VOLUME XXIV NO. 52
OREGON - ALLIGATOR BRIDGES AUTHORIZED
EIGHT HOURS OF
DARKNESS FROM
POWER FAILURE
Dare Beaches Endure Difficult
Handicap Wednesday Night
When Wire Falls
The Dare beach area from
bridge to bridge endured a diffi
cult eight hours, without electric
service from 6 p. m. Wednesday
night, and, serviice was not re
stored until shortly after mid
night. It was a problem in
deed. The small auxilliary plant
at Kitty Hawk had insufficient
capacity to serve even a small
part of the area, and it was not
adequate for Roanoke Island
which did get service.
George A. Whitfield, company
manager for VEPCO in Manteo
said the failure resulted when a
wire fell after a brace on a cross
arm buckled on the high power
line a mile and a half north of
the Kitty Hawk plant in’ the dense
woods, some two and a half miles
long. A working crew of more
than a dozen men was dispatched
to the scene, and patrol began in
the darkness to find the trouble,
which was not located until al
most midnight. Service was re
stored in a half hour once equip
ment was at hand. Most of the
beach got service at 12:30 and the
remainder 45 minutes later.
The men, moving on foot, some
times had to cross swamps waist
deep in water. Both rattlesnakes
and moccasins were encountered,
one man got bit on the boot by a
moccasin, and in one place a huge
rattler refused to move, and they
had to detour around him.
BIDS UP ON DARE
WATERWAYS JOB
BY $72,000.00
Firm Which Contested First Low
Bid Now Low Bidder
at $540,410
The low bid on the Oregon-Inlet-
Mill Landing-Manteo dredging job
has jumped from $468,420 by La-
Porte Dredging Co. of Arlington,
Va. offered at the opening in May.
At the opening held Friday of
last week, the firm which con
tested the bid, and made LaPorte
throw up his hands Atkinson
Dredging Co. of Norfolk which
then had a bid of $545,000, low
ered their price.
The Atkinson Dredging Com
pany of Norfolk, Virginia, was ap
parent low bidder for dredging the
channel from Manteo to Oregon
Inlet at $540,410. The job involves
removal of 2,300,000 cubic yards
of material to deepen the inlet
from 7 to 12 feet. The new low
bid up the cost by $71,990.
Other bidders were: J. A. La-
Porte, Inc., Arlington, Virginia,
$541,700; Merritt Dredging Com
pany, Charleston, S. C., $553,455;
Hill Dredging Corporation, At
lantic City, New Jersey, $630,400;
and Western Contracting Corpora
tion, Sioux City, lowa, $638,340.
At the original opening the La-
Porte firm’s bid was $468,420
based on .198 cents a yard and
$15,000 getting his dredge and
floating plant to the area. The job
then required the removal of
2,290,000 cubic yards of material
to deepen the channels from seven
to 12 feet.
Other bidders at the original
opening of bids were Merrit
Dredging Co., Charleston, S. C.,
$615,000; Atkinson Dredging Co.,
Norfolk, Va., $587,410; Nello L.
Teer Co., Durham, $933,100; Hill
Dredging Corp. Atlantic City,
N. J., $676,200; Western Contract
ing Corp., Sioux City, lowa,
$607,040.
The work is now scheduled to
begin in 30 days.
Another Norfolk firm, Norfolk
Dredging Company, last week
submitted the apparent low bid of
$383,500 for dredging approxi
mately 1,500,000 cubic yards in
the Cape Fear River at the Sunny
Point Army Terminal. The dredg
ing will restore channels and basin
to project depth of 34 feet.
The range also included the
Arundel Corporation, Baltimore,
Norfolk, Va., $455,000; Merritt
Dredging Co., Charleston, S. C.,
$460,000; Western Contracting
Corp, Sioux City, lowa, $468,000;
Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Co., New
York, N. Y., $521,000; and Atkin
son Dredging Co., Norfolk, V.,
$546,000.
Work on both jobs is to begin
within 30 days after award of
contracts.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
(Actors of Original Lost Colony Production
In 1921 To Be Featured in Dare Day Program
Roanoke Island actors who took -
part in the original Lost Colony
production in 1921, including R.
