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VOL. XXV NO. 39
OUTER BANKS HAS
MANY FEARS OVER
FERRY SITUATION
County Board Enlisting Support to
Save Summer's Business for
Hatteras and Ocracoke
Announcement that the State
Highway Commission plans to let
a contract April 1 to dredge the
channel across Oregon Inlet which
is essential to maintaining ferry
service is received this week with
some misgivings by people of
Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands
who have suffered a loss since
early December of an estimated
50 per cent of their usual winter
tourist trade.
William Gibson, Hatteras Hotel
operator was in Manteo yester
day and said the situation will be
very .bad for many businessmen
if more speedy action doesn’t re
sult He said the word has spread
a long way from home about the
bad ferry schedules, due to shoal
water, and a large volume of
fonner trade has been discour
aged from their usual trips. Mr.
Gibson says local people - insist
highway engineers are apparently
concealing the facts about the
situation.
The work could have been com
pleted a month ago had the re
quest of local people been follow
ed. The Dare County Commission
era early in December explained
the situation fully to Governor
Hodges who promised to take
action, and urged the Highway
officials to correct the situation.
But the resistance of highway en
gineers to accent anything that
local people say, discouraged the
expenditure of funds on this proj
ect One of the arguments ad
vanced was that the bridge would
be built in three years and “why
waste money on dredging.’’
This spurred citizens and coun
ty officials to further action. Sen
ator Everett Jordan, and Con
gressman Herbert Bonner heard
the situation and made strong ap
peals to officials three weeks ago.
Even at this, there has been de
lay on the part of highway offi
ciate, in spite of the Governor’s
reminder of the need. It was
pleaded by highway officials they
didn’t have time to let a contract
any earlier.
Local people pointed out, that
when highway emergencies occur,
due to washout and bridge col
lapses, nothing is said about ad
vertising for bids, but the whole
outfit usually rolls into action, re
gardless of cost, and restores
traffic. Even now’, many fear that
See FERRY, Page Seven
POSTMASTERS OF
IST DISTRICT MEET
IN BELHAVEN
Many Notables of Association
Participate on Saturday,
The 19th
The First District, N. C. Chapter
National Association of Postmast
ers of The United States met in
Belhaven at the River Forest Man
or on Saturday, March 19. Rus
sell Johnston, District Chairman,
presided. Gene Purvis, principal of
the high school welcomed the Post
masters and their guests. Mrs. Ef
fie Brickhouse, Postmaster, Colum
bia, responded. Guests were intro
duced by District Chairman and
speeches concerning postal prob
lems were made by the following:
William T. McGeegan, State Secre
tary, Red Springs, Mrs. Sarah
Lancaster, State President, Vance
boro, N. C., D. Staten Inscoe, State
Legislative Representative, Ra
leigh, P. B. Osgood, Postal Inspect
or, New Beni, and R. Jack Wil
liams, Field Service Officer, Post
Office Department. During the
business session a resolution of
condolence was passed and sent to
the family of Ben Shannon, Post
master, Manteo, N. C. (Deceased)
The following officers were elected
for the coming year: Mrs. Effie
BricMhouse, District Chairman; J.
L. Chesnut, Edenton, Vice Chair
man, Mrs. Nora Boyce, Secretary;
and Knott Proctor, Greenville,
Legislative Representative.
NEW CURRITUCK SOUND
DRAWSPAN IS NOW OPEN
> ______
Traffic moved Wednesday over
the new draw bridge installed
over Currituck Sound on’ US 158.
Division Highway Engineer W. N.
Spruill said the McMeekin Con
struction Company has completed
all but touch-up work on this
$345,000 construction project in
Dare County.
Work began last April and
painting and other touch-up work
is expected to be completed May
1. The new draw bridge is of the
latest design and is electrically
operated. It replaces a hand op
erated draw span which had been
in use for 30 years. J. W. Wheel
er of Manteo was Resident Engi
neer.
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
MANY ATTEND DINNER FOR BONNER IN WASHINGTON SATURDAY
F ■ SGg V Jk 1
The above attended the North Carolina Democratic Club of Washington, D. C. Banquet and Ball
on Saturday, March 19, in honor of the North Carolina Democratic delegation in Congress. They are,
1. to r.: W. I. Bissette, Grifton; Cecil Whiteurst, Bethel; Lemuel Lee, Murfreesboro; Tom Andrews,
Bethel; Hon. Woodrow W. Jones, State Chairman of the Democratic Party for North Carolina; Clifton
Everett, Bethel; W. H. “Pete” Whitley, Murfreesboro; Bill Stroud, Ayden; Hon. William Copeland,
State Senator, Murfreesboro; Hon. Frank Wooten, Representative from Pitt County, Greenville. Vic
tor Meekins of Manteo also attendeed the event.
