The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-14

mercial viewpoint to have attracted capt.
tai. 1t is first growth and in a vast
body. but very handsome modern saw
mill plant put there within two years is
for some reason lying idle. There is
long and expensive wharf built out into
the sound for boating away the mill pro-
ducts.
/ formed high opinion of the popu-
Iation. None live there except whites,
all of the colored element having been
asked last year to find other homes, and
now but two or three are left there. In
quiries failed to satisfy me as regards
the number of people who reside on the
Island. Certainly there are more than
500 families; perhaps double that number.
The school facilities are very poor and
the outdoor life has not advanced them
educationally; yet l was of the opinion,
on short acquaintance, that they are SUI
perior citizens in the main qualities: I
have nowhere observed children who were
better looking on an average, considering
their environment.
While the wild grape abounds in pro-
fuse productiveness in given localities,
the cultivation OF the vine is scarcely
thought of, and while cabbage can be pro-
duced there by April 1, and beans befoIes
the month closes. there is no trucking
investment 10 be observed. The vegetable
gardens are very diminutive, and I saw
cornstalks at one place only, and but few
of them Fish and oysters are a large
part of the talk of the people. and from
these they derive much income. They
raise good many cattle, sheep and
al q
of chickens and some goats.
THE MARSH PONIES.
Therefore the necessary articles of diet
are not lacking Another considerable
resource is the marsh pony. Apparent
" the origin of this dwarfed horse is I'M
known. Hupdrcds can always be seen
here, whose owners recognize them by the
branding iron mark. Once year the
herds are rounded up and all the colts
subjected to branding for Identification,
when all are set free again. These ami
mails never get food, water, salt or shell
ter from their owners. but roam the
marshes at will. They are easily broken,
however, and possess many excellent
qualities. toughness being obviously at the
head of the enumeration. Everything
they find to eat is tough. stringy and
horny The bulIrush on those marshes
terminate in thorn-like points which
penetrate the clothing and sting you de-
cidedly. 1t is windswept area which
forbids the survival of any other than
tough. fibrous species. But the vendue
Is quite a source of revenue, and l was
told that pensions were an item not
slight by any means.
VENDUE. SALES.
All wreckage which comes ashore there
is subjected to public auction sale, under
governmental supervision. and after such
sales are proclaimed the people in all of
the surrounding counties and some much
farther away-even in the Northern cities
discuss the ways and means of being
in attendance. Sometimes thousands are
presented and in every conceivable style
and size of sail boat. After the sales
are confidrned the purchasers have the
goods to transport from the ocean beach
across the Banks TO the sound side. and
they are unable to procure the necessary
labor and teams to effect such transfers
except from the Hatteras people. Large
cargoes handled in this way result in
the dispersal of considerable sums of
money. Altogether those people fare
pretty we'll.
FEES AND COST OF LIVING.
When l was last there l found that the
fees of local pilots were very moderate.
horse hire the same, say $1.50 per day,
and man, boats, sinkboy, blinds and
live goose decoys-all for So per day;
but of course this was at an ordinary
time and not a.@yendue occasion. There
are no hotel accommodations, but private
families furnish board. There are two
roads between the Cape and Hatteras
village, one along the ocean beach and
the other along the sound side. 1t is 10
miles between the two points and the
roads are right good. at some places
patches of deep sand and at others dong
shallow water pools after it has been
raining. For about seven miles the road
on the sound side is under cover of the
forest growth and somewhat shaded.
From thence on to Hatteras village, the
location of the United States Signal Ser
vice station, there is nothing to the out
side world is done through the signal
office, messages being turned in by tele
phone from the lighthouse and life-sa
ing stations The two lines are parallel
and near the ocean. Though all Govern
ment service. commercial messages are
transmitted. Money paid on the messages
is passed in from one life-saver to another
in their nightly patrol of the beach, when
the patrolmcn meet at glen points be-
tween stations. The mail service by
open sail boats is daily, but subject to
vicisSitudes OF weather.
IDEAL AREA FOR OUTINGS.
The area described is one of the most
charming spots for winter or summer
outing on our entire coast and almost
unknown. Around the signal station
there are sand dunes and much growth of
live oak to break the winds. but the
cape end possesses far more comfort in
this way, for the sand ridges. up there are
perhaps u feet above the sea level,
dry, and care beautiful natural prone
nades. They are like earth Notifications
and OF "A hard rcd sand, and between the
various ridges there are narrow omen
lagoons and marshes decorated with
dwarf-palmctto growth all being en-
vc1oped in dense varied forest. There are
hundreds Of acres of fresh pond glades
footing up to these hills and around