Bruce Etheridge, D. Victor Meek
ins, A. W. Drinkwater and many
others, will be on stage at the
Waterside Theatre at Fort Raleigh ;
Saturday afternoon June 27, in a :
feature of the Dare County Day i
celebration to be held there. I
As plans for this special pro
gram have taken shape in recent *
weeks considerable details have ]
come to light on the first Lost ;
Colony production. Old photo
graphs showing scenes from the I
play have been uncovered, and
will be on display. Some of the
original costumes have been locat
ed and will actually be worn on ]
stage by the same people who <
wore them in the first production i
38 years ago. I
The 1921 Lost Colony was a 1
five reel moving picture filmed at •
Fort Raleigh by the Atlas Film
Company of Chicago. The fee for 1
the slim company, and the cost of :
materials for costumes and stage
props, were paid for with $3,000
from a Legislative appropriation 1
to the State Board of Education.
Practically all of the parts were :
taken by Roanoke Island resi- I
OLDEST AND NEWEST LOST COLONY PRODUCTIONS
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'l'nirty eight years ago, in 1921, a movie was filmed of the Lost ,
Colony story here on Roanoke Island. A scene from that production,
which eventually was seen on screens by many thousands of persons,
is shown with Miss Mabel Jones as Eleanor Dare, an infant, Eloise
Emory as Virginia Dare and Ralph Poole, then a reporter on the old
Daily Advance of Elizabeth City as Ananias Dare. On Saturday as a
feature of Dare County Day prior to opening of the current Lost
Colony’s 19th season, each of the persons pictured, the present Mrs.
Mabel Evans Jones, of Manteo, Mrs. Eloise Emory Casper of Eliza
beth City, and, Virginian Pilot staff member Ralph Poole and many
others who had roles in the movie production will be interviewed at
Waterside Theatre starting at 5 p.m., prior to a big picnic and other
attractions arranged under directon of James Rea of the Friends of
The Lost Colony.
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Mrs. Marjalene Midgett Thomas, only native of Roanoke Island
to ever be cast 4n the leading role of Eleanor Dare in the Paul Green
version of The Lost Colony, begining its 19th season with perform
ance number 927 Saturday, is shown with “Virginia Dare” in the im
pressive lullaby scene of the show. Bob McQuain of Richmond plays
opposite Mrs. Thomas as John Borden. Aycock Brown Photo
dents, who served without charge,
and the actual shooting lof the
movie occupied the better part of
the month of September. This si
lent movie -was shown throughout
the State, and in numerous the
atres over a period of three or
four years, but the negative was
inadvertantly destroyed at a la
ter date.
Long before the shooting start
ed, however, Roanoke Island peo
ple organized in an island-wide
See LOST COLONY, Page Twelve
PLAYERS IN 1921 MOVIE
REQUESTED TO REPORT
A call has gone out for all those
people who took part in the Lost
Colony historical moving picture
made at Fort Raleigh in 1921, to
be stage guests for a presentation
program at 5 p.m. on Saturday,
June 27th. An interview by La- •
Verne Watson, master of cere
monies, along with the presents- <
tion, will be on the stage on the
Waterside Theatre.
Since the orginal list of players '
has inaccauracies, the players of
1921 are requested to be present ’
at the theatre, and let their names 1
be listed for presentation.
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 1959
LEGISLATORS HAPPY OVER DECISION FOR BRIDGES
NEVER HAS RENOUNCED
POSITION IN POLITICS
_ ,1
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■Mr H
HON. R. BRUCE ETHERIDGE,
Representative of Dare County
said this week there must be some '
mistake in the news report out of
Raleigh that he had declared he !
would not be a candidate for the ■!
Legislature any more. “I have
never made any such statement to t
anyone, and didn’t talk to the re- '
porter who wrote the story,” he
said.
Mr. Etheridge came home feel
ing good. He had high hopes for <
big news his week for our area. 1
See ETHERIDGE, Page Twelve
I KS ’ IM
B B B
. Job bE|||H|||
REP. DICK O’NEAL of Hyde
County said he was happy about '
the announcement. “Anything as 1
big as either of these bridge pro
jects is bound to benefit all our
counties,” he said. “It has been a <
pleasure to work with our Sena- <
tors and the several representa
tives in presenting our appeal to
the highway officials and Gover
nor Hodges. I am grateful to them
all for their sympathetic coopera
tion. I know that Hyde County
stands to gain a lot from any,
See O’NEAL, Page Twelve
ABC CONVENTION
CLOSES IN DARE;
IS CALLED BEST
Beaufort Co. Man Prest; Banquet
Ends Three-Day Session
at Carolinian
Having called the three day ses
sion at Nags Head the best one
in their 24 years, the N. C. Alco
holic Beverage Control Association
closed Friday night at the Caro
linian Hotel, Nags. Head, following
a three-day session.
