OLUME XXIV NO. 43
SALINITY OF ALLIGATOR RIVER
RESULTS IN HEAVY LOSS; DATA
BEING PREPARED IN THE CASE
Efforts Have Been Made for More Than Ten
Years to Get Federal Relief, While Destruction
to Timber and Farm Land Goes On; Hearing
to Be Held May 15, by Corps of Engineers;
Dare and Tyrrell Preparing Case.
Another stage in the long fight
for relief, while heavy damage
goes on, from salinity of the Alli
gator River, is to be held by the
Engineer Corps at Columbia Fri
day May 15 at 10 a.m. The Com
missioners of Tyrrell County are
preparing an imposing array of
argument to prove the case for
Federal aid to relieve the situa
tion, and the Dare County and
Hyde County boards are cooperat
ing.
The last named counties may
not be equally concerned to the
extent of the physical damage that
is evident in Tyrrell, but never
theless, the loss has been heavy.
Tyrrell has suffered gfeat loss to
both agriculture and timber, as
well as to the fishing industry, but
Dare has suffered in timber loss
and fishing loss too.
Following the completion of the
inland waterway in 1928, connect
ing the Pungo and Alligator Riv
ers, complaints soon arose that salt
water pouring into the hitherto
fresh Alligator River through the
new canal was damaging crops
and killing trees. For 20 years this
situation continued until finally an
appeal to Congress was made in
April 1948 that the reports sub
mitted be reviewed. Nothing came
of those reports, and again in
1966, eight years later, in July
1957 a resolution was adopted in
Congress asking for a further re
view. This was granted.
Now more than 30 years since
the opening of this canal, we find
the situation unrelieved. The Engi
neer Corps is preparing to con
sider data, and this data must cov
er all areas of Tyrrell County bor
dering on the river, between Goat
Neck and Kilkenny. Likewise, it
should have information on border
ing areas in Hyde and Dare coun
ties.
The evidence now of damage
from salt water is completely man
ifest, as one may see by observing
the dead trees along the river
shore. It is evident to all farmers
whose lands have been ruined, and
See HEARING, Page Four
i HOW TO SOLVE TAX
CLAIMS PROBLEM TO
DARE CO. BOARD
Complications in Last Year's Ap
praisal Methods Handicap Board
In Making Adjustments
The complicated mix-up that has
resulted from the tax appraisal
* job attempted in Dare County last
year has developed into what may
be the greatest problem that faces
the new Dare County Board of
Commissioners.
The Board discovered this week
that it is virtually impossible to
give relief to taxpayers who ask
f for reductions, even if the Board
considers it is merited.
Only in cases where an error
had been made in the application
of the system, or by a clerk, can
corrections be made.
Some property owners have
come to the new Board, believing
\ that this board could make reduc
tions in valuations, and most of
them have been disappointed. In a
few instances, definite mistakes
were discovered, sometimes in the
tabulation and sometimes in the
mis-location of property, as be
tween ocean front and mid beach
lota. Changes could thereby be
made.
> Legal opinion leaves the Com
missioners on loop-hole to enter ir
to any realignment of last year’s
appraisals. The law points out
that when last years tax valuation
job was done, all taxpayers were
notified of the figures that had
been set.
A date was given each taxpayer
rt to appear before the county Board
and appeal from this listing. Many
persons failed to appear, and
thereby lost their rirght for
further appeal.
Some property owners did ap
pear, and were denied the relief
they asked for, and notified that
tise last step left them was to ap
v peal to the State Board of assess
ment Most of these property own
ers gave up, and the period expired
for their right to appeal.
Some did appeal to the State
‘Board of Assessment in Raleigh,
at considerable expense, yet up to
now no ruling has come from the
State Board.
A Taxpayers’ Association was
7" See PROBLEM, Page Four
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROUNA
BASNIGHT WINS HIGHER
FAA MANAGEMENT POST
low ' s
Jill
ARVIN 0. BASNIGHT has been
appointed Deputy Assistant Ad
ministrator, Office of Management
Services, Federal Aviation Agen
cy. In his new job he will be the
deputy to Assistant Administra
tor Alan L. Dean.
