companions. The Houlton boy is the son of Mrs. Mildred Houlton Midgett of Manteo and lives with his grand- See TRAGEDY, Page Twelve CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SYSTEM IN MANTEO BUSINESS DISTRICT Plans Now to Enlarge System and Make Better Showing Each Year Aided by contributions from various merchants and individuals, and with the liberal help of VEPCO employes in Manteo who furnished labor, the business dis trict of the town now has the nu cleus of a creditable, street light ing outfit for Christmas. If this material is stored, and cared for where it may be remembered and found, added to and erected in succeeding seasons, it will prove of much value. This is what, we are told, will be done. The street lights now showing make the down town business area more interesting for the sea son. It reflects credit on those who gave their time to put it up, as well as those who gave their money to pay for it. Chief of Police M. C. Mitchell headed the group which collected the money contributions. The merchants of Manteo have this year shown their largest stocks of Christmas merchandise. In fact, the principal stores carry about anything for gift purposes save jewelry, that can be found anywhere in this pai*t of the country. See LIGHTS, Page Seven EMMETI’ A. ROLLINSON, AGED FRISCO CITIZEN DIES FRIDAY Emmett A. Rollinson, a lifelong resident of Frisco, Dare County, died Friday, Dec. 12 in Duke Hos pital, Durham, where he had been a patient since the Tuesday pro ceeding. He had been ill for sev eral months. He was 88 years old. Surviving are one daughter, Mrs. Ella Ransom, of Frisco; four sons, Christopher Rollinson of Port Arthur, Texas, Ellis B. Rol linson of Norfolk, Enith Rollinson and Charles Rollinson, both of JYisco. SATURDAY NIGHT AFFAIR TO BE ATTENDED BY SANTA Manteo Lions were this week making final plans for the big pre- Christmaa dance at the Shrine Club Saturday night Santa Claus will be on hand with special guest “Cecil” to help i« awarding prizes. Dancing will begin at 9:00 p.m. AMAZING PREDICTIONS ABOUT FUTURE OF AVIATION HEARD FROM MONRONEYWEDNESDAY Speaking on 55th Anniversary of First Flights, Oklahoma Senator Says We'll Put a Man in Outer Space 100 Miles Above Earth in Man- Piloted Airplane At Speed of 3,600 Miles Per Hour. SWAIN CHAIRMAN. 1959 PIRATE S JAMBOREE 9 LAWRENCE L. SWAIN, who has taken an active part in all Pirate Jamborees during the past four years has been named chairman for the 1959 three-day event scheduled to be held during the last week end in April beginning on the 24th. The committee met Wednesday night, and was presided over by Alvah H. Ward, Jr., retiring chair man, who will continue to serve in an advisory capacity. Three 1959 steering committee men were nominated and elected Wednesday night for the Dare Beaches. They are: George Crock er, Nags Head; Tom Briggs, Kill Devil Hills and Orville Baum, Kitty Hawk. Other steering committeemen will be elected at a meeting on Sunday a&ernobri (time and- plaee to be announced) January 11, 1959. Next year there will be three committeemen from Hat teras Island instead of two and there will be two from Roanoke Island and two from the Dare mainland. At the January meeting a secretary and treasurer will also be elected. Mrs. Margaret Davis of Kitty Hawk is cnurrently sec retary and treasurer. Pirate King Linwood Tillett of Kitty Hawk and his court will be the committee to encourage beard growing. Starting time for beard growing January 1. Likewise Pirate Queen Mary Burrus of Hatteras and her court will aid in plans for the Jamboree. The King and Queen, their courts, Dare Coast vacation oper ators and members of the 1958-59 steering committees are urged to be present on January 11 to help develop plans for making the Jam boree this year bigger and better than ever. ROTARIANS TREATED TO A MUSICAL PROGRAM At its regular meeting Monday night, the Manteo Rotary Club was treated to a musical program, mixed with rare humor from toast master Aycock Brown, president of the club. The club approved a contribution of $25 for the family of John Moore Jr., who recently lost their home in a fire. An nouncement was made that the next two regular meeeting dates of the club would be skipped and the next regular meetihg will take place on January 5. An interesting musical program was presented by the Sea Tones, a local orchestra comprising the following pieces: Mike Gallop, trumpet; David Dickie, string bass; Paul Crocker, drunms; Fran cis Meekins, accordion, and Mrs. Norma Cahoon, piano. Two special guests of the club were Miss Isabelle Riddick of Manteo