North Carolina Newspapers

SEND RENEWAL OF SUBSCRIPTION BEFORE EXPIRATION DATE ON ADDRESS 1 VOL XXV NO. 13 THE LOST COLONY ROANOKE ISLAND'S TOURIST ATTRACTION DO THE PEOPLE WISH TO KEEP IT? NOT A DIFFICULT JOB <TO DO v ' —— By VICTOR MEEKINS Whenever there is revealed a de cline in attendance at the Lost Colony, the great outdoor drama which has run 19 seasons ,on Roa x noke Island, there rises up a certain group of knowing people, who say the day of the Outdoor Drama is over. There is another group of people who offer another view and at tempt defensive tactics by shouting that some other out door drama had falling off in business also. Having been one of the small group who helped to found The Lost Colony nearly 25 years ago; having served on its Board of Di rectors on two separate occasions, and having been kicked off a couple times because others on the Board didn’t like to have the facts known about the Lost Colony, I fed myself qualified to offer some statements about its past, present and future. I have always been its well wisher and booster, but not afraid to tell the troth about it when I detected certain, practices being used that have contributed to its misfortunes. These practices, I knew were bad from the start because they orgi nated in greed, financial or politi cal, or for the sake of prestige or to reward relatives and friends. I do not lay all the fault as do some people, for the the Lost Colony’s decline, that it’s manager doesn’t know show business suf ficiently to keep it booming. I have no doubt that the manager does all of which he is capable. He may work 'hard and do all he knows to do, but that is not enough. The Lost Colony, to get another good start, needs additional ability. An increase toward a competent ex perienced staff. The Lost Colony needs, most of all, promotion, and promotion by people who know show business. Its < great misfortune is that those who are copnected with it are apolo gists. It needs to be run by people who are not afraid of positive ac tion. These persons, it goes with out saying, need to have some ideas, and some dedication to the cause. The Board of Directors is loaded with dead-heads. I will de scribe some of them. They fall in several categories. A mere handful of them live in Dare County ,and these really rule the business, or misrule it, to be more accurate. Others were put on the Board merely to be “yes men”. They never contribute anything in ideas, labor or money toward the show. , They merely allow a small hand ful to hold a caucus in September, name the new members, the man ager, and when the annual meeting is held in Raleigh in December, everything goes through; no one else has any voice, nor opportunity to advance a new idea, much less to seek its adoption. Year after year the Lost Colony declines, and as in all types of busi ness, operation costs increase. The [ ' management itself doesn’t know what has happened. Always on the defensive, and never awakened to an awareness of the necessity and the value of positive promotion, ex cuses are made. It is a pitiful and disgusting, adolescent and absurd list of them. Stock excuse is that some other shows had less attend ance. Why not say that Jones’ garage had less business because Smith's garage in Hyde County had a loss of business also: Another ex cuse: It rained so many nights. Picture shows, and ball games have rainy nights; but these have never been used to excuse decline in gross ' business. Rainy nights and set bocks need to be anticipated in in creased advertising and promotion. Any business which doesn’t in crease from year to year, is going backward, even though income is static. It is going backwards, be cause costs of operation increase. In the case of the Lost Colony, its " ■ attendance has declined from 52,- 187 in 1953 to 34,123 during the season just closed. Now we must consider that this decline has occurred in the face of a greater opportunity than ever existed, to find patrons for the show. The Dare Beaches, north of Oregon Inlet alone, now has 100 to the one visitor they had back in 1937 when the Lost Colony be * gan. In all narrows down to the lack of promotion, not to the de ficiences of the local manager, whose job is to keep things rolling at home. The deficiency in man ’ agement is one that has not been provided at all in recent years. We will label this deficiency Promotion and Publicity, or Education and Public Relations if you prefer. The Lost Colony has no pro motion and publicity. Beyond a crude bill board here and there within 50 miles of Manteo; beyond some announcements on local Radio and TV stations, there, is no means THE COASTLAND TIMES WITH WHICH IS COMBINED THE PILOT AND HERALD OF BELHAVEN AND SWAN QUARTER PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA of