The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-13
-FOUR GATES TO ROANOKE ISLAND. !.
Advantages to the Sound Region Of the State
From The Proposed Celebration.

1
| From The Proposed Celebration.
| The four great gateways to Roanoke
| Island, where it is proposed to celebrate
III appropriate form the historic events
connected with Sir Walter Raleighs
/ efforts at colonization more than four
hundred years ago are, Elizabeth CITY.
| Edenton, Washington and New
Bern. From some one of these in our
/ State each visitor must embark for tbe
island. And. fortunately these towns af
| ford ample facilities, so that there need
| be no monopoly at any of them-though
it is said that already there is mani
| fest disposition to want to monopolize
the way" but happily there is no op
| portunity for such a plan, as each of
these fine towns has advantages to Of
| fer, once the celebration is under wav.
| The enterprise of Elizabeth CITY will
| no doubt see to it that commodious
steamers make daily trips to and from
| the island, and the hospitality of that
| goodly town will be equal to anv de-
mands made upon it. Col Creecy. that
| dear old father in newspaperdom, will
vouch for his city.
Certainly no less will be expected of
| historic old Edenton; the town itself.
with it's traditions, buildings and people
| all associated with the early history of
| the Old North State, will find that hun
| dreds of visitors will make that delight
| full town a gateway to the celebration.
| They will provide jaunty, spick and span
| steamers to transport the throngs who
| will journey their way. Both these towns
will show to the world the beauties of
the Albemarle Sound.
| Those visitors who make WASHINGTON.
| Beaufort county, their gateway will ex-
plore Pamlico river and Pamlico sound. |
Such steamers as the wideawake Wash
| ingtonians will provide, will be sure to
! please the public. This promises to be
| one of the busiest of the ways" as her
railway facilities are good and her su-
perb passenger steamers will have many
| landings to make down the river
! New Bern, that beautiful town at the
confluence of the Neuse and Trent rivers
will also be one CT the popular ways"
| for visitors to the island. She already
has line of comfortable steamers which
| make regular landings at "Skyco" the
| port Of entry to cur historic island. But
| these will be added to and the old steam
ers painted and scrubbed and made as
bright as dollar for the great event.
| These New Bern boats will explore the
whole length of Pamlico Sound in find
| ing the mecca of its visitors; In fact.
! each of these interesting eastern towns
has advantages peculiar to itself. and the
enterprise Of each may be depended upon
for making the most of its special fea-
lures regardless of its neighbors.
Among the advantages which the Sound
region will reap from the celebration,
nri1 hD f,s to 1.,1,,
building of the great inland waterway
! from Wilmington to New York, by the
! United States government. This would
afford an inland, or land protected water
! way FOR moving either way the navy of
| commerce between the points indicated,
and would be ofincalculable value to our
country in time of war with any foreign
power, or when storms rage in the open
| sea.
1t might also bring about the finish
! ing of some of the projected lines of rail-
road in that region, as we'll as stimulate
/ the opening of other steamboat lines. It
would bring to the attention of the world
the great advantage of soil for profitable
| trucking; of the waters for profitable
fishing and of the forest for profitable
numbering. The cheapness and ease with
| gion will be sure to attract the atten-
ton of the home seeker, and the posi-
| bilities above enumerated will attract
the investor the farmer, the fisherman,
fthe lumberman and the Gamer of fruits,
vegetables and fish. These are. briefly,
some Of the advantages to be gained by
| the residents of the Sound region from
the proposed celebration.
There IS some confusion among our
people IN regard to the exposition fea-
ture." 1t will not be en- exposition in
! ordinary sense. at all. In the building
| called a museum will be shown historic
| objects, replicas of incidents and events
| in the history of the colonies planted
| there and pageants Of the same charac-
ter will be shown in the open air. There
will also be in the museum costumes,
arms, wares etc.. of the time; on the
shores of Roanoke Sound there will be
a camp of Indians in tepees engaged
in the ordinary occupations of Indians
making baskets, blankets bows and ar
rows and the like just as were found
founr hundred years ago by Amadas and
| Barlowe. These will be studied and pre-
pared to form that part OF the celebra-
ton which will appeal to the eye; while
a great literary feast will be spread
daily before the visitor, consisting of
lectures, orations, sketches, etc. These
features show at a glance the character
| of the celebration and will, by their nov
| city, prove of great interest to all " 81
tors. T. X. BRUNER.
~ w