and Bruce Leonard of Kitty Hawk, leaders in the student body of the Manteo High School. George Culpepper of Manteo was a visiting guest of Rotarian Ernest Meekins. DARE COUNTY BOY ON TELEVISION MONDAY NIGHT Charles Briggs who has been working in television in California for about a year, will appear in “The Texan”, on CBS television Monday night, December 22, and his friends in Dare County will have a chance to v see him act. Charles is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Briggs of Kill Devil Hills. He is a former member of the cast of The Lost Colony. Single Copy 7# The amazing prediction of Sen ator Mike Monroney of Oklahoma, that within a year we will put a man in outer space 100 miles above the earth in a man piloted airplane, and that we will develop speeds of 3,600 miles per hour was heard with complete attention by some 200 persons attending the luncheon Wednesday afternoon, on the 55th anniversary of the birth of Aviation. Senator Monroney also spoke earlier in the day at the brief cere mony at the Wright Memorial monument at Kill Devil Hills, scene of the first flights, but due to the noise from nearby aircraft, he could not be heard. The Lunch eon was held at 12:30 in the Dare County Shrine Club near Nags Head. The Elizabeth City High School band participated in the earlier exercises; the welcome was by Mayor Thos. Cheats Jr. of Kill Devil Hills. Present were two grandchildren of observers of the first flight, Alma Etheridge and John Wesley Daniels, who present ed a wreath given by the Kill Devil Hills Memorial Society. An honor guard, all named Wright from Cherry Point Marine Base presented a wreath also. Two big Marine Corps helicop ters brought the dignitaries to the hill and left their motors running and blocked out the program. The main air show was put on by eleven F-100 Air Force Sentry Jets flying in buddy formation with one vacant position. S. Wade Marr of Elizabeth City was toastmaster at the luncheon where Melvin R. Daniels made an address of welcome. Elbert Cox, Regional Director of the National Park Service, who has been a strong factor in developing plans for the expansion of the Kill Devil Hills Memorial project spoke of plans for the new visitor center and memorial now being planned at the hill. Among those recog nized by the toastmaster were A. W. Drinkwater of Manteo; Rear Admiral H. C. Moore, USCG of Norfolk, who is soon to be trans ferred to the West Coast; Texas born Major General Daniel W. Jenkins of the U. S. Air Force. Herb Kallisch of the Air Force Association who presented a scale model of the first airplane to Miles Clark of Elizabeth City, for many years active head of the Memorial Society, and Lt. Col. Gordon E. Gray of Cherry Point who arranged the tributes to the Wrights by the Marine Corp. Great Applause For Warren and Bonner Congressman Herbert Bonner received much applause when he was presented, and more and loud er applause followed when he men tioned the name of former Con gressman Lindsay Warren, who has played a large part in the development of this coast, partic ularly the improvement of Fort Raleigh, building the Wirght Memorial, the development of the Seashore Park, and other things. Mr. Bonner was liberal in his praise, singling out R. Bruce Etheridge for his long statesman ship and Victor Meekins for his newspaper work for the advance ment of his coastland. It came his turn to present the speaker, Sena tory Monroney, who has been to Dare County several times, and with his family, spent this year’s summer vacation at Southern Shores near Kitty Hawk. Senatdr Monroney made many impromptu remarks about the area, its people, his love for them and his appreciation for the fine things done for him by the people of Dare County during his visits. He expressed appreciation for the great help given him by both Lindsay Warren and Herbert Bon ner when he first went to Con gress 20 years ago. Monroney’s Speech The principal part of Senator Monroney’s speech in the prepared text was as follows. “You who have this pilgrimage to Kitty Hawk more than a half century after the world-stretching achievement of Orville and Wilbur Wright come not only to honor those immortals of aviation at the site of their victory. You come, I am sure, in the belief that ‘What is past is prologue.’ “What we have done before we the manufacturers who will build tomorrow’s supersonic marvels of See MONRONEY Page Six )
The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.)
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Dec. 19, 1958, edition 1
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