SEND RENEWAL
OF SUBSCRIPTION
BEFORE EXPIRATION
DATE ON ADDRESS
VOLUME XXVII NO. 30
PALMER MIDGETT
AWARDED $4,398.62
BY DARE COURT
Sought Nearly $10,000; Appealing
io Higher Court; Many Oth
er Cases Delayed
Palmer S. Midgett waited several
hours before receiving a Dare
County Superior Court verdict
which awarded him more than $4,-
000 here on Friday. The suit
against Marton Kellogg, Jr. and
Fentress Homer, both of Elizabeth
City, executors of the estate of the
late CapL Cornelius P. Midgett,
was for salary, medicines, bever
ages and other expenses which cov
ered a period between 1957 and
1950. 'The final recoyery .totalled
$4,398.62.
Midgett, the plaintiff, (had asked,
for SIO,OOO in restitution of his
claim. Leroy, Goodwin and Wells,
his Elizabeth City attorneys, have
indicated that they, will appeal to
the Supreme Court. Mrs. Palmer
Midgett, wife of the plaintiff, has
also filed suit against the execu
tors; she is reportedly seeking $3,-
960 which she claims is due her for
services rendered as assistant man
ager of the First Colony Inn. Her
suit may be decided at the next
term of Superior Court.
At the Palmer Midgett trial.
Judge Chester Morris asked the
jury to decide upon three primary
issues, as follows.
L In what amount, if any, pre
the defentants, executors, indebted
to the plaintiff. Answer: Full
amount of $598.62. (This award
was the result of a claim by Mid
gett during the trial that he held
, a note signed by the late C. P.
Midgett certifying that he owed
plaintiff $598.62 in payment of
money spent in operation of the
First Colony Inn for the summer
of 1958.)
2. In what amount, if any, are
the defendant, indebted to plaintiff
by reason of the second cause of
action alleged in the complaint.
Answer: SBOO, including interest.
(The plaintiff had asked for sl,-
016.15 for medical, grocery and
other expenses which he claimed
were purchased for his wife’s uncle,
a P. Midgett.) *
3. What amount, if any, is plain
tiff entitled to recover of the de
fendants, executors, upon a quan
tum meruit basis for services ren
dered by plintiff to C. P. Midgett
! during the years 1957, 1958 and
1959. Answer: $3,000. (This award
was for work which the plaintiff
had claimed was done by him dur
ing the years mentioned above. He
had asked for SB,OOO. Plaintiff
claimed at the trial that he had
worked seven days a week and
sometimes 20 hours a day for the
First Colony Inn.)
The Midgett case, which has at
tracted more attention than any
other during this term of Superior
Court, began on Jan. 16. Large
crowds were on hand to hear testi
mony from witnesses on Hatteras
and residents of the Dare area.
Kellogg and Horner, the defen
, dants, had contended that the Plain
tiff had received lodging and board
at no charges to his family, certain
monies and a portion of the C. P.
Midgett estate, as outlined in the
will of the late Capt Midgett and
was therefore, not entitled to the
restitution which hie claimed.
work Begins on kill
DEVIL HILLS POSTOFFICE
Enlargement Will Double Space New
Being Used, Thus Feeiliteting
Handling of Mail
Mrs. Irene Twiford, postmaster
at Kill Devil Hills, has announced
that enlargement construction will
begin this week on the post office
there. Mrs. Twiford states that the
enlargement will double the space
in the existing structure which is
now 20* x 30*. The addition will
provide for an addition of 66 more
boxes jf recommendations are ac
cepted by the government. New
light fixtures will be added and the
remodeling will maintain the same
design that prevails in the office
at present.
The construction is being under
taken at the request of the govern-
I ment and will enable the post
office personnel to handle the large
volumes of package mail which
accumulates over the summer. The
post office at Kill Devil Hills was
first opened on Jan. 17, 1938 and
Mn. Twiford was its first post
master. She has been with the
post office since that date. Accord
ing to Mrs. Twiford, this is the
sixth time that the building facili
ties have been changed. The origi
nal structure was «’ X 8’ room with
only a handful of boxes and was,
she says, “quite a contrast to the
present structure”. The post office
hat grown with development on
the beach and became a third class
office in July of 1960.