Sam Bundy, Farmville humorist
was the principal speaker at the
closing banquet Friday night. Ap
pointment of new officers was an
nounced. New President is George
M. Taylor of Washington. He suc
ceeds Curtis M. Eargle of Tryon.
Wm. H. Holderness of Greensboro
is Vice-President; D. Russell Clark
of Tarboro, Secretary-Treasurer.
Directors are C. M. Eargle,
See ABC, Page Twelve
BONNER SEEKS AVON
HARBOR IMPROVEMENT
Resolved by the Committee on
Public Works of the House of Rep
resentatives, United States, That
the Board of Engineers for Rivers
and Harbors be, and is hereby, re
quested to review the reports on
the channel from Pamlico Sound
to Avon, North Carolina, published
in House Document Number 316,
76th Congress, First Session, with
a veiw to determining the advisa
bility of modifying the existing
project in any way at this time
particularly with reference to a
change in alignment of the water
way and an increased depth.
The resolution was introduced in
behalf of this project by Congress
man Herbert C. Bonner.
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REP. CHARLES COHOON of
Tyrrell Counity who grew up amid
a constant clamor among his home
folks for a river bridge, said Mon
day of this week, that he was very
hopeful the Commission would now
see its way clear to build the
bridge. “Whether they build one
bridge or two, I am still of the
opinion, and I will loyally work
for it, that everyone of us should
unite wholeheartedly with Dare
County to work for early bridging
of Oregon Inlet. I have found that
little cannot be done without co
operation, and whatever success we
have had so far has come through
See COHOON, Page Twelve
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WAYLAND SERMONS, Represen
tative from Beaufort County said
Thursday afternoon it was a great
step forward for the whole part of
the state. “Anything that helps
our neighbor counties helps our
county, and all of North Carolina,”
he continued. “I think this is a
striking lesson of the value of
teamwork, and the willingness to
accept the leadership of the one
man who has had most experience
and who knows where he’s going
, and how to get there, as was done
1 See SERMONS, Page Twelve
SHOPLIFTERS LAND
ON BEACH; COURT
TRIES SPEEDERS
I Heavier Docket Than Usual, of
Speeders Tried by Dare Re
corder This Week
The new shoplifting law passed
> by the legislature last month didn’t
- come soon enough to be known in
i Dare County, with its minumum
• fine of SIOO. But there is need for
; it here, according to a recent out
break of shoplifting which has
: arisen, being brought to the Dare
s Coast by teen agers from Virginia.
• This week in Recorders court,
• three girls and a boy were found
; guilty of stealing from Jockey
• Ridge Gift Shop on June 20th.
William Queensbury, male, was
• fined $lO and costs; Patsy Rawles,
: Dieane Burnett and Monilee Reeder
all of Newport News, Va. were
. fined sls and costs each, ordered
to replace the value of the value
of the stolen property, $32.75 and
$83.50 in all.
’ In another stealing case, Jerry
Gresham Spain and John Fletcher
( Williams of Newport News had
. raided the summer home of Mrs.
. Augusta Walker to the tune of
i SB2. They got 60-day suspended
. sentences, conditioned on good tfe
( havior for two years, and were
I fined $25 and costs each, total
[ $63.70.
, John Arthur Williams of Wan
i chese, young Wanchese man, many
. times in court, up again for vio
» lation his parole from prison, asfc-
> ed for a jury trial, and the case
i was continued to the October term
. of Superior Court. Desmond R.
Foster of Frisco was fined $125
i for reckless, earless and drunken
driving. Myron L. Driskill of New-
See COURT, Page Six
HIGHWAY COMMISSION GIVES
NOTICE THURSDAY OF PLANS
FOR LONG-NEEDED BRIDGES
Alligator River to Be Spanned in Three Years;
Extension to Hatteras of U. S. 64 Expected;
and Inlet Bridge to Follow Channel Deepening
at Once; Grateful Telegrams Pour Into Ra
leigh
By VICTOR MEEKINS j
Alligator River and Oregon Inlet will be bridged
without tolls being imposed on the people. The State
Highway Commission made its decision Thursday.
The announcement was made to The Coastland Times
by Highway Chairman J. Melville Broughton Jr., by tele
phone from Raleigh Thursday at 11:35 A. M.
Mr. Broughton said the bridges would be free of
tolls. They must be, since Senator Lindsay Warren a
few weeks ago, introduced legislation repealing forever
any laws which would have permited such burden upon
our eastern people.
Mr. Broughton was happy at being able to make such
announcement direct to the people most concerned in this
area, and agreed that the steady opposition of this news
paper to toll bridges had not been ill-advised in the long
run.