letting people know about it or reminding those who know about it when it will be shown. It hasn't had a notable publicity story, of the kind it needs, sent out in years. Neither’ has it had an emissary with the inspiration and the know how, to'open the doors of Nation ally known celebrities who might be intrigued into seeing this great show. Once having come, the mere favorable mention they would make of it, would excite the interests of thousands of other people who might come and be edified, edu cated and inspired as well. It may be well to remember that of the total of 8,643 cars in 1958 checked on the parking lot of the Lost Colony, only 3,985, or less than the half of them came from North Carolina. Virginia had 2,174. In 1957 Virginia had 2,202 cars, as See LOST COLONY, Page Six CONTINUING COURSES WITH U. S. AIR FORCE . »£» k « , . ’W? ■ -v _ ' B ” IL ■ Second Lieutenant Robert 0. Ballance, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert O. Ballance of Manteo, has completed the course at the pri mary-contract school at Spence Air Base, Ga. He has been reassigned to one of the classes at Webb Air Force Base, Tex., for the five and one half month’s course at this basic pilot training school. The Air Training Command of which Webb and Spence are a part, is one of 17 major air commands of the United States Air Force. ATC is responsible for all recruit ing and training of air force per sonnel. The lieutenant is married to the former Miss Nancy Wilson, of Ox ford, N. C. He is a graduate of East Carolina College, at Green ville. (Official Air Force Photo). HYDE'S PROVIDENCE CHURCH FEATURED ON NEW COLOR MAP CHICAGO. —Swan Quarter is one of the 182 places of special interest to Methodists listed on a large eight-page, gate-fold Metho dist American Guide for Tourists that will form one of the special features of the 175th Anniversary issue of TOGETHER, Methodism’s family magazine. The special issue, which will ap pear in October, is being prepared as TOGETHER’s contribution to the nationwide observance of the 175th anniversary of the Christ mas Conference of 1784 at Lovely Lane Chapel, Baltimore. On that Christmas Eve, 60 young men from John Wesley’s “societies” in the new colonies converged upon Balti more to organize Methodism in America as a church. One of eight places in North Carolina included in the guide, Swan Quarter’s Methodist Church is still a wooden building that was moved by a storm in 1876. The landowner previously wouldn’t sell, but convinced that Providence’s hand was in the tempest, hurriedly made out a deed to the Methodists, TOGETHER states. DARE COMMISSIONERS TO MEET NEXT WEDNESDAY In order to discuss secondary road pprogram, a meeting of the are County Commissioners has been called fori Wednesday, Sept 30 on request of highway officials. This meeting is to consider which roads are viewed as most impor tant, in relation to surveys the highyay people have made. During the preceding two years, no sec ondary roads have been improved in Dare County save a single piece of road at Avon. The balance of the county's secondary road money was spent on a bridge at Kitty Hawk, and installing culverts for ditches dug in a mosquito drainage program. BOOZE AND HIGH SPEED BLAMED FOR TWO DEATHS SUN. Five Others Injured in Collision at 1:15 A.M. Near Belhaven High speed and booze are blamed for the death of two Ne groes and injuries to five others in a head on collision at 1:15 a.m. Sunday morning some six miles west of Belhaven on the Pungo Creek road. William R. S. Reddick 33, of Route 2, Belhaven lost control of an ancient DeSoto, hit the shoulder, and ran back on the road head on into the 1949 Ford driven by William Brandon 53 of Wilson. Hosea Lee Rogers 15, and Ra leigh Spruill 17, died instantly, of injuries to their skulls and chests. Brandon sustained internal inju ries; Reddick was lacerated about the head; David Lee, 24, also col ored got a cut face and a broken leg; Earl Reddick 18, cuts and internal injuries; West Keech, 32, colored an injured neck. Patrolman John Thomas, the in vestigating officer said Reddick will be charged with drunken driv ing, manslaughter and driving without an operator’s license. The injured men were treated at Pun go District Hospital, and condi tions reported as favorable. CANCER CAMPAIGN GOAL IN DARE IN OCTOBER SI,BOO Quota Not Raised Last Year Combined With 1960 Quota Preparations are underway to raise the SI,BOO needed to meet Dare County’s quota for the cancer drive for both 1959 and 1960. The 1959 quota was not met this year. The drive will be held in October. At a meeting in Manteo last week, Mrs. Pat Wescott was named chairman for the drive. Mrs. Bert Tyson of Greenville who is area Chairman attended. Mrs. H. 0. Bridges of Wanchese continues as President of the