1 a. .. J
8-21-62
THE COASTLAND TIMES
■ - ' . z . .. t ■».
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
CONGRESSMAN HERBERT BONNER URGES
SUPPORT OF 1942 MARCH OF DIMES
® iHL
PRETTY LORETTA BOWEN of Washington, N. C. enlists her boss,
Rep. Herbert C. Bonner of North Carolina’s First Congressional District,
in the 1962 March of Dimes campaign. Rep. Bonner and Miss Bowen,
one of his secretaries, are calling attention to the Sixth Annual March
of Dimes Telerama to be held over station WITN-TV on Saturday and
Sunday, January 27 and 28. All proceeds of the Telerama, which last
year raised over $25,000, will go to support the March of Dimes fight
against crippling birth defects, arthritis and polio.
Rep. Bonner (D-NC) this week
urged Eastern North Carolinians
■ to give their all-out support to the
• March of Dimes Telerama to be
■ held on station WITN-TV in Wash-
■ ington, N. C. on Saturday and Sun-
■ day, January 27 and 28.
’ “Your dimes and dollars which
helped conquer polio, can do it
1 again in the fight against crippling
> birth defects anl arthritis,” declar
ed the veteran congressman who
• has represented the First North
- Carolina District since 1940.
He pointed out that the WITN
Telerama, now in its sixth year,
t raised a record $25,413 for the
I March of Dimes last year. He
I praised the 43 man station staff
' headed by Operations Director, Hal
- Wilson and the 150 March of Dimes
’ workers who volunteered more than
• 1,000 hours to make the event
1 such a financial success.
I This year’s Telerama, said Rep.
- Bonner, will have talent from all
over Eastern North Carolina and
■ should be one of the most enter
r taining programs of the year. More
• than one hundred acts are schedul-
> ed, all of them volunteering their
• services for the March of Dimes,
i The Telerama will begin at ap
proximately 11 p.m. on Saturlay
. night, January 27 and will con
. tinue through Sunday, January 28
I as long as contributions are com
! ing in.
j MANTEO MOTHERS’ MARCH
! The Mothers* March for the 1962
March of Dimes will take place in
the Manteo area on the evening of
January 29; between the hours of
seven and eight o’clock. County
• chairman is Mrs. B. F. Baum. Mrs.
Earl Quidley is chairman of the
, Mothers* March for the Mantec
area, which includes the areas just
south of town and the entire north
end of the island.
Also scheduled is a dance at the
[ Dare County Shrine Club on Feb-
I ruary 3, proceeds to go to the
i March of Dime®.
i
» JOSEPH CURTIS GRAY OF
i KITTY HAWK PASSES WED.
1 Joseph Curtis Gray of Kitty
Hawk succumbed to an illness
■ which he had suffered for the past
• twenty-one months at his home
i Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. Mr. Gray
• had lived at Kitty Hawk for the
past seventeen years, where he
operated the Kitty Hawk Construc
tion Co.
Mr. Gray was bom at Avon July
i 23, 1901. He was the son of the
i late George and Montra Meekins.
' Survivors include his wife, Mrs.
i Minnie Gray; three daughters, Mrs.
I Lucille Moe es Mystic, Conn., Mrs.
Norma Richardson of Norfolk, Va.
i and Mrs. Marjorie Lewis of Clair
mont, Calif.; one son, William Cur
i tis Gray of Kitty Hawk. He had
two brothers, C. C. Gray of Avon
and Willie Gray of Norfolk, Va.
'Surviving sisters are Mrs. Cary
O’Neal of Avon and Mrs. Warren
Midgett and Lucy Gray, both of
Buxton. The deceased had fifteen
grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements were not
Complete tim©.
ADDITIONAL $390
APPROPRIATED FOR
WANCHESE DOCK
Lighting to Be Included in Addition
to Project As Announc
ed Monday
The Dare County Commissioners
voted to appropriate $390 for the
construction of a wing at the south
east end of the Wanchese wharf in
a special session Monday.
