The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-09-04

birthday July 81.
All of the drinking water on
Ocracoke Island is rain water.
Every home is rugged to catch
water from the roof, which is
stored in cisterns. The cisterns
are drained and cleaned several
times year. The water is very
good, but it takes lots of it to
quench thirst.
The day starts in Ocracoke
village when the mail truck leav-
es at $50 a. M, for its run to
Hatteras Inlet. The vehicle is
screened to keep out blue, yellow
and green flies. These are en-
countered on the far end of the
island, several miles away.
The next bit of activity occurs
on the banks of Silver Lake at
7 a. m. The mail boat is chugging
at the pier in front of the post
office. There are several passen-
gers aboard en- route to Ports
mouth Island and Atlantic. The
skipper is in the pilot house
| glancing at his watch. The first
mate is on the bow trying to flip
the spring line from a piling that
won't cooperate.
Over at the village store are
group of old timers sitting on
benches talking about fishing and
shrimping. Occasionally they stop
to look in the direction of the
mail boat. When she shoves off
that's their signal. They all leave
to man. Some home to break
fast and others to work.
The post office opens at $50
a. m. The village boasts of mail
service 365 days a year. Around
Christmas the postmaster, Mrs.
Wahab Howard and her assistant
work far into the night sorting
mail for the villages 500 inhabi-
tants.
1--WE have the best post office
service in the United States" de-
clares Hunter E. Robinson. He
lives in trailer near the post
office which he has dubbed
Hobo Inn" Hunter is a retired
Maryland interior decorator. He
entertains visiting ladies with
clamb bakes and shrimp fries.
One day native truck driver
took a load of women tourists
out to the ocean beach a mile
away. His instructions were to
come back in an hour and half.
During his absence the ladies de-
cided they wanted 100 per cent
sun tan. The truck driver return
ed too early. There was mad
scramble for bathing suits. In the
melee that followed no one got
perfect fit. The incident is still
referred to as the imperfect
day." in the islands most perfect
English.
Ocracoke has received some
unfavorable publicity on its Eng
lish. The people are supposed to
talk funny''-but they don't. l
visited in several homes and sat
with fishmen on the pier. Their
English is better than some l
have heard in cities on the main
land. The only people 1 heard
use the words 'ehofgh toide" were
the tourists.
The greatest event in the daily
life of Ocracoke village occurs at
4::30 p. M At that hour all eyes
are focused on the inlet to Silver
Lake.
There she is" somebody cries.
IT'S the Dolphin. 'The mail boat
is the islands daily life line to
the mainland. The 50-foot craft
brings guests for the hotels and
movie film for the village theatre.
Also on board are more than 200
loaves of bread. On the bow
there may be two rolls of fence
wire and several watermelons.
But the Dolphin doesn't always
bring happiness to the village.
Sometimes the mail boat docks
in Silver Lake harbor with a
coffin on her stern. The casket
contains the remains of a son or
daughter of the island. A native
who went away while young to
seek his fortune on the mainland,
now coming home to rest in the
sand of old Ocracoke.
Ocracoke is a beautiful island
and it is inhabited by friendly
| people. They are proud of their
two miles of paved streets.
Quaint old Howard Street was
left untouched when the paving
was laid. This narrow winding
street takes one back almost to
the days of Blackboard.