The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-05-20
A VISIT TO FORT RALEIGH
The islanders a Study, Hospltable'
Intelligent People.
AWAKE TO IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
A Peep al Fessenden's Wireless Telegraph
Station. Manteo and the Tranquil House.
Carloads of Fish Flung Into
Burrows as Fertilizer.
(Staf Correspondence.

A1NtAA
Nanteo. Dare Counay, \. G., May %
For some weeks l have purposed a Vist-
10 the historic spot, Roanoke Islane. On
Friday last. 1T the Athens of Norm
| Carolina. boarded the elegant steamer
| Neuse and soon the trip down the beau
tiful river OF the same name was begun.
! Gp-country fol. who have never taken
| NE tlIp cauaDt appreciate iAA sPpil'il
till 'beautif;.I' TO the rive" Ncuso, tut
those OF us whose pleasure it has been
to be borne on its bosom east OF
New Bern, grasp it fully)
Beginning With a width Of 4 mile and
a quarter, at New Bern. the river gradu-
ally widens as it pours its waters into
Pamlico sound. some forty miles below.
reaching the broad eNpanse Of some
eight miles. before reaching oriental,
thirty-tWo miles distant.
The "trip across the sound must have
been a pleasant one. ] was not conscious
Of it being lost in slumber. Approach
ing the landing at Roanoke Island, !
was awakened and having hastily donned
my summer apparel | was on the wharf
confronted by a drop in the thermometeF
of about 80 degrees and a stiff breeze
that made me sigh for an overcoat. even
wish ! was at home"
| will not paint j picture Of the island
as l first saw it, the island has so oft
been pictured before. Running the pier,
was soon in what there is of the port
of Skyco, '~rousing from sleep the
coon" that takes the mail and any
stray passenger to Manteo, the chief
town of the island. Rubbing his eyes,
the coon with his carriage, a cart,
was ready. but just thcn my old Friend.
8 II Mnyla tho beloved EiShan of the
Methodist church at Manteo, hailed me,
saying, III take you over in my buggy,
the pony can pull US two" 4 drive OF
three miles and we had passed through
the town and were stopped at our hotel,
the Tranquil House, OF which l shall
speak later on. l could scarcely believe
my own eyes so agrceably surprised /
was TO find so town-like a town on Roa-
noke Island.
Manteo has a population of some four
hundred, and is situated on the east
side of tie island on ShalIenbas Bay,
which links the town with the sands of
the scashore. Just across the bay and
on the sound side OF the beach is Mays
Head. Manteo has a good municipality
with w. G.. Forbes as the executive head,
and is dotted with splendid homes and
Il nuIlber OF mercantile establishments.
Among these. the well kept stores OF
Jno. w. Evans, W. j. Griffin, Griffin.
Sample & Co, A. II. Davenport, w. G.
Forbes, Evans & Mcekins.
Awake to the Importance of education,
the 3Ianteo Academy is in full blast,
with a good enrolment. Miss Epcs is
principal and is ably assisted by Miss
Ida Watts, d bright young flower pluck
ed from the fertile fields of Virginia.
There exists a daily mail service with
the world outside and the population is
also in touch the one section with the
other by telephone.
The island surroundings afford excel
lent fishing and this is the chief indus
try OF its people. From Roanoke Island
wharf is marketed more shad than from
any single shipping point in the world.
The island is twelve miles long and
three and onc-half wide, and has a popu-
lation of about 100, some 300 of these
being negroes. The people are a sturdy
hospitable one and to use the statement
or a prominent educator. "a very bright
one" a thoughtless youth recently gave
offense to this people by referring ia
the island as being far removed from
civilization" fCrgetful of the fact tina
the Red man Of the forest no
first Inhabitants OF the Roanoke Island
was referred to by the earlv coloniet nc
being las mannerly and civil as any Of
Europe and, that, this holds good with
the nobler race that abide here TODAY
In the town of Manteo there is but one
church. This flock of his one is fed nv
blshoD ;. i. Moyle, above referred to
ne BISHOP IS an old friend of mine, and
it gives me pleasure to saw he is doino
d aplenolo Work and IS very popular
with this people. There are hut tbroo
| churches on the icl1oI -
and one Baptist. Besides the Nantoo
Academy, there is the Wanchase Hiob
School, at Wanchese, an excellent ecbool
under the principalship of Rev G p
Taylor, and several public schools on tho
island. ~
But little attention is paid to farming
ana yet the needs of the island oou,5
largely De grown. A growth of short lea
pine practically covers the island. Thoro
are other woods of course. and fron,
lhcse pines strOw and ~woo1-mold 70 :
depth or several inches covers tho fora.+
iaha. l visited a few small farmc a,d
was hoth surprised and Interested n AZ
system OF lertllzlng in vogue. Fish "a
ne p'lnelpal 1ertliizer used. A furrow
IS opened and cart-load after 80 -,
Of beautiful fish. the kind "a -
country folk cry for. is taken int ~.
field and thrown into tho f,,rro -
covered and on this row is DIantoa 49,
crop. - the
ms country is the sportsman's nara
use. All the year round IS n 10 -,
splendld cunning. In season The -
onu creeks abound in duck ana wi95
7coe. a all times the Woodland mor-L
ana beach are alive with birds
a number of visitors are haro no"
North and these go out dai1, : .he
III great strings Of ~yellow-lae a,s
sea chicken, smadling. king crab WY :
I'll curley, twit, fllowlon, ana 80
] species {. sand hoooh "hu other