Others in attendance not shown in picture were: Pierce Sumrell, Bill Shelton, McDonald Ed
wards, Joe Tripp, Charles McLawhorn, Harry Stillman, Corey Stokes, Alton Gardner, Sidney Britt,
Jimmie Langston, all of Ayden, N. C.; Judson Blount, Jr., Greenville; Leiglfton Blount, Bethel; Don
Langston and Brantley Speight of Winterville; Dr. John D. Messick, former President of East Caro
lina College.
The picture was taken at a reception held at the Mayflower Hotel by Mr. and Mrs. Bonner,
prior to the annual North Carolina Democratic Club Banquet.
BISHOP WRIGHT WILL
VISIT HYDE SUNDAY
JfigaMßsiwlk - : "
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j* wy<o
BISHOP T. H. WRIGHT, of Wil
mington, will preach and confirm
a number of persons in Hyde Sun
day, March 27th; 11 a.m. St.
George’s Episcopal Church, Lake
Landing; 4 p.m. St. John’s, Slades
villc; and 7:30 p.m. at Calvary,
Swan Quarter.
Special music has been planned
for the occasion. There will be
a covered dish in the parish house
following the morning service. The
bishop will be entertained at the
rectory Saturday night and will be
guest of the Metrah Swindells in
Swan Quarter on Sunday night.
The public is cordially invited.
MANTEO FURNITURE
FORMALLY OPENING
NEW FURNITURE ROOM
Manteo Furniture Company is to
day beginning a special showing
of its new facilities, a completely
stocked 1800 sq. ft area featuring
merchandise used throughout the
home This addition to their dis
play area is a result of several
weeks hard work by the store own
ers, the Wescott brothers, Roy, Ed
ward and Fred, and is located to
the rear of the main display rooms
opposite the post office.
On Saturday night, the store will
remain open until 10 p.m. for con
venience of customers not odinarily
able to visit earlier. A drawing
for several itehis of furniture will
be held Saturday night, with regis
tration all day Saturday. Refresh
ments will be served Saturday
night Hatteras Island residents
are advised that they may regis
ter earlier if they so desire.
This new addition is partially in
connection with the store’s recent
affiliation with Southern Living
Stores, a group of leading southern
furniture stores banded together to
increase their purchasing power
and merchandising efforts. The
purchasing agency has headquar
ters in High Point, heart of the
greatest concentration of furniture
production in the world.
Through the combined buying
power of the Southern Living
See ADDITION, Page Seven
, BRUCE ETHERIDGE
STARTS POLITICAL
BALL IN DARE CO.
Veteran Legislator Announces for
House; Speculation as to
Other Candidates
Hon. R. Bruce Etheridge, a
veteran of 11 terms in the State
Legislature, one of these in the
Senate in 1907, started the politi
cal ball rolling in Dare County
politics this week by announcing
his candidacy for Representative.
He served in the House last year,
and in many other previous years.
He has been the leading political
figure in the county a half cen
tury, and served for more than
16 years in Raleigh as Director
of the Department of Conserva
tion and Development, besides in
■ numerous other posts and offices
1 in county and district. His long
political sendee, and widespread
j following of friends across the
" state are viewed as definite as
’ sets for his home county, and he
j is not expected to have opposition.
• However, there are expected
> some contests for the Board of
j Commissioners and Board of Ed
j ucation. On the County Board,
> Scotty Gibson is expected to be
j the candidate from Hatteras
Township, since George Fuller, Jr.
of Buxton is widely reported as
saying he will not run this time,
due to the press of personal busi
ness, being intensively engaged in
contracting and motel operation.
More than one candidate is ex
pected to appear from Atlantic
• Township for the County Board,
> and several names from this
’ township have been mentioned in
> connection with the Education
! post. More names have been men-
• tioned in other townships, but
1 nothing definite enough to report.
■ There has been some public dis-
■ satisfaction expressed with the
1 Board of Commissioners in not
1 carrying out implied pledges to
reduce expenses in the courthouse,
I but instead have added more peo-
■ pie to the payroll. There is much
' dissatisfaction over money wasted
’ in law enforcement, which $25,000
I appropriation is supposed to pay
• for tax collection, but the neglect
■ of this duty has made it neces-
• sary for the Commissioners to
i press the Tax Supervisor into an
• additional responsibility to save
the day financially.