local organization; Mrs. John Garrison Educational chairman; Mrs. A. H. Waid Jr., 2nd Vice-President and Service chairman; Mrs. Nevin Wescott, Secretary, Mrs. Mabel Basnight, Treasurer and Dr. W. W. Harvey Jr., medical adviser. Dare County is losing many people through cancer. Last week, a young Wanchese man died. Mon ey donated in these cancer cam paigns is returned in large measure to assist unfortunate persons stricken with cancer. The quota for last year’s cancer crusade which should have been held in April was S9OO. It was not raised. It’s going to cost someone a lot of time and expense of can vassing in order to redeem Dare County tills time. It’s going keep aid from a lot of sufferers if the money is not raised. All credit should be given those who do this noble work. YOUNG MANTEO CHILD KILLED IN CARTERET MOREHEAD CITY. Delores Jean Quidley, 5-year-old daugh ter of the Rev. Phillip H. and Mrs. Quidley, of Atlantic, died in Sea Level Community Hospital Sunday evening. Funeral serv ices were held at Atlantic Mis sionary Baptist Church Tuesday at 10 a.m., conducted by her fa ther, the pastor of the church, assisted by the Rev. Wayne Stead man, pastor of the Missionary Baptist Church of Sea Level and the Rev. David Lewis, pastor of the Methodist Church at Atlantic. Interment followed at Wanchese Baumtown Family Cemetery Wan chese. Surviving besides her par ents are two sisters, Cynthia Ann and Terry Marie and two broth ers, George Marshall and Phillip Hale Quidley, Jr., all of the home; her maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Tillett of Nags Head and her paternal grand parents, Mr. and Mrs. George H. Quidley of Wanchese. The Quidleys are natives of Manteo, and the little girl was killed by a truck. BELHAVEN'S OLDEST MAN 92 SEPT. I6TH James Nathaniel Edwards, oldest man in Belhaven was 92 years old on September 16th, and still active. He now spends much time with his daughter, Mrs. Stanley Wahab on Ocracoke Island. Mr. Edwards did not give up his job with a lumber mill until about five years ago. Most of his life has been spent in the timber business. A native of Surry County, Va., he came to Sladesville as a young man and married there. Mr. Edwards has been cutting his winter’s kindling wood. MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1959 MANTEO'S MAYOR GREETS TENNESSEE HIGHWAY OFFICIALS - ♦ // 7 -A w L. j 'Ti H IK '•■*>* j By i | ■ I /Si K'lf • During their omcial visit to North Carolina to discuss mountain roads near the Tennessee- North Carolina border last week the highway group flew to the Dare Coast to go fishing. In Man teo they were officially greeted by Mayor Ras Wescott (checkered shirt) after which they went to the Sea Oatel where they enjoyed a swim, greeted friends and on the following morning they went fishing aboard the cruiser Deepwater. A northeaster prevented the group from going to the Gulf Stream, but they fished near the inlet with fair results. The group included: D. W. Moulton, chief, Tennesse Highway Commission, Roy Iddins, their division engineer, Warner Dunlap, State con struction engineer, H. D. Long, chief engineer; James D. Keith, executive secretary of Tennessee Hot Plant Mix Asphalt Association and Pilot Jimmy Barnes. On their way to the coast, they were treated to a barbecue dinner at Fayetteville by Nello Teer’s construction firm. Although the northeaster kept them out of deep sea fishing, they had a good time on the Dare Coast. Had they known it, they might have gotten plenty of fish off the nearby pier.—Aycock Brown photo. WHEELER BALLANCE ADDS TO HIS GHOSTSHIP COLLECTION kwE v ikl. * WHEELER BALLANCE, sitting on wrecKage with a rusty capstan from the five-masted schooner Carroll A. Deering as a backdrop ad mires his most recent addition to a collection he has made of the ■famed ghostship’s w’reckage. It is an exact scale model reproduction of the schooner which foundered on the outer diamond of Diamond Shoals 44 years ago with all sails set but not a person aboard. That is, the sails were up and there was no one aboard when the ship was boarded by Coast Guard. The strange occurrence created an un solved mystery for the Carolina Coast. The schooner became a men ace to navigation and a demolition crew of the CG Cutter Mendota blew her up. The bow finally drifted ashore on Ocracoke and 40 years later during a hurricane the wreckage was washed from that island to Hatteras where Ballance salvaged same and placed on display at his service station. The model was. made by 82-year old retired Meth odist Minister, the Rev. Frank Treet Fulcher, who now lives at The Hermitage in Richmond. Rev. Mr. Fulcher, a native of Ocracoke spent his youth as a sailor aboard sailing craft. He is an expert craftsman and the Deering model is exact in detail to the original ship. (Aycock Brown Photo) DECLINE IN BUSINESS OF ABC STORES IN AUGUST A loss in volume of business as compared with the same month of the preceding year was shown in August for the first time since November of 1958. Total sales of the stores at Manteo and Nags Head declined $1,747.17 despite the biggest tourist month known on the Dare Coast. Total sales for August were $59,420.59 as against $61,167.