The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-08-25


R. X. T. Larson, member of the
editorial staff of Norfolk newspap-
ers, a longtime friend of MIR.
Brown, had his say about the cere-
monies to make Aycock happy at
Fort Raleigh two weeks ago. 1t
takes the form Of a letter from
NJ. Larson to Aycock's grand
daughter "Cindy," as follows:
Norfolk, Virginia
August 10, 1861
Dear Cindy:
Everybody else in your family
long will remember the night of
August IL, but you might forget. I
don't remember when / was two
years old, like you are now.
Your grandfather, Aycock Brown,
I had seen during the afternoon. He
had said he had a lot of company,
that it seemed that his sisters, Mrs.
T. E. Hinson, of High Point, whom
he hadn't seen in years, and Mrs.
Carl v. Tyner, of High Point, had
picked the. same week end to pay
him visit. Then there was Tony
and Mrs. Seaman, from Morehead
City. Theyscame in and Tony said
he wanted your granddad and
grandmother, Esther, to go to The
Lost Colony with them and he
wanted seats near the front.
Well, Tony has quite a restau-
rant and about Is years ago when
Aycock was struggling along he
was escorting Life Magazine re-
porter around. Aycock's camera
was ascheap one, the best he could
afford at the time. When Tony saw
the Life camera he asked Aycock
why he didn't have one like that,
and Tony saw to it that Aycock
got one. So they are close friends.
Otherwise, Aycock might have
missed the special night at The
Lost Colony. He didn't know it was
special. Neither did you. He said
later that he was wondering why
they were putting the lectern out
on stage at intermission. Had they
told him and had he forgotten? He
wrinkled his brow. Then he saw
Frank Graham go ibackstage. May
be he was going to make an an
about University Night.
Aycock went back stage to see, but
nobody seemed to know a thing.
Aycock went back to the seats and
Tony passed cold drinks around.
Aycock was drinking his when Sib
Dorton, Jr., the general manager,
costuned to his chin, walked out
and unrolled scroll. Aycock sort
of froze, bottle half way up. When
Sib proclaimed it aAycock Brown
Night" Aycock dropped the bottle.
Maybe he swallowed his teeth.
Could have. He was called on stage.
Your grandmother who knew about
it laughed and laughed, until Sib
said for her to come up, too.
Meanwhile, the whole, cast came
out on the stage. Mary Joliff, ac-
companied by Bob Thornburgh,
sang special song written by
Mary Wood Long, who takes the
part Of Queen Elizabeth. And of
ficials Of the Roanoke Island His
torical Association and the Dare
County Tourist Bureau praised Ay-
cock for having told the world
about the play and the Outer
Banks. There was Mrs. Emmett
Winslow, Lawrence Swain, David
Stick and Mrs. Ina Evans.
Aycock sat there, blushing. You
saw his predicament and you made
a break to join him, but your moth
er caught you. by your skirt. You
fused. Someone gave you a piece
of candy. You took it, but still you
wanted to get away. BY this time
they had presented Grandmother
Esther with a corsage of red roses
and Aycock with q silver bowl, a
plaque and a book of 200 or more
letters from governors, cabinet
senators, congressman,
legislators, editors, photographers,
writer's and just friends.
You wiggled and whimpered. A
~ 4 ~