Formerly Budget and Finance
See BASNIGHT, Page Four
ARCHEOLOGICAL OBJECTS INTEREST AMBASSADOR
’ -• ' > ’ • ’ HF ife
I I
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JI hb i
ON HIS VISIT to Fort Raleigh museum recently British Ambassadoi-
Sir Harold Caccia showed particular interest in objects found by the
National Park Service, in their archeological diggings while searching
for the original location of the Governor Ralph Lane-built fort of 1585.
He is shown here with Albert Q. Bell of Roanoke Gardens (left) and
Robert Gibbs, superintendent, Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The Ambassador was adcompanied to the Dare Coas£ by his wife,
Lady Caccia, their son David, and Scott Rankin, aide to the Ambassa
dor. (Aycock Brown photo)
YOUNG PUNKS STRIP CARS;
GET OFF LIGHT IN COURT
Portsmouth Youths Who Stole From Car
at Kill Davil Hills Heard in Dare
County Court Tuesday
. Two Portsmouth, Va. youths
tried in Recorders Court, and
three tried in Juvenile Court in
Dare Connty this week, for steal
ing parts from the car of James D.
Groce at Kill Devil Hills a week
ago Sunday, were allowed to pay
three dollars each and the court
costs, and the three elder offenders
were given a 60-day road sentence.
The boys got off mighty easy in
deed, after having been run down
by a highway patrolman and
caught near the Virginia line. Lar
ry E. Moorefield, 16 and Larry Lee
Lewis 17, were tried by the Re
corder. Wm. Thos. Morris, John C.
Christenbury and Freddy Lee Jol
ly were tried by Juvenile Judge,
C. S. Meekins. x
In three cases, Charles E. Wro
ten of Wanchese drew a total of
$127.20 in fines and costs. He was
charged with reckless driving,
drunk and disorderly, displaying
alcoholic beverages in public, as
saulting a Manteo police officer,
and damage to the jail. He also
got a six-months suspended road
sentence.
Dorian Washington, colored, got
12 months on the roads, for rob
bing Alfred Midgett of $lO. He got
a $25 fine and 30-day suspended
road sentence for being drunk at|
Catherine Latham’s house, and $lO j
See COURT, Page Four
EXPECT TO LET
BIG HARBOR JOB
CONTRACT MAY 20
Nearly 3,000,000 Cubic Yards of
Sand to Be Removed in About
12 Months, Near Roanoke Id.
Plans have been announced from
the District Office in Wilmington
by the Corps of Engineers, for
dredging the harbors at Manteo
and Wanchese and the channel to
Oregon Inlet to a depth of 12
feet.
The job will require the remov
al of an estimated 2,288,000 cubic
yards of material and, based on
the required average rate of 200,-
000 cubic yards per month, the
project will take about a year to
complete. It will be 12 feet deep
all the way from Manteo, Wan
chese and to Old House channel.
Col. H. C. Rowland, Jr., District
Engineer said the opening of bids
is scheduled to be held May 20
and that the successful bidder will
be required to start the work with
in 30 days after receipt of the
notice to proceed.
All the requirements of local co
operation are reported as having
been met, or will be met by the
end of this week.
The final item is the establish
ment of a publicly owned space for
docking at Wanchese Harbor, and
a fund-raising campaign is report
ed by the Dare County Waterways
Committee, to be in a highly sat
isfactory stage.
It is expected this job will cost
upwards of a half million dollars.
A similar or larger sum will be
spent on dredging through Ore
gon Inlet where a cut 19 feet deep
will be made, and this will insure
water of 12-foot depth for a long
time to come. Then will be the
first time in history, vessels of
such size may use a North Caro
lina port north of Wilmington.
SENIOR CITIZENS PLAN
TO FORM CLUB APRIL 30
Much intereest has been ex
pressed in the organization of a
Senior Citizens Club in Dare
County. Arrangements have been
made for a meeting for all inter
ested citizens at the Educational
Building of the Methodist Chureh
in Manteo on Thursday, April
30th at 7:30 p.m.
Rev. Stanley Snead, pastor of
the Kitty Hawk Methodist Church,
will serve as temporary chairman
until the club president is selected.
The recreational program for this
meeting has been arranged by
Mrs. Hal Ward, Librarian and
Joseph Cox of Manteo.
Through the generosity of Fear
ings, Inc. refreshments will be
served.
