The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-14
BY A C sTILLMAN

l ullGle llldhS ny
as BALD Head off the Carolina
coast. four and one half miles from
Southport. The mouth of the Cape
Fear river forms n shore ana
a seven-mile Atlantic coast n
other. Frying Pan shoal reaches
from the island far out into n
ocean. Two federal lighthouses are
located here to warn mariners OF
the perilous hazard OF natures
heraldry.
The 187-foot tower of Cape Fear
is seen on the west end. On the
opposite side is the old Bald Head
light. still used as a nav1gable
structure. Plans have been consld-
cred for the renovation of the old
Bald Head light and establishing
an air beacon on the coast.
Fifteen inhabitants make up the
population of the island. They have
most of the conveniences of a mo-
dern home. Telephone lines have
been established from the coast
guard station on Bald Head Island
to the Oak Island station, and
hence, to Southport and Of n e r
points.
When our party landed in a
creek behind the old Bald Head
lighthouse, we rode over to the
coast guard station in an o d
Dodge, with oversize tires to keep
it from sinking in the sand.
Charles Mathews, who seems to
have been established with the
plenipotentiary powers OF mayor:
oversees the estatee for Frank o.
Sheriff., of Charlotte, who is de-
veloping the island.
AS we entered the road to the
coast guard station, which went
through the jungle down the CEN
ter of the island, only small traces
of sky we're seen through the trees
and brush overhead until we
reached the other side, five miles
from the landing.
An experimental 6 d e n, or
small farm, has been grown.
Truck crops were tried and found
to grow with great satisfaction
in the fertile soil.
Watermelons, cantaloupes, pole
beans, growing in large clusters,
and other kinds of melons were
seen. Several species of tomatoes
were grown successfully.
Land for this farm was cleared
to find out if it would be possible
to grow these vegetables wher
it is dead winter on the mainland
less than five miles away.
Protected from the high winds
Of the ocean by the mountainou:
sand dunes, which form huge
banks around the palm trees, thu
island is capable of producing ba
anas and oranges equal to those
of Florida. P%ineapples, or mos
any other fruit of the West Indie:
can be grown in this tropical coun
try.
Until a few years ago marsh
ponies were found to be plentiful
and wild bears r still found
though in fewer numbers than pre-
viously. Squirrels a d raccoon'
are to be seen in large numbers
Even sheep are found on the gras
land on the northern end of tn,
island.
On this northern tip, less thai
one hundred yards from the oceal
is a lake. Nothing unusual is no
ticed on the surface. The SAM
foliage as the rest of Bald Hea'
grows on its shores. But it is on
of the unusual lakes of the world
1t is fresh water. Not an unusya
fresh water lake, but it's geological
position assumes it to be the closes
fresh water lake to the ocean il
the world.
It is surrounded by salt waite:
on all sides and separated only b.
a few hundred yards of dry land
that of the island itself.
Off the coast of Southport ane
beyond the great Frying Pan s'.oa
the barracuda is caught. 1hi
oceanic fish is more dangerous thai
the shark around Southport. There
are about 20 known specie!
throughout the warm seas of tn
world. All are elongate, pike-lik'
fishes, with long pointed jaws flee
with sharp teeth. The barracud;
is a powerful swimmer, active ane
voracious. Like the bluefish, they
prey upon schools of smaller fish
The great barracuda, "picuda'
or "becuna," sometimes reaches
length of six feet. 1t is the largeS'
and most voracious of the genus
1t is as fierce as a shark and i:
dangerous to bathers.
The specie S.. Argentea, known
as the California "barracouta,'
found on the Pacific coast is highly
valued for food.
Many other species r found
along the Atlantic coast, but more
barracuda have been caught of
the coast of Bald Head Island thar
any locality along this coast. Ac.
cording to the state department in
Raleigh, only one has ever been
caught above Southport.
Col. w. T. Chantland, federal
trade commission, says the bar
racuda here are more voracious
than those of the Virgin Islands.
F.. P. Summers, Seth Dingle, and
Karly Gunter, all of Charlotte, went
fishing before daylight one morn