Sharp County record., 1890-09-25
A HATTERAS SETTLEMENT.
Glimpscs Of the Easy-Golng Islanders
and Their Struggling Towns.

pHupscs OF tne Easy-GOlng lslahuers
and Their Struggling Towns.
According to the census OF 1880 Chica-
macomico had population OF 263, Kin
nakeet of :}6S and the latteras (which
includes all the islands from the cape to
the Ilatteras inlet sci. 1t is likely
that the population is now nearly 1000
In number, for times have been growing
better in recent years, and good times
makes tho population grow here, the
people say, just as abundant food in
creases the number Of rabbits in any dis
trict.
The settlements are all alike. Each
is collection Of houses scattered about
on trails that run like cowpaths-that
really were cowpaths and deer runways
originally-through the woods and
groves. The original settlers came here
no one knows when, but the settlement
at Hatteras inlet was certainly made
early in the eighteenth century, for the
records of the old Port Roanoke custom
house, between the years 1882 and 1852
show that 1l5 vessels cleared in that
time, and that while most Of them sail
ed through the Ocracoke inlet, llatteras
inlet was almost as popular.
Not only were the earliest settlers
Gase-loving-some of them were vicious.
They were of the crews of the pirates
Teach and Steed Bonnet who once liy-
cd on these banks. But whatever the
viciousness of the early settlers, the
evil strains of blood has degenerated,
for, instead of robbing ships on the high
seas, they rob them after they are strand
ed.
The typical Ilatteras islander, how
ever has inherited in a marked degree,
the ease-loving characteristics of his an
cestors, and there has been very little
immigration of late years to mix the
blood, Icould learn of but one family
that had moved to the island during the
last ten years
The chief source Of income of the peo-
pie is from the natural oyster beds. Pos
sessed of the finest sort of land under
water for oyster culture, the inhabi-
tants have not utilized foot of 1t
Worse than that they are dredging the
natural beds to death, and selling the
catch to Virginia planters contrary to
law According to some of the best in
formed men of the island, the beds will
be ruined in two years. In the season
they all go fishing, and some of the first
shad to reach New York in the spring
are taken by llatteras islanders, a
steamer making regular trips from
Elizabeth City in the season to gather
the catch. Nearly all tho men are
market shooters as we'll, and from No
vember to March they hunt wild fowl
with such collection Of decoys and fire
arms as would give sportsman the
headache,
But tho reader must not bo led by
these statements to supposing that the
citizen of the banks works long enough
or often enough to make him incur tho
displeasure of the mechanics who favor
an eight-hour work day. 1t is asserted
by good authority that a majority of the
men of latteras island work less than
$50 hours year, or ffty-two ten-hour
days.
The Hatteras man is usually tall and
gaunt with rounded shoulders,
whiskers on the point of his
chin; straight, thin lips; lantern
jaws, keen eyes, and unkempt
dark hair. He wears either an old felt
hat or a souwestor n drilling shirt
brown overalls, and rubber boots, At
this season of the year, however, he is
as often barefootod as otherwise, in
spite OF abundant sand burrs along
shore, The Oldest men still wear trous.
ors made on the island from tho wool
they shear from their half-wild sheep
The truth is that these islanders are, in
appearance, typical Yankees,
The girls mature at thirteen or four
toen years, and until they get married
are plump and good-loolSing. Then they
soon break and become haggard for the
number Of children in llattoras family
varies between nine and nineteen, This
condition Of affairs would rapidly in
crease tho population woro 1t not that
the winter is bad enough to kill the
young with zymotic diseases The
women dress in calico, with homemade
woolon stun in cold weather for u yarie.
ty, and among the oristocrOts, n cloth
dress now and then, Tho llNttoras
beauty sat for her photograph in Ogrcon
cotton plush that was really tasteful,
They go bOrciooted in warm weather,
and when not barchoadod wear calico
sun-bonnots. Straw hats are worn to
church by young women. -Kinnakoot
Cor N. Y. Sun.