The expenditure was approved
after a report by Commissioners
Swain and Hooper who stated that
the Wanchese Dock Project was
nearing completion and that the
construction of a bulkhead at the
Southeast corner of the dock was
necessary to prevent washout. The
$390 expenditure will also include
the construction of seven fender
pilings and the installation of a
light at the southeast end of the
dock. Application will be made
to Virginia Electric & Power Co. to
install the light, which will bum
automatically during the hours of
darkness.
Commissioner Swain also report
ed that he had met at the site with
representatives of the State High
way Commission with regard to
plans for paving the approach road
and parking area, which is expected
to be completed this month.
Lighting for the Lake Worth
Project was another item handled
by the commissioners in their spe
cial session. Application for a wink
light, which will be installed be
tween the outside light beacon and
the middle wink light going into
Lake Worth; will be made by the
commissioners to the proper au
thorities. The motion for the Lake
Worth lighting was made by Hor
ace Hooper and received the unani
mous acceptance of the board.
The Ray Midgett road was an
other item on the agenda covered
by the commissioners. It was de
cided that the State Highway Com
mission will be requested to haul
material from its stock pile at
Stumpy Point onto the road at the
earliest possible time. The swampy
condition of the road at present has
made access to it by local residents
almost impossible, according to the
board. The board will also apply
to the commission for surfacing
of rock or asphalt for the road.
T. H. Briggs, delinquent tax col
lector, John H. Long, county ac
countant and tax supervisor and W.
H. McCown, county attorney, met
with the board and discussed the
delinquent tax program. For the
purpose of clarification of the pro
cesses by which delinquent tax
problems may be handled, Law
rence Swain moved that the delin
quent tax collector furnish the tax
supervisor a list of all those delin
quent accounts upon which he can
not make further determination as
to liability and that the tax super
visor may employ Mrs. Zenovah
E. Davis for the purpose of tracing
the collectibility of those accounts.
The motion included the provision
that accounts which the delinquent
See DOCK, Page Four
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1962
MANTEO ROTARIANS
CELEBRATE THEIR
TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR
Edmund Harding Is Featured
Speaker As Neighboring Clubs
Extend Congratulations
Highlighting the 25th anniver
sary of the founding of the Man
teo Rotary Club was a speech by
Edmund Harding, famous and pop
ular after-dinner speaker, of Wash
ington, N. C. In the course of his
speech Mr. Harding touched brief
ly on the community projects to
which the club had lent its coopera
tion, but made extensive mention
of things which might be expected
from the club in the 25 years to
come, and to which the members
migljt look back on the 50th anni
versary. His remarks were inter
spersed with humorous anecdotes
which brought enthusiastic re
sponse from his audience.
The celebration was in the form
of a banquet held Tuesday night,
January 23, in the cafeteria of the
Manteo High School. Rotary colors
of blue and gold were carried out
in the speakers' table arrangement
of yellow gladioli and blue Dutch
iris; and small bowls of blue and
yellow pansies on each table. Mrs.
Robert F. Gibbs was banquet chair
man, and was assisted by Mrs. E.
E. Meekins, Mrs. Archie Burrus
and Mrs. Linwood Cuthrell as a
decorating committee. Mrs. Julian
Oneto, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Jordan,
Martin Kellogg, Jr., and Mr. and
Mrs. George Whitfield served as a
registration and reception commit
tee.
Presiding was James L. Rea, pres
ident of the Rotary Club. Wallace
McCown, member of the board of
directors, served as master of cere
monies. D. Victor Meekins, chair
man of the twenty-fifth anniver
sary committee, introduced Mr.
Harding. "Dick Jordan acompanied
at the piano as Ralph Swain led
group singing. Dr. W. W. Johnston,
as first vice-president of the club,
extended the welcome. Among char
ter members present were Dr.
Johnston, D. Victor Meekins, J. E.
Fere bee, C. S. Meekins, Martin Kel
logfo and E. E. Meekins. Ay
cock Brown and Wallace McCown
served on the program committee.
