SEWARD’S
All-^Wecithec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
(>r< atrst Asset
Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN' THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Alaska Historical Library
and Museum 3-51
Vol. VII, No. 38
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, NOV. 10, 1950
Price 10 cents
Land Purchase
Approved
By Committee
A committee appointed by
the Mayor to study the proposal
of