The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-10-28
PRESIDENT HARDING MAY
BE GUEST ATDUCK ISLAND
independents Staff Correspondent Gives Readers
of This Newspaper an Interesting Account
of $3.50, ,OOO,O 900 Club"
By D. " MEEKINS


made of rough pine boards and fur
ri<hed with a stove. bench, and
built-in bunk. To-day Duck Island is
owned by a club of forty millionaires
whose quarters are conceded to be the
finest and most handsomely appointed
in the state, with their rich furnish
Jngs from garret to cellar and the COM
nIpteness of their modern conveniences.
How Duck Island came to be the
hunting base of forty men whose COM
bined resources are acknowledged to be
above O.0000OO.00, is herewith set
forth for the readers of this newspa-
pcr. as the result of a visit by the
writer: the completeness of the narra-
tive benig due to the courtesy of Mr..
J. c. Wasson, Secretary of the Club,
who is on the job making arrangements
for the seasons hunting.
Duck Island is on the southeast end
of Roanoke Island, about five miles from
Wanchese proper, and nine miles from
Manteo It is located in immediate
reach of hundreds of square miles of
the best winter habitat of wild ducks
and geese in the state. Its area IS 244
acres and it's boundaries are the wat
ers of Pamlico sound Duck Island was
originally entered and owned by B. F.
Mpekins of Manteo and late went into
he hands of E. R. Daniels of Wan
chese who made it the base of his fish
ing operations for several years.
\ few years ago he sold the island
to R. B. Holtz of Port Washington.
New York for $4,000, who intended
building a permanent club thereon. For
some reason or other the plan fell thru
and it was sold under mortgage for ST.
800. Mr. Daniels again became owner
and in 1919 it was purchased for 3d.
600 by Geo. w Whitehurst of Norfolk
who spent about $1,000 in improve
ments with the idea of promoting club
on the property.
During the fall of 1920 J. c. Was
son of. the r shur&h- Hotels JCompany.
being anxious to find good wildfowl
uniting. wrote the editor of Field and
stream to suggest Il promising locality.
The editor sent him list of names
stretching from Currituck to Charles
-nn. After considerable deliberation
and inspection he decided upon trip
10 Duck Island and was accompanied
there by. Grant McCargo of Pittsburgh,
President of the Pittsburgh Hotels Co.
Both Mr.. Watson and Mr.. McCargo
found hunting so pleasant and favorable
III the vicinity that they later purchased
the Island outright for the sum OF ST.
900.
I-D0n their return to Pittsburgh they
decided to organize a club composed OF
their immediate friends. The response
was 50 great that it was necessary to
limit the membership to forty men who
decided to erect suitable quarters at
once Work on improvements began
his spring with the construction OF
800 foot bulkhead on the water front.
The clubhouse just completed is of the
bungalow type. 40 by 100 feet, con-
>tructed of wood and shingles with an
asbestos roofing The interior is COM
Dlp4ed with wal-board and natural wood
finishes.
The living room is p by 40 feet with
large brick fireplace in one end. l1
: luxuriously furnished with mahogany
and oak reading, writing and card as
we'll as billiard tables, phonograph,
bric-a-brac, rockers, lounges and arm
chairs. The walls are hung exclusively
with paintings of migratory and native
birds Of the state Many windows IN
the front permit an unbroken view OF
the lighthouse. inlet and beach for
miles.
The building has two 10 by IA foot
bathrooms with vestibules and lockers
on the lower floor, a gun room by 10
feet six 10 by 13 foot bedrooms,
30 by % foot dining room, and ~
by 30 foot kitchen and pantry where
Jeff Martin, who for 15 years was che1
at the Tranquil House at Manteo, and
do
kitchen range. The entrance hall which
opens in the living room, dining room
and bath room is fitted with racks for
20 guns.
On the upper floor are a 33 by 40
foot and a 10 by 10 foot bed room. Then
there is SO by 40 foot room for the
guides, and quarters for the colored
help. All these rooms are provided with
numerous lockers. One of the rooms is
said to be fitted especially for Presl-
dont Harding, who is expected to Vlslt
the club this winter 1t will probably
he occupied by Governor Morrison of
This state, who is to be invited THIS
Fall.
The whole building is electrically
lighted and provided with running wat
cr and sewerage A wood house lO
py il feet and rack adJolns the Null
~. Besides there is an oil house
- feet. All the buildings are con-
n"cted by elevated walks. A boathouse
- by 60 feet provides storage space
tor Irost of the hunting equipment
This is connected with inclined plat
forms TO the water, from which the
boats may be drawn oyer rollers with
naSe into the building. The club has
eight boats in all, including one house
boat that accommodates eight hunters
with guides and which will be towed tc
the best hunting in any part OF the
county. The equipment of the club also
Includes four double sets of sit-up, anc
four double sets lay-down batteries
Concluded on Page 1O)