GOLDEN WEDDING TO BE
CELEBRATED ON MAY 7
Mr. and Mrs. Harris Midgett
will celebrate their fiftieth wed
ding anniversary at their home in
in Manteo on Thursday, May 7.
Their daughter, Mrs. E. G. Hines
of Manteo, and their granddaugh
ter, Mrs. Larry Ballanbe of Wan
chese, will honor them with Open
House from two until four o’clock
that afternoon. All their friends
are invited to visit them. Mrs.
Midgett, who has been an invalid
for about 20 years, was before
her marriage Miss Ella A. Midgett
of Rodanthe. Mr. Harris is a native
of Salvo. They have lived for many
years in Manteo.
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1959
PREVIEW OF LOST COLONY FOR 1959
MHHU. - J- •' I|V
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WEARING their Elizabethan Era costumes these four actors of Paul
Green’s symphonic drama The Lost Colony were guests of honor at a
Yaupon Tea Party presented in Raleigh recently at the Sir Walter
Hotel by Senator and Mrs. Emmett Winslow. They are Oliver Link in
the costume of John Borden. (Link will not return to the show this
year, but will be succeeded by Robert Lee McQuain of Richmond in
the role.) Ray Smith of WCUNC, Greensboro, will again be cast as
Old Tom Harri;s Mary Long of Rock Hill, S. C., will return to play
Queen Elizabeth and at right is Manteo-born Margalene Midgett
Thomas who will be cast as Eleanor Dare when the show opens on
June 27 for its 19th season. She is the first native of Roanoke Island
to ever reach the top in The Lost Colony as now she will play the fe
male lead. She has been with the show since 1938 and for the past
several seasons she has been a member of Lost Colony Choir. (Aycock
Brown photo)
BIG SHIP FLOATED
WEDNESDAY MORN.
NEAR KINNAKEET
No Loss of Life, But Four Perished
on The Sea Dog Wrecked
Nearby
The big liberty ship Antonin
Dvorak, being towed to Baltimore,
which went aground near Little
Kinnekeet Coast Guard station
Saturday morning March 28th
was pulled off the beach at 8 a.m.
Wednesday by a wrecking tug
which had been standing by for
several days, awaiting a favorable
wind and tide.
The ship is 445 feet long and has
been tied up in the Cape Fear Riv
er since the war. It cost the Gov
ernment about a million dollars, 1
and was sold by it for scrap iron
for $70,000 and was being towed
to the Bethlehem Steel Co’s, scrap 1
yards in Baltimore.
There was universal hope along •
the Outer Banks that the ship
wouldn’t get pulled off, so valu- i
able a tourist attraction had it
Droved to be. Thousands flocked
down the beach to see it, jamming
ferry" service, but also spending
some money. |
There was no loss of life on the
Dvorak, which broke loose from
the tug which was towing her. She
has now resumed her journey to
Baltimore.
But serious loss of life occurred
in December of 1957 when the
Trawler Sea Dog met disaster
some three miles to the north of,
the spot where the big ship floated
up. Four men were drowned.
The broken hulk of the Sea Dog
the morning of Dec. 6, 1957, gave
mute testimony to the probable
tragedy of its four occupants
sometime before.
It was found by Percy Williams
of Avon resting with its bottom
up, its superstructure, pilot house
and the starboard side from amid
ships to stem missing and the
stern broken out. Nothing remain
ed of the 61-foot vessel’s equip
ment except several life preserv- 1
ers, part of its fishing catch and 1
the engine.
The owner, John Lawson of
Hampton, said The Sea Dog left 1
Hampton Dec. 3 headed for the 1
See SALVAGE, Page Four
SEVEN SEEK ALDERMAN
PLACES AT KD HILLS
Two Out For Mayor;, Many Desire To
Be Member* of Town Board
On Beach
The position of member of the
town Board of Kill Devil Hills
looks attractive to many, for with
filing time to go until Saturday
evening, already seven have filed
for Aidermen, and three can be
elected. Mayor Thomas Chears is
opposed by R. D. Cooke, a member
of the town Board.
Elwood Parker, and Thos.
Briggs seek re-election as Aider
men. Other candidates who have
filed for Aidermen are R. A.
Young, a former Mayor and Aider
man, J. Leo Murphy, a former
Mayor, Jack Ballance, Ira Part
ridge and C. A. York.
