The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-01-06

Perhaps one of the oldest hunt
ing camps or lodges within Dare
County and about as little known,
was a place owned and operated
by Mr.. Asa w. Evans, of Manteo,
and the owner-operator of the
Tranquil House. The place was
known as Scamp Foster" which
name, the writer is not able to
give further description other than
the impression that Mr.. Evans in
Dictated on the occasion to the writ
,er that because of his admiration
for one of his hunting guests, he
gave the name Scamp Foster" to
the lodge. To reach this hunting
place, one travelled by sail boat in
those days-and from Manteo Bay
out by Ballast Point; thence down
Broad Creek Channel to point
where the Midget Hammock dwell
ings were erected on the marshes
along the channel way running
close along the shoreline, a dis
lance of mile or two. From there
the boat headed eastward across
Roanoke Sound and over the shall
low waters to the marshy islands
on the beach or eastward side of
the sound.
On the sheltered site Of one Of
the islands, Mr.. Evans erected his
camps as he called them. There
were three camps in the group.
Two were used exclusively for
hunting guests-mainly from the
North in those days. These were
fitted with comfortable buift-in
berths, and with sitting room and
heat for winter comfort. The larg-
err camp was some thirty feet in
length and about 16 feet wide. In
the rear, was the bedroom" for
Mr.. Evans and his helpers. The
middle room was a store room
and kitchen, the front part was
used for entry and dining room
where the guests ate their meals.
Back of the "main building" was
the goose and duck pen-the en-
closure for keeping the live decoy
Canada geese and the black duck
mallard decoys also. Part of this
enclosure was sheltered by a
framework and then covered with
bull rushes as a sort of protection
from the bad weather. The enclos-
ure had plenty room and the de-
coys had choice of shelter or the
open as desired. Wildfowl-ducks
of many kinds and in rough wealth
er the Canada geese lowered over
the marshes. At times excellent
shooting could be had. Nice blinds
were arranged on the several
points of marsh in the island, and
exposed to creeks and larger bod
les of water. The area of these
marshes constituting the hunting
grounds stretched from about
where the main highway crosses
Roanoke Sound southwark for
some three miles, and then mar
rowed down to the beach land and
stretched onward towards Bodies
Island hunting ponds an club
house. Mr.. Evans confined his
hunting chiefly to the two or three
miles of marsh, creek land. Some
times going over on the beach side
to hunt brant or snow geese. He
could tie out three hunting par
ties att the same time with the
number of geese and duck decoys.
And in threat'ning weather, the
kill would be pleasing to his par
ties.
The writer and his brother, the
late Capt. Dan Hayman, worked
with Mr.. Evans as his helpers in
the winters of 1901 and 1902. My
brother and / were just in our ear
ly teens. We applied for work
Mr.. Evans being in need of help
for that week, stated that he would
give us try-out. If proved salts
factory, he would employ us on a
regular paying basis, about three
dollars week apiece. However,
he offered as "bonus" the use of
his decoys when he had no parties
at the camp, provided We would
remain over there, feed and attend
to the decoys. To this we readily
agreed. We had small row skiff
there about fifteen feet in length
and with this we ferried the de-
coys back and forth from the
blinds. At times we would return
to Manteo with Mr.. Evans and
assist him in getting up supplies
for Camp Foster and feed for the
geese The boat we used mainly
was flat-bottom sail skiff about
twenty feet long and named the
"Bonny Belle" in honor of his
daughter Bonny Belle-a very fine
and lovely young teen-age girl at
that time.
A sad experience for my brother
and ] took place on one occasion
when Mr.. Evans went to Manteo
and left US in charge of affairs.
That nipht Had uao+ha,. ga y,