The greatest complaint through
• the county is the difficulty in
’ finding sufficient public spirited
i men, who will devote their time
J to and lose heavily in their perso
' nal business to carry on the
, thankless and poorly paid tasks
, that have been added through the
’ years to public offices. Disap
; pointment has prevailed that the
County Boards have allowed a
number of county employees to
' take over and run things often
' too carelessly and inefficiently at
good pay for very little work.
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1960
84 YEARS OLD
I F I
l ' IS
J. M. AINSLEY of Ponzer, Hyde
County, celebrated his 84th birth
day at a dinner given in his honor,
Sunday, the 20th in the Ponzer
Community center. The table was
centered by a huge birthday cake.
Four of his five children, Mrs. R.
A. Jackson of Hopewell, Mrs. H.
L. Raburn and Mrs. R. W. Saunder
son of Ponzer, D. M. Ainsley of
Portsmouth, Va., attended. The
other son, H. C. Ainsley of Co
lumbia was unable to attend. Four
of nine grandchildren, and eight of
17 great-grandchildren, with in
laws and guests bringing the num
ber of visitors to 28. Mr. Ainsley,
a native of Tyrrell County, has
been a beloved citizen of Ponzer
for 56 years.
TAR HEELS AFLOAT
TO RENDEZVOUS AT
BELHAVEN AGAIN
Cecil D. May of New Bern, Com
modore of Tar Heels Afloat, an
nounces a spring cruise to Belhaven
on April 8,9, and 10. This special
spring cruise is in addition to the
regular Memorial Day affairs.
Headquarters in Belhaven will be
at the River Fo est Manor, which
is owned and managed by Axson
Smith.
AH boats will rendezvous in
Belhaven on Friday afternoon,
April 8, with dinner and enterain
ment scheduled for that night Sat
urday morning is free for special
activities, including fishing and
sightseeing. At 4:00 pin. on Satur
day there will be a Skippers’ Meet
ing, followed by a smorgasbord
dinner and dance at River Forest
Manor that night All participants
will return home on Sunday as they
desire.
Tar Heels Afloat is the organi
zation composed primarily of boat
owners, working together to pro
mote the wider use of the Inland
Waters of North Carolina. How
ever, it is not necessary to own a
boat to belong to the organization.
Everyone interesting in boating
and boats of all kinds are cordially
invited to join the festivities in
Belhaven. The Officer* of Tar
See TAB HEELS, Page Six
AREA'S LARGEST
LANDOWNERS VISIT
DARE AND TYRRELL
Officials of West Va. Pulp & Pa
per Study Development on
300,000 Acres
David L. Luke, President of
West Va. Pulp & Paper Company,
and other company officials left
Maniteo Thursday after a visit
with North Carolina Woodlands
manager W. J. Crumpacker, ex
pressing approval of progress be
ing made in the development of
more than 300,000 acres of wood
lands owned principally in Dare
and Tyrrell Counties. They flew j
out of Manteo Airport in a com- j
pany plane, en route to South J
Carolina properties.
The company owns about 200,- I
000 acres in Dare County, which
represents nearly all the land
area of the Dare mainland. En
gaged in a large roadbuilding and
tree planting project, it has be
come the biggest single employer
of labor, and the largest landown
ing taxpayer of two counties.
Roadbuilding through the remote
area has been a major project the
past six years, with some 80 miles
of roads completed.
Accompanying the youthful Mr.
Luke were George R. Birkelund,
a company Director and D. Y.
Lenhart, general manager of the
company’s far-flung woodlands.
Mr. Birkelund is president of
Baker, Fentess & Co., of Chicago.
Mr. Luke, an extremely youthful
looking man, coming into 60 this
year is a Yale graduate and among
many business interests has serv
ed as director of the Long Island
Railroad, the Irving Trust Co., of
N. Y.,’ the Arkwright Insurance
Co., etc.
Since coming to the area some
ten years ago, the company has
invested more than $3,000,000 in
properties in Tyrrell, Dare and
Hyde Counties. It has engaged in
See OFFICIALS, Page Six
HISTORY ALWAYS
INTERESTING WHEN
WELL PRESENTED
A Revealing Letter Published 22
Years Ago From the Late
D. C. Twiford
We often say the way to judge
the future is by the past. Because
The Times is now in its 25th year
of publication, we have been look
ing through our files through the
years to note the progress that has
taken place in our area. We ran
across a letter written us 22 years
ago from Norfolk, a former promi
nent citizen of East Lake who a
half-century ago was active in the
big timber operations which pre
vailed in his day.
