The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-07-30

and sold more than half of Man.
teo'', is the astonishing claim of
Mr.. w. J. Griffin of Manteo. In
1889 bought my first piece, the
lot at the corner of Church and
County Streets where the Bon
ners live now. 1 was, Is years
cid then and l paved $40 for it,
five dollars a month. Later on |
sold it for $50 dollars. Now it is
worth around $4,000, he says.
But then, of course, there was
no Manteo, nothing but woods"
Mr.. Griffin was born on. a
farm not far from Manteo on
June q, 1867 soon after the close
of the Civil War. His parents
were Mary and Elisha Griffin,
yes, he chuckles, Il Matched
right here and except for "a few
years l have lived N.Y. entire
life here"
During 81 years of life in
Manteo, SO of them spent Off
cially in the real estate business,
Mr.. Griffin has indeed at one
time or another owned much of
Roanoke Island and the sur
rounding areas as we'll as inSti-
eating or participating in many
of the "firsts" of this area and
holding, by actual count, around
Is jobs.
At one time he owned strip
of territory around Manteo be-
ginning at County Street and
continuing, except for few lots
to Brinkley Street and across
the highway for about 500 yards,
MY first home in Manteo was
where Harrington House stands
now, Mr. Griffin declares.
"Then l lived where. the old
Methodist Parsonage was until
sold it to the Methodist Church.
Before World War l Mr. Crit
fin and his wife owned the
Mother Vineyard farm. my wife
was the one who named it
Mother Vineyard, he remarks.
Mr.. Griffin once bought $50
acres of Mays Head ocean front
property where Jockey Ridge
restaurant now stands for $50
and sold it for $500. Now he es-
Inmates the land is worth mill
lion dollars. Mr.. Griffin doesn't
remember the dates, so many
things have happened IN 81
years" he says, that I don't try
to keep the dates straight any
more"
Mr.. Griffin worked on his
fathers farm until he was four
teen. His first job was with
Capt. Lester on the Lena Elida,
sailing ship carrying mail,
freight and passengers on the
inland waters. Asked if Is was
not little early for a boy to
start to earn his own living, Mr..
Griffin replied, everybody, had
to work in those days You don't
see people working like that
today" ~ afs
Alter two years with Capt. Les
ter, Mr.. Griffin was sufficiently
experienced to captain his own
ship at II years of age. Every
one worked in those days., he
repeats.
Next together with M. D. Hay
men, Mr.. Griffin bought the Sara
Emma and tried clustering and
shad fishing for awhile. Then
they got charter with the fish
ermen of Roanoke Washes to
carry fish and cargo to Elizabeth
City. On her first trip out, how
ever, the Sara Emma sprang a
leak and sank in the Croatan
Sound. A high wind was blow
ing, says Mr.. Griffin" and we
chung to her mast in life belt
all night long. Finally colored
man spotted us and came out to
tow us in. The wind was so high
that he had to sail under a goose
wing. You wouldn't know any
thing about that, he told his
landlubber interviewer, "but a
goose wing is shortened sail. "
After this he joined with Sher-
Tiff r. w. Smith in the mercan-
tile business. go years ago., MIR.
Griffin recalls, Il brought Carl
ton Davis here when he was Is to
clerk for me at $40 a month" Mr..
Griffin smiles over this memory
Of one of Manteo's successful
merchants.
In succession Mr.. Griffin was
postmaster under the last Cleve-
land administration, organizer,
director and president of the
Eastern Carolina Transportation
Co., carrying mail, freight and
passengers over an area unreach-
able except by water; and SUI
perintendent of United States
Employment Service in Norfolk,