- 75 in 1958. Volume of the Manteo store is the lighter in summer months, August sales this year being $14,- 872.40 and in 1958 being $15,149.75. Sales at the Nags Head store this August past were $44,548.15 and in August 1958 $46,018.00. A decrease in personnel has been effected in the stores during the summer. Ervin Hines, a part time clerk resigned at the first of the summer. This month, Edwin Mid gett left the stores after nearly 15 years service, and is now on annual vacation with his family, visiting relatives in California. The stores contributed 3.42% of their August sales to Dare County Tourist Bureau. As was reported some weeks ago, the net profit on the July sales was some $6,600, based on sales of about $60,000, an increase of less than S4OO over July of 1958. Pay ments made to the county are not based on total profits, but money is held in reserve for operating capital for the stores. In some sea sons a larger capital fund is need ed than in others. FORESTRY CLASSES ARE CONDUCTED IN SWAN QUARTER Forestry classes were conducted in the Vocational Agriculture De partment of the Swan Quarter High School on Sept 15', by E. K. Pitman, Conservation Forester, with Mr. R. A. Smith, local in structor. The Forester emphasized the im portance of paper and paper pro ducts in our civilization today and pointed out that the demand for paper in the future would be much greater due to discovery of new uses and to the rapid increase in our population. He told the boys that in order to meet this increased demand for paper, all forest land Should be put into full production. Pitman told the boys that a large portion of the forest land in Hyde County is not producing half the timber it is capable of producing due to cull hardwood trees and un derbrush, understocking of pine or other valuable species and fire damage. The classes werfe instruct ed on methods of controlling the undesirable hardwood and restock ing the areas wih desirable species. Forestry films “D ead o u t”, “When a Fellow Needs A Forest er” and “Paper and I” which are distributed by the Southern Pulp wood Conservation Association where shown to the boys. Class room work will be followed up by actual field work giving practice in thinning operations proisoning of hardwoods. NON-SUPPORT CASES BEFORE RECORDER IN DARE COUNTY New Policy of Welfare Dept. Giv en Chance; Citizens Revolt Against Chiselers A growing revolt of citizens against paying taxes to support families of able-bodied men who re fuse to work and pay their bills, has resulted in a new policy of the Dare County Welfare Board. The i Board is refusing to grant welfare money in such cases until erring father has been brought to court, and usually, the court can make them come across. In Recorders Court in Dare County there were two cases. David W. Gaskins, white, of Wan chese, although having time to steal cars and raise hell in general, had left his wife and two children, 12 and 9 on the mercy of the Wel fare Department. Judge Baum ordered him under penalty of two years on the roads, to pay S4O on the Ist and 15th of each month, beginning October 1. Gaskins is involved in the theft of an automoble with Charles Wroten. The 1953 Ford belonged to Henry Burr Etheridge, and was found in a sand pit at Wanchese. Wroten 'has been bound over to court in connection with theft of another car the week before, when he aided and abetted John T. Payne. Thos. R. Golden of Manteo, negro, was also up for non-support and under a two-year road sentence was ordered to pay $25 a week for the support of his wife and five See COURT, Page Six GOVERNOR HODGES TO ATTEND MARLIN CLUB OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY Among those to attend the open house of Hatteras Marlin Club on Sunday will be Governor Luther Hodges. The open house is for res idents of Hatteras community only apd attendance will be by written invitation, it was stated today by the club’s maager. ■ Also expected to be present for the Open House will be the club’s president, C. F. Johnson of Ashe ville and Palm Beach, Earl Phillips, Foster E. Hemby and several others of High Point, Walter Wilkins, Norfolk, State Representative Ir win Belk, Charlotte, and other members of the club. Governor Hodges will arrive at Hatteras Saturday morning and go fishing offshore with Capt. Edgar Styron for the day—unless a hur ricane named Gracie beats him to