We think this is one of the most
fascinating articles we have .ever
Carried. To bring younger reader’s
up to date, the big timber tract
referred to is now owned by West
Va. Pulp & Paper Company. The
town of Buffalo City is now a ghost
town. The majority of the citizens
of the whole area have moved
away, many of the leaders to Nor
folk, Elizabeth City and Manteo,
and most the older ones are dead.
There are only a few fine old peo
ple left to carry on, but they now
forsee a revival for East Lake
which will restore it to glory com
parable with it past, when the new
Alligator River bridge is complet
ed, whereby telephones and elec
tricity are expected to come in to
the community.
We commend this article to your
consideration:
By Dallas C. Twiford, late of
East Lake, Dare Co., N. C.
That the timberland holdings of
the Metropolitan Life Insurance
Com pany of Dare County are worth
two million dollars is the belief of
Dallas C. Twiford, prominent form
er resident of Dare County now re
siding in Norfolk, who was one
of the big local officials of the
Dare Lumber Company of the old
days. Os those old times, Mr. Twi
ford has written us a most enter
taining article that will be read
with much interest by all who know
him, and who knew East Late at
that time. He says:
Situated on the Banks of Milltail
Creek there is a small lumber
camp in the interior of the vast
Dare County forest of nearly
300,000 acres, known as Buffalo
City. I was born and reared in Dare
County. I spent 12 years of my life
an employee of the Dare Lumber
Company and 20 years ago I moved
away, after my company sold out
to the Pittsburg Life Insurance
Company which later fell in the
hands of the Metropolitan Life In
surance Company.
I was bookkeeper for my com
pany at the time the deal was
made and I know that the Pitts
burg Life Insurance Company paid
the Dare Lumber Company one mil
lion dollars. The promoter of this
See HISTORY, Page Seven
THIS GAL HAS UNDYING
AFFECTION FOR HYDE CO.
T _ Wl>
VIRGINIA PAGE SPENCER
Heart whole and fancy free save
for her intense love for Swan Quar
ter, her home county and the whole
state, Page Spencer, a brilliant na
tive of Hyde holds down a mighty
responsible job as public relations
and promotion director to trumpet
the products of many authors who
find their way to a world of readers
from this old college at Rutgers
University, N. J. Miss Spencer
abides out of working hours in the
literary atmosphere of Greenwich
Village, New York, and commutes
30 miles each way daily to New
Brunswick. There is not room here
for her long career in finally win
ning her way through Chapel Hill,
See HYDE GIRL, Page Seven
CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE
TO RAISE L C. FUNDS
M. L. DANIELS Jr., of Manteo, a
member of the Board of Directors
of the Roanoke Island Historical
Association was appointed Thurs
day to head the finance committee
to raise funds to make re-pairs and
re-open the Lost Colony this nea
son. The appointment was made at
a meeting of the Executive Com
mittee, headed by Mrs. O. Max
Gardner of Shelby at a meeting
in Manteo, at which time numerous
other phases of the plans for this
year’s show were discussed. An
operating budget was approved and
the committee will set about rais-
See L. C. MEETING, Page Seven
DREDGING BEGINS
ON SHOALING AREA
NEAR FAIRFIELD
Emergency Maintenance Work on
Inland Waterway East of
Wilkerson's Creek
WILMINGTON. Dredging to
remove shoals in the Atlantic In
tracoastal Waterway between Alli
gator River and Pungo River is
scheduled to begin Thursday or Fri
day (March 24-25), the Corps of
Engineers reported Tuesday.
Col. R. J. Davidson, District Engi
neer, said an arrangement has been
woked out with the Atkinson
Dredging Co., of Norfolk, Va., to
do the work. Atkinson’s dredge
NORTHWOOD, now dredging in
the waterway near Topsail Island,
was scheduled to depart Tuesday,
March 22 for the shoaled area. Its
arrival will depend on weather con
ditions for a portion of the journey
must be made in open waters of
Pamlico Sound. The work will re
quire a week to 10 days under
favorable conditions.
Colonel Davidson said the area
is about four miles cast of the Wil
kerson Creek bridge on the water
day. This is also west of the In
land Waterway bridge near Fair
field.
