The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-04-24
.OCRACOKE SCHOOL
GROUP VISITS IN
WASHINGTON, ID. c.
Students See White House,
Capitol and Other Points
of Interest
By ALICE X. RONDTHALER


Ocracoke.-All aboard for Wash
ington, D. c.! And this didn't mean
train or bus or plane to the eight
students from the American his
tory class of Ocracoke High School
who enjoyed four days of schooling
in Washington, d. c., last week. 1t
meant getting up at 4:3O am. and
being ready to climb into Charlie
McWilliams' truck at BIB am,
riding up Ocracoke Reef in the
cold morning hours, crossing Hat
teras Inlet by boat, and then
boarding the 7:45 am. bus for
Manteo, thence northward by bus
through Norfolk, Williamsburg,
Misunderstanding in Washing
toon, D. c. at $3.50 pm. that night.
Located at the Sandridge Tourist
Home on East Capitol Street, we
We're within walking distance of
the Capitol and other government
buildings, and no sooner had we
settled our baggage than we were
two and a half blocks down the
street getting our first near sight
of the beautiful Capitol dome. And
for some of US our first sight of a
trolley car, for though Ocracokers
are familiar with jets and bomb
ers and helicopters and pleasure
planes and automobiles, thus far
no changing trolley car has invaded
the Islands isolation.
But during our four days there,
we found the trolley very useful
medium of travel, especially good
old No. 40 Lincoln Park, which al
ways got US finally to and from
home bases. And we found the
conductors and the bus drivers par
ticularly helpful in telling US how
to get here and there, not only to
the various government buildings,
but to the shopping and theater
districts. Rainy weather one day,
cold the next, fair and cool the
other two made no impression on
US Ocracokers, accustomed as we
are to squalls and hurricanes. We
got between the drops to the House
Office Building and down to No.
1015 to pay our respects to our
Representative Herbert C. Bonner.
He was down home in Little
Washington" but his secretaries did
all the honors-supplying us with
passes for the Senate and House
galleries for use during our visit.
Then off we went in the rain to
the Bureau of Federal Investiga-
ton, so interesting, especially to
the boys of the group, that we for
got all about the weather discom-
forts. Then after lunch at Scholl's,
back to the Senate and House of
Representatives, and the Supreme
Court Building, where our guide
not only told US all about the JUS
tees, present and past, but showed
US the beautiful marble staircase,
the golden doors, the very, very
long Venetian blinds, and the
longest zippers in the world on
the beautiful red curtains.
Tuesday we were guests for the
day of Ocracoke enthusiasts-M
and Mrs. Runyon, Mr.. and Mrs.
Owsley, and Mr.. and Mrs. Meeker
all wanting to show nine Ocra-
cookers (oh yes, there were eight
students and one teacherD the
sights of Mount Vernon, Alexan-
dria, Arlington, the airport, the
Pentagon, historic Georgetown, and
Washington Cathedral. Three cars
and a well-planned itinerary by
Mr. .Runyon keep the group hap
PLY on the go from about $50 a.
m. to pm. with time out from
historic shrines for souvenir buy
ing, lunch at the airport, shooting
in the game room there, twenty
three kinds of ice cream at How
ard Johnson, and many other Incl
See GROUP, Page Eight