Attending were three former dis
trict governors, S. Wade Marr and
John Moore of Elizabeth City; P.
D. Midgett, Jr., of Engelhard; and
the evening's speaker, Edmund
Harding of Washington.
See ROTARY, Page Five
100 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK—
BURNSIDE EXPEDITION LOST SIX
SHIPS IN HATTERAS INLET AREA
By AYCOCK BROWN
The City of New York, one of
General Ambrose Burnside’s vessels
in his expedition bound for Roanoke
Island and other coastal towns of
northeast North Carolina, along
with five other ships was lost dur
ing a late January storm off Hat
teras Inlet in 1862.
The remainder of the armada
which had sailed from Hampton
Roads 100 years ago were bound for
Roanoke Island which was taken
with little difficulty by the Federal
amphibious force® on February 8,
from the Confederate defenders of
the area.
Centennial of the Roanoke Island
battle on February 7-8 this year
will be observed locally in a cooper
ative effort planned by the Dare
County Civil War Commission and
the State’s commission. Already
on Roanoke Island, through efforts
under leadership of Ralph. Swain,
chairman of the local commission,
one large maker has been erected
at the site of Fort Russell on the
Manteo-Wanchese road and another
is planned to be erected immediate
ly near the east approach of Wil
liam B. Unwtead Bridge within
view of the land-water engage
ments a century ago.
In addition to the City of New
York with its loss of $200,000 in
supplies, the gunboat Zouave, the
steamer Pocahontas, including al
most 90 horses, the Grapeshot and
two unarmed schooners were lost
during the gple. Three other ships,
the Louisiana, Eastern Queen and
Voltaguer, ran aground, but were
reported still intact in news cover
age of the expedition’s movement
towards Pamlico Sound and Roa
noke Island.
Non-partisan accounts of Civil
War events prepared by Atlanta
Constitution writers and published
DARE COUNTY LIBRARY
TO CLOSE TEMPORARILY
Mrs. L. L. Gibbs, librarian at the
Dare County Library has stated
that the library will be closed from
Jan. 29 until the following Mon
day, in order that the renovations
in the community building may be
DENTON LUPTON, FORMER
BEAUFORT OFFICIAL DIES I
I
tlllF ! v -
DENTON W. LUPTON, a highly
regarded citizen of Pantego, and
former Beaufort County Deputy
Sheriff for 14 years, died Thursday
afternoon in the Pungo District
Hospital in Belhaven, following an
illness of more than two years.
He was born March 28, 1885 near
Sladesville in Hyde County, the son
of the late Roberson and Laura V.
Lupton, and was in his 80th year.
He served as Deputy Sheriff and
Tax Collector for 14 years in Pan
tego Township, after removing
from Hyde County over 50 years
ago. His first wife, who died in
November 1947, was the former
Miss Ida Gower whom he married
in December 1903. In 1950 he
married Mrs. Blanche Gower who
died three years ago.
He served as chairman of the
Pantego school board for teh years,
having a total of 22 years of serv
ice on this Board. He was for many
years an active member of the
Rotary Club, and had served as
its president. He was a member of
the Pantego Christian church. In
1930 he was appointed as supervi
sor of the Census in the first Dis
trict, and had served as supervisor
of Business census in 17 counties.
He and his first wife reared an
outstanding family. Five sons sur
vive: Stacey Lupton of Cherry
Point; D. Warren Lupton of Atlan
ta; Floyd Lupton of Belhaven; Ed
ward Lupton of Richmond and
See LUPTON, Page Four
in the Sunday edition of Miami
Daily News as a full-page feature
reprinted the cenury-old Hatteras
Inlet datelined story which follows:
BURNSIDE LOSES 6 SHIPS
Hatteras Inlet, N. C.—Storms
and Shallow water exacted a fear
ful toll as the 65 ships of Union
Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside’s arma
da reached here this week.
Bad weather and unreliable
charts of the water delayed the
general’s plan of operating against
the North’Carolina coast.
Six vessels were lost to rough
seas and sandbars as the armada
sought to navigate the tricky Hat
teras Inlet, leading to Pamlico
Sound, between Cape Hatteras and
the mainland. Three other ships
were beached.
