The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-10-26

III
l was in Winston-Salem for a
short visit Monday night, but
didn't know until reading Tues
days paper that a great man died
there, that night. He was Bishop
Howard E. Rondthaler, IS years
old, formerly president of Salem
College and Bishop of the Mora
Wan Church. 1t came to my mind
how one mans influence can mean
a lot to the people of the Coast
land, / shall set out to explain.
Bishop Rondthaler has always
been a great man in North Caro-
lima, for nearly so years. He was
interested in its affairs and its
history. More than 40 years ago,
l heard him the first time as the
speaker on August 18th at Fort
Raleigh, back in the days when
the observance of Virginia Dare's
birthday was the annual summer
event of the Coastland.
He was a forceful and dynamic
speaker and his interest and his
messages on such occasions did
much to keep alive the interest
in this state that has finally pro-
duced the Lost Colony which
means so much to our people to-
day.
Ocracoke Island too is fortunate
today, in that Bishop Rondthaler
has son, Theodore, who with his
wife, has become interested in
making their home on Ocracoke
Island, and who are serving that
community nobly in all civic af-
fairs and as teachers in the COM
munity's public schools.
DR.. Howard E. Rondthaler was
the son of a Moravian Bishop. He
was born in Brooklyn, but came
to this state at the age of six.
His busy life of nearly 80 years
in this state has been of great
value to our people. He gave his
church more than 81 years of serv-
ice.
The glory of autumn coloring in
our woodlands has been a subject
in our columns about this time,
for many years. l have returned
after drive of some 1900 miles
through our state from end to end
and across parts of Tennessee and
Alabama. Never have the woods
seemed more beautiful. In a few
days the coloring will lose its
variety in the mountains, but here
in our area, it will last longer.
The coloring on our trees will be
just as beautiful, the difference in
seeing the mountain colors, is
that the view afforded on the hill
sides and other elevated overlooks
is so much bigger and better in
magnitude. Then too; we see fewer
evergreens, the greater part of the
foliage being on hardwood trees.
1t is very easy, driving through
the mountains now, fro fine roads
have been built, so wide and safe
that the few old roads left seem
scary by comparison. Tremendous
development has taken place.
There are abundant motels
and other tourist accommodations.
Travelling costs, however, are
less on the coast. The tendency
everywhere is for more class and
luxury, and naturally toward more
cost. So many people now expect
TV sets in their rooms, that all
motels must provide them or be
considered back number. We
found excellent courtesy on the
part of those who serve the pub
lie in Alabama and Tennessee as
well as in the mountains of our
state
We saw first hand the immense
benefits that have been brought to
the Tennessee valley area, because
Democratic administrations have
held on to the idea of creating a
huge power, navigation and flood
control development along the 600
mile length of this great river. 1t
is first fed by small streams in
N. c., winds its way down across
eastern Tennessee and northern
Alabama, and then back north
ward across Tennessee to the
Ohio River at Paducah, Ky. and
finally it's waters continue down
the Mississippi and to the Gulf
of Mexico.
The Wilson dam at Muscle
Shoals near Florence, Ala, is
worth visiting. Also the Norris
dam in Tennessee, and the many
other dams and power sites on the
600 mile water way, which now &C.
commodities through its entire
length, vessels drawing nine feet
of water. We recommend a visit
to these places and the enjoyment
of the intervening mountain seem
cry. There are countless scenes of
interest and beauty along the six
hundred miles of highway between
Manteo ana Murphy.
We visited the childhood home
of Helen Keller, the woman, who
though deaf, dumb and blind, be-
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