Mrs. Wade Register is a candi
date for Treasurer to succeed her
self and is opposed by Mrs. Edith
B. Harlowe.
TRAVEL GROUP WILL
ARRIVE TUESDAY ON
COASTAL JOURNEY
A real pre-Jamboree event for
the coast of North Carolina is the
land sea cruise of Editors, writers,
photographers and travel execu
tives who are due to arrive in Dare
County Tuesday morning, April
28. Their trip will begin in Ra
leigh, including visits to Rocky
Mount, Edenton and Elizabeth
City. t
Tuesday morning they will ar
rive at the Sea Ranch ac Kitty
Hawk and be entertained by Mr.
and Mrs. Sykes. Then they will
visit the Wright Memorial; at
12:30 p.m. check in at the Beacon
Motor Lodge, there enjoy a buffet
lunch and tour Fort Raleigh, the
Elizabethan Gardens, and Cape
Hatteras Seashore area north of
the inlet. They will also visit
Drinkwater’s Folly on Roanoke
Island.
A social hour will be held at the
Carolinian Hotel at Nags Head,
See GROUP, Page Four
PROGRESS IS BETTER IF
IT DOESN’T COME FAST
“Looks like it’s going to be a
mighty busy summer,” said the
Old Sea Captain to the Drummer
on the occasion of his first trip of
the month to the Cape. “I declare
I never saw anything like it, with
more and more people coming
every year. Now it seems we get
just about most of our living from
people on wheels, and who we
never saw before. When I was a
boy we had to depend on what we
could get from the water, and
when he had a season of bad luck,
we had to depend on each other in
order to live.”
“Everything is different now,”
said the Drummer. “Used to be we
all had a lot of time to stop and
visit, and at certain hours, the
merchants all had a lot of time to
stop and talk. Nowadays, the
storekeeper has to be on his feet
all the time with people coming
in all day long.”
“Yes,” said the Old Sea Cap
tain, “there is nothing certain in
this life except change. I just
read where at least half the jobs
by which people now earn a living
came into existence within the
past 40 years. We didn’t have mo
tels nor service stations, nor air
plane pilots, nor fishing guides,
etc. In the old days anybody will
ing to work and having common
sense could earn a good living.
Now a fellow has to have a col
lege education before he will be
considered for a job."
"That’s because life has become
too complicated,” said the Drum
mer. “Only a man who knows
HATTERAS OFFERS BIG FREE
SALT-WATER-FISH FRY FRIDAY
TO OPEN PIRATES JAMBOREE
Saturday, Pirates Will Battle on Kitty Hawk Bay;
Nags Head and Other Beaches Will Echo Day
and Night with Music and Dancing; Races on
Sunday by Fast Boats in Manteo Bay, As Tour
ist Season is Officially Opened on Outer
Banks.
BISHOP TO VISIT CHURCH
AT NAGS HEAD THIS WEEK
-dim
The Rt. Rev. Thomas H. Wright,
bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of
East Carolina, will make an an
nual visitation to St. Andrew’s
congregation on Saturday and
Sunday, April 25th and 26th.
Bishop Wright expects to cele
brate the Holy Communion with
the local congregation at eight
o’clock on the morning of the 26th
and will visit the Church School at
ten o’clock.
Following the Service of Morn
ing Prayer beginning at eleven
o’clock, the bishop will administer
the ancient Christian Rite of Con
firmation or Laying on of Hands,
to those who desire to renew the
solemn promise and vow made at
Baptism and follow Jesus Christ as
Lord and Saviour.
Bishop Wright will also be the
preacher at the morning service, <
The congregation and their minis
ter extend, as always, a cordial
welcome to the entire community
of the County to attend the serv
ices of Christian worship.
On leaving Dare County Sunday
afternoon, Bishop Wright plans to
visit the congregation of Calvary
Church in Swan Quarter and other .
congregations in Hyde County.
science and can master machinery
may depend on making his mark
in the world. It’s true that there
are many things that don’t re
quire a college education that pays
off. For instance a man can run a
motel, or a store, or a restaurant
and be a successful fishing guide
See CAPTAIN, Page Four
FUND GROWING FOR AID
OF WANCHESE HARBOR
There is continued interest in
the campaign to raise funds to pro
vide the public landing at the pro
posed deep water channel in Wan
chese, and Saturday night when a
meeting was held at Wanchese
school, it developed that business
men in Manteo had contributed or
pledged SSOO, more than from
Wanchese at the time. Dr. W. W.