Hi s devotion to the area matches that of his illustrious
father, the late Governor, who had hoped to build the
bridges during his adminstation, 1941-45. He had been suc
cessful in removing toll from all ferries.
The decision of the Commission was made, Mr.
Broughton said, after its members had gained all avail
able information about the need for the bridges, and the
advantages to be derived from casting aside the costly
luxury of operating ferry service indefinitely. The Com
mission he said, was greatly helped toward its decision
by tn® masterful, unified presentation of the case for
bridges by a solid delegation of legislators from the
Second Senatorial district headed by Senator Warren,
which twice appeared before the Commission and once
before the Governor.
Mr. Broughton gave much credit to the splendid en
couragement rendered the cause by Governor Luther
{lodges, who was equally impressed by the case presented
by Mr. Warren, and the legislators and who had given the
Commission his approval.
United with Mr. Warren in this cause were R.
Bruce Etheridge of Dare, Dick O’Neal of Hyde, Charles
Cohoon of Tyrrell, Wayland Sermons of Beaufort,
f ran K. E . V^ tt of Martin ’ Dr - J - M - Ph elps of Washino - -
Delamar of Pamlico, and Senator Elbert Peel
of Williamston.
P rUCe Etherid S e of Dare came home on the
week end looking rested, refreshed and relaxed; vigorous
tkil y t ars y° un S er - He sa id on Wednesday of
this week that he hoped the commission would announce
Si^v’ ngn t • b l llld u t Y O bridges - He that from Dare
{-ounty s standpoint, while he preferred building Oregon In
l?nS dge first ’ k he ?“ e .w that it would be folly to start dis
sension over which bridge to build first, for he was firmly
convmced that nothing worth while could be accomplished
without working as a team, and believed only through unity
akSut kS important announcement could be brought
Oft * a x appy man ’ and sustained in his
oft-repeated belief in team work as the surest mean-?
of getting worth while things accomplished. Each per
son, who has expressed his opinion, says Mr. Warren’s
judgement, planning and leadership, is responsible for
the success of the effort to convince the commission of
the value of building these bridges.
UNIQUE MARLIN
TOURNAMENT AT
HATTERAS MONDAY
A group of anglers from the
Richmond area are challenging the
world to a new kind of blue marlin
fishing contest, and it will begin
Monday at Hatteras, with the
party making headquarters at At
lantic View Hotel.
The Virginia Independent Marlin
Association is putting up a SIOO
jackpot which is open to all ang
lers in the marlin centers of
America, and any fish, properly
weighed and certified, regardless
of where caught, may be entered.
Gerald Lavenstien of Peters
burg, a great fisherman and friend
of the Dare Coast is the instiga
tor of this unique contest Chair
man of the group is Ross Walker.
Lavenstien, at Hatteras during the
recent international contest was
disappointed when he could not get
a boat because of heavy bookings,
so he said “Let’s have a tournment
of our own.”
Mrs. Walker, caught the first
blue marlin landed off Hatteras,
a few years ago. It weighed 415
pounds. The party consist of about
ten men. Virginians, it is reported,
have been responsible for the ma
jority of blue marlin catches in
the Hatteras area for the past
four years, and they want more
recognition for it
The contest in the Gulf Stream
off Hatteras will last through
Wednesday.
News of Magnitude
The announcement by Mr.
Broughton out of Raleigh Thurs
day morning is the l biggest piece
of news for the Walter Raleigh
Coastland, and particularly for
Dare County, since Lindsay War
ren, a freshman Congressman got
the bill through Congress to cre
ate the memorial to the Wright
Brothers, back in 1927.
It will develop our planning and
thinking and the ambitions of all
the people of the coastland as
nothing else might do, because of
the economic advantages to be ex
pected.
New impetus will be given the
steady boom that is now under
way on the coast, and the step
up may be expected to improve
living standards by providing new
increased employment and greater
business activity.
There will be an upsurge in
travel volume to and through the
area, with consequent expansion
of facilities for accommodations
of tourists.
The construction of the Alliga
tor River Bridge will turn loose
several hundreds of thousands of
dollars in the immediate area to
the advantage of the Dare main
land, East Lake and Tyrrell Coun
ty in particular. The cost is ex
' pected to be about four and a
' half to five millions. Labor will
' benefit greatly, and distressed
fishermen may find more gainful
emnloyment close at home.
1 It will take about two yean to
’ build the bridge, and while it may
! not be in service, before the ex
piration of Governor Hodges’
1 term, it will stand out as a monu
-1 ment to his administration, and
See BRIDGES, Plage Twelve
Single Copy 7£