He explained that the controll
ing depth in the area now is eight
to nine feet as compared to project
depth of 12 feet.
The work will require the re
moval of an estimated 85,000 cu.
yds. of material to restore project
depth.
The adverse condition of the wa
terway came to light a few weeks
ago when several barges ran
aground in the area.
MAIL SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED TO BOX 428
MANTEO, N. C.
NOT TO INDIVIDUALS
Single Copy 7£
NEW POSTMASTER
IN MANTEO NOW
MRS. JOSIE FEREBEE
Appointed Acting Postmaster
Succeeding the Late Ben
Shannon; Former Teacher
Her consistency in sticking to
the traditional family party
through thick and thin paid off
Wednesday for Mrs. Josie Jones
Ferebee of Manteo when she was
sworn in as Acting Postmaster of
Manteo, replacing the late Ben
Shannon who died this month.
Mrs. Ferebee, the wife of John E.
Ferebee was named on the rec
ommendation of County Republi
can Chairman Vernon Gaskill of
Wanchese, and she is the sth mem
ber of her immediate family to
hold a postmastership. In fact, none
but this family have had appoint
ments as Republicans at the Man
teo postoffice in 60 years.
Mrs. Ferebee, a former teacher,
business woman of ability, a form
er postoffice clerk, is about the
only person who was elegible as
a Republican. Some who were men
tioned have been on both sides of
tlie political street; some obviously
had no politics at all as seen from
the standpoint of party service.
Two of Mrs. Ferebee’s brothers,
the late 0. J. Jones and the late
Roscoe Jones held office as post
master during administrations of
Presidents Taft, Harding, Coolidge
and Hoover. A nephew Ray W.
Jones, was acting postmaster two
years early in the Eisenhower ad
ministration. A third brother,
Clarence Jones once served as post
master at Mashoes in Dare Coun-’
ty.
In a predominantly Democratic
. community resigned to the likeli-
Ihood of a Republican appointee,
I Democrat citizens approve of Mrs.
Ferebee for this interim appoint
ment, because of her having passed
60, and it is considered likely no
permanent appointment will be
considered until this year’s elec
tions are out of the way. And by
that time, who knows but another
party will head the Government?
| She is considered efficient, com-
I petent and of a high standing fami-
I li’, and she fills a gap that gets
i all political leaders off a limb for
the time being.
NEW YORK IS FOR
THE IRISH DURING
ST. PATRICK'S DAY
One of the Biggest Events of The
Year, Dropped in Size
This Time
By VICTOR MEEKINS
NEW YORK, Mar. 17.—1 have
been to New York many times, but
never took in many big events, or
visited many of the city’s famous
places. I did land there the day
General MacArthur returned from
the Orient, and have been there on
a New Year’s eve. And this day,
despite, rain, snow and sleet has
been a terrific one, and one which
I wound up in early evening aft
er fine food and entertainment at
Felix’s Irish Case on 13th St.
On this day my companions were
Page Spencer of Swan Quarter, and
Pat Schartle of Asheville, two
smart North Carolina gals who are
doing well in New York. On Wed
nesday, the day preceding, I en
joyed a fine dinner at the Overseas
Press Club with Nick Lenhart, and
Jean Bradnick, who often visit our
area for their company, West Va.
Pulp & Paper. They are royal en
tertainers. For dinner, I went out
to the Barclay’s Gold Room with
Jim Morton, the promotion direc
tor of the American Weekly, along
with Chicago and Atlanta Repre
sentatives of the Weekly.
I am booked for three nights
in the Picadilly Hotel where I have
stopped on most of my visits dur
ing the past 30 years. I didn’t get
time to see the show in which
Andy Griffith is playing four doors
down the street. I talked to Capt
Solly Topping, the Belhaven mariner
who is General Operating Manager
of United States line, because I
wanted to visit the big ship, United
States. But for the second time, I
found the ship was on the other
side, and I missed this journey.
Sometime tomorrow, I expect to
take the train'back to Washing
ton. It’s almost as much fun to ride
the train, some four hours, rather
than to fly in, and having to en
dure the passage by cab in and
out of towns. Some years ago, on
my first flight into New York,
I left a new blue overcoat in the
cab which brought me uptown from
LaGuardia. I never could locate it
On Tuesday, my first day here,
I visited the Rockettee as usual in
Radio City Music Hall, and now
after the wonderful program of
Irish songs, at Felix’s tonight I
don't contemplate any more shows.
*Jn spits of the good treatment
8m NEW YORK, Ptge Seven