Harvey, President of the Dare
County Waterways Improvement
Assn, presided at this meeting.
Wayland' Baum, the association
Treasurer pledged SIOO. It’ was
stated at this meeting, that with
SSOO paid in from Wanchese to
match SSOO from Manteo, then
Manteo would come back with
another SSOO, raised locally and
from friends of the harbor in other
parts of the county.
Dr. Harvey stated that a list of
contributors would be made public.
The suggestion has been made
that the names of those who will
make the public landing possible,
will be suitably inscribed on the
property when it h dedicated.
Wayland Baum, Willie Ether
idge, Jr. and Harry Baum are mak
ing a cavass at Wanchese, obtain
ing cash and pledges
Single Copy 70
HATTERAS—The stage is all
set in Hatteras village for the op
ening of the three day Pirates
Jamboree on the Dare Beaches
this week end, beginning Friday,
April 24.
Opening day of the vacation
launching event will see all events
held in the immediate environs of
Hatteras village. On Saturday, the
second phase of the Jamboree will
be held on the Dare Beaches of
Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and
Nags Head and the final and third
day will be presented in Manteo
on Roanoke Island Sunday after
noon.
William Gibson, head of ar
rangements for the Hatteras Is
land fiesta said the biggest event
planned for Hatteras would be the
big free fish fry.
There will also be several exhi
bitions and competitions during
the day, ending with a Buccaneer
Ball on Friday evening at The
Community Building where music
by a local combo known as The
Tune Twisters will be featured and
where also awards for competitive
events will be made.
The events of the Day on Hat
teras will be presided over by
Pirate King Julian Oneto and Pi
rate Queen Winona Gray, who will
be accompanied by their courtiers,
those four men and four women
who were runnersup in the Coro
nation Ball last week.
A sports fishing contest, includ
ing angling from both the surf or
from boats will be the opening at
traction of the day. This will be
followed at 11 o’clock by a Coast
Guard Life Saving Drill, and cos
tume contests. The fish fry will be
held at noon.
During the afternoon there will
be other 1 competitive events for
costumed pirates; and at 3 o’clock
numerous beach buggies will race
See JAMBOREE, Page Four
DIAL PHONES FOR
HATTERAS ISLAND
IN TWO MONTHS
Installation of Exchange for Avon,
Buxton, Hatteras Under-
way
Dial telephone service is ex
pected to be completed for the vil
lages of Buxton, Avon, and Hat
teras within two months, and all
calls by subscribers between vil
lages will be made without a toll
charge, W. W. Ghase, General
Manager of the Norfolk and Caro
lina Telephone and Telegraph Co.
said this week.
Completion of the installation of
some 150 phones in this area ex
pending 18 miles on the lower end
of Hatteras Island is anticipated
with much eagerness by business
men who expect it to provide one
of the island’s greatest commercial
shots in the arm.
Two long distance lines to Man
teo, and two to Elisabeth City will
be provided, Mr. Chase said.
The mechanism for the system
will be housed in a brick building
built two years ago at Buxton.
The system will be amplified and
expanded as the traffic develops.
The company operates ex
changes at Manteo, Coinjock, Kill
Devil Hills, Moyock, Great Bridge,
Elizabeth City, Sunbury, Hertford,
Edenton, etc. When the service
was established on Roanoke Island
and the Dare Beaches some 25
years ago,'it proved to be a tre
mendous factor in developing these
resort areas. Four years ago, dial
service was established on the
beaches, with an exchange at Kill
Devil Hills. The Manteo exchange
is manually operated. There will
be no operators at Buxton.
STUMPY POINT MAN SLAYS
ALLIGATOR IN CANAL TUES.
Glenn Twiford of Stumpy Point,
is Reported to have slain an alliga
tor in the roadside canal, on U. S.
264 within a mile of hiis communi
ty Tuesday. Having discovered
two of them he went for his gun,
but found only one on his return.
Probably a mating pair, is the sur
mise. Alligators have been seen
near the Pamlico Sound. Canals
having been built through the area
during the past few years baa
made it ess Tot the * til