the punch. METHODIST HOMECOMING AT EAST LAKE SUNDAY The annual homecoming of the East Lake Methodist church will be held Sunday, with dinner on the grounds following the morning service at the church, Supt John A. Twiddy announces. There will be a service after the dinner for sing ing of old time hymns. Rev. C. R. Olsen is pastor of this church as well as of the Manns Harbor and Stumpy Point churches. These homecomings usually bring many old residents and members from afar, and the public is invited. MAIL SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO BOX 428 MANTEO, N. C. NOT TO INDIVIDUALS Single Copy 70 FORECLOSURE SUITS BEGUN IN DARE TO COLLECT TAXES New Effort Headed by Caps. Tillett Results in More Than $24,000 Recovered Some $24,500 has been recovered from persons delinquent in their taxes since the Dare County board some four months ago, began a program to collect these past due sums, some of them dating back to 1942. Pennell A. Tillett, the tax supervisor has notified all delin quents, and the results speak for themselves. Capt. Tillett is now urging all who have not heeded these notices, to make arrangements to settle these obligations, for suits are being prepared for sale of property to satisfy debts, and if the land owners make an effort this week, they can save themselves consider able cost. For many years county officials made no effort to collect taxes beyond mailing notices when they came due, and accepting such amounts as were mailed in or brought to the courthouse. Appar ently no urgent means had been taken to bring in backward ac counts, and numerous taxpayers say they have never been asked personally to pay, and some say they have never been notified through all the years, and protest it was a complete surprise they owed money. The custom has been to accept payment of current taxes without mentioning past due sums. The County Board, believing it not fair to allow so many persons to evade taxes, and further being faced with a growing deficit in the county, has declared for a firm policy in making all pay alike. The unfortunate part is that through See SUITS, Page Six STEVE TILLETT'S DEATH MOURNED AS BIG LOSS TO WANCHESE COMMUNITY, Stephen Beasley Tillett, 64, na tive and lifelong resident of Wan chese, retired lighthouse keeper since 1943 and the husband of Mrs. Sallie Baum Tillett died after a two day illness in a Norfolk hos pital Friday evening. He was the son of the late Timothy O. and Calceconia Daniels Tillett, and was born Nov. 28, 1895. He is sur vived by one son, Thomas Tillett of Norfolk and two daughter; Mrs. Lucy Willis and Miss Ola Tillett of Wanchese; by four brothers, Loran of Norfolk, Earl and Royden of Wanchese and Alfred of Mary land; by five sisters, Mrs. Grace Daniels of St. Augustine, Fla; Mrs. Joe Meekins and Mrs. George A. Daniels of Wanchese, Mrs. Helen Stokely and Mrs. Rena Midgett of Norfolk, and by six grandchildren. Mr. Tillett was a skilled mechan ic, a highly regarded citizen, a lead er in the Methodist church, and had been Tyler of Wanchese Masonic Lodge for several years. He was a memlier of the local Ruritan Club and the Red Men’s lodge. Funeral services were conducted Sunday at 3 p. m.’by Rev. J. M. Carroll, pastor of his church, as sisted by Rev., C. W. Guthrie former pastor. The church could not hold all who attended and there were more than 100 floral offer ings. Burial was in Cudworth ceme tery. A solo, “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder” was sung by Mrs. Carol Tillett. Mrs. Dallas Tillett accompanied at the organ. The casket was covered with a pall made of yellow mums and fern. Active pallbearers were Willett Tillett, Roy McCarter, Wildon Craddock, H. O. Bridges, Arnold Daniels and Macon Meekins. His Sunday school class were honorary pallbearers. HURRICANE GRACIE MOVES SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARDLY Hurricane “Gracie,” which is giving coastal residents some con cern this week, was reported Thursday by A. W. Drinkwater of Manteo as being 240 miles east of Palm Beach at 11 a. m. Winds then were in excess of 85 mph and the hurricane was moving northwest wardly at a speed of nine miles per hour. Mr. Drinkwater is hope ful that if the hurricane does not change its course, it will blow out without damage to the N. C. coast. Small craft are, advised not to venture far from port in this state after Friday, as some strong winds are expected. Mr. Drinkwater says there are now only three members of the “relief crew” in Dare County, and hope those who are interested in joining will get in touch with him right away. “The CAP is in need of help,” he says. Promise has been given that in another ten days the Henderson squadron will be ready to assist, but this will not be in time in case Gracie comes our way.