Gen. Bumside bad combed the
seaboard for vessels of light
draught, under the impression that
no vessel drawing more than eight
and one-half feet of water could
pass into the sound. It was found
on arrival, that none drawing more
than seven feet could enter.
The major loss is of the steamer
New York, loaded with $200,000
worth of powder, rifles and bombs.
She strode a sandbar and was
wrecked Monday. The captain and
crew remained aboard for 40 hours
before being rescued.
The gunboat Zouave received a
hole in the bottom and sank, but
her crew and guns were saved. The
steamer Pocahontas went ashore
and was tom asunder by the rough
seas. Most of the 90 horses she bore
were drowned. The Grapeshot also
sank ond two unidentified schoon
ers loaded with oats were lost on
the beach. Six members of their
crews perished.
Bad weather at sea so scattered
the fleet that, while some vessels
had arrived by Monday, others did
not reach Hatteras until Friday.
The storms around Hatteras have
made it impossible for the ship’s
to communicate with one another.
No opposition from the Confeder
ates has 'been encountered. Two
forts here fell to a Union force
which struck last August, and the
Confederates have taken no coun
ter-measures.
ICOROLLA PROPERTY CHANGES
FROM BOYS ACADEMY TO A
ROCKET RESEARCH CENTER
Fabulous Whales Head Club To Be Site for Rock
et Engine Testing; Work Already Underway On
Isolated Area of Currituck Beach; Road From
Kitty Hawk to Be Built to Serve Project
53 APPLICATIONS
FOR BOYS' CLUB
MEMBERSHIP MON.
Further Registration Next Monday
Evening for High School
Students
Jack Wilson, chairman of the
Boys Club committee for the Man
teo Lions Club, has reported a
“good turnout" in registration for
elementary’ school boys which was
held at the Manteo High School
on Monday. Fifty-three youths ap
peared during the evening to sign
cards witnessing their interest in
the club and listing activities and
hobbies in which they would like
to participate.
Sports of all kinds were mention
ed by the elementary age students
who appeared enthusiastic about
the program. Many of the youths
were accompanied by their parents,
Wilson stated. The Lions are re
portedly interested in suggestions
and participation from other civic
groups and individuals who are con
cerned about the physical and
moral development of the future
citizens here on Roanoke Island.
Registration for high school stu
dents will begin at 7 p.m. on Jan.
29. in the Manteo High School
Gym. All boys in this age group are
encouraged to attend.
Wilson has reported that a per
manent record of each boy’s pro
gress will-be kept by directors of
the club to ensure that each young
ster is developing properly and to
direct his interests in the activities
which are appropriate for his age
group. Records of attendance will
also show the time of arrival and
departure from the meeting, he
said.
Lions Club members hope to ap
ply for membership in Boys Club
of America as soon as registration
and organization are complete.
ATTENDANCE OF 250
AT THE METHODIST
CONFERENCE TUES.
Mt. Olivet Church Host to Eliza
beth City District Members;
W.S.G.S. Serves Lunch
Two hundred and fifty Metho
dists invaded Manteo on Tuesday
to attend a conference of the Eliza
beth City District of the Methodist
Church when Mt Olivet Methodist
Church was host for its out-of-town
guests. One hundred and eighty
eight members of the conference
were feted at a lunch by the Wo
man's Society of Christian Service
during the conference which lasted
from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Rev. R. L. Jerome, district su
perintendent presided over the
conference which featured reports
on church activity from various
ministers and lay leaders through
out the district
Rev. H. F. Leatherfan, host pas
tor, began the conference with a
devotional. Following the devotion
al, the organization of the confer
ence was conducted. Reports were
then given by leaders in the field
of education. Dr. C. P. Moms, Ex
ecutive Secretary of the Conference
Board of Education and Dr. A. P.
Brantley, Director of the Confer
ence Commission on Christian
Higher Education, were among
those who reported on this area of
church development.
Rev. W. R. Garrard, who has re
cently returned from a ( mission
field in Puerto Rico, spoke of mis
sion needs in Latin America, in one
of the principal addresses. Another
important address was delivered by
Dr. O. L. Hathaway who spoke on
"Mission® and Church Extension.”
Methodist evangelism was discus
sed by Rev. C. F. Heath, Conference
Secretary of Evangelism, white the
Methodist Retirement Home wm
the subject of a talk by the super
intendent, Rev. J. F. Coble.
One of the most interesting talks
at the conference was delivered by
Rev. W. H. Brown, who attended
a cusuicv conierence nere ov ywar»
ago and later returned to serve the
ML Olivet Church when he was
then assigned to the Roanoke Cir
cuit which once included both Man
teo and Wanchese. After Rev.
Brown's talk the District Superin
tendent collected the financial re
'’ . '•A't * '7
MAIL SHOULu BE
ADDRESSED TO BOX 4211
MANTEO. N. C.
NOT TO INDIVIDUALS
Single'Copy
Announcement has finally been
made concerning the type of in
stallation that is being planned for
the Currituck Beach area which em
braces several thousand acres, the
center of which is the Whales Head
Club, the fabulous place built in the
twenties by the late Edward C.
Knight a wealthy retired Philadel
phia architect to please his wife,
: the former french actress Laura
Laßelle Knight.
A rocket engine test installation
is in the making and some weeks
1 ago, Manteo concrete contractor S.
C. Basnight was called in to aid in
the building of a fixed text firing
pad which is near the site of the
former Poyners Hill Coast Guard
station.
This information was published
by the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot last
Saturday although Mr. William E.
Witt, a party in interest in the
property says a release concerning
the operation was premature, and
Jerry Halpin of Atlantic Research
says, inasmuch as the Dismal
Swamp area is being considered,
there is nothing firm about this
proposition for Currituck Beach,
and a decision would be made in
about three weeks. Other sites un
der consideration are Ocracoke Is
land and Arkansas.
This story apparently leaked out
from residents of the area, who
were quick to come to conclusions
from their observations of certain
activity around them.
Mr. Halpins says their initial
agreement was for 30 days in order
to test water, etc. He said when a
site is selected there will be no ac
, tual rocket firing, but rather for
[ the development of the company’s
I polaris propellant The set-up
would be primarily for the mixing
of fuels, which the company calls
solid-propellants.
The agreement would be to take
a three-year option with a rental
price renewable annually.
To continue, with the informa
tion previously published, the Nor
folk newspaper* says in part
The Atlantic Research Corp of
Alexandria, Va., has firmed up an
agreement to pay $25,000 a year for
the use of the property, with option
to buy at one million dollars. The
owners are William E. Witt of Vir
ginia Beach and A. T. McLean of
Portsmouth, Va. They acquired the
property some four years ago, from
the Ray Adams Estate at a cost of
some $400,000. Since then, it has
been operated as a swank club in
: winter, and as a boys Academy in
, summer. The boys academy will be
continued near Charlottesville, Va.
Atlantic Research is out in front
in the field of developing solid
propellant rockets, for the Govern
ment Not all the land concerned
I in the project is owned by McLean
and Witt. Tracts on either end are
under consideration, for what may
become the most gigantic project
i ever undertaken on the North Caro
lina coast.
Work is now underway in the
firing pad area. Power line im
provements are being added to it.
Well authenticated rumors are that
the State Highway Commission will
extend the highway from Kitty
i Hawk to serve the project.
I Atlantic Research is a company
about 12 years old, and operates a
> solidpropellant manufacturing and
. rocket plant near Gainsville, Va. Its
office is in Alexandria. Its stock is
i quoted in the American Stock list.
The company describes itself as
■ one of the firm major companies
in its field. It employs about 2,000
persons, although it is not expected
i a very large number will be em
ployed on Currituck Beach, and
these being mostly technical and
scientific men for whom homes will
be built.
The company develops and builds
small rockets for upper air research
and for auxiliary functions such as
in a Mercury shot where four At
lantic Research retro-rockets were
on the capsule.
Two Metrocs, powerful but rel
atively inexpensive sounding rock
ets,
nauties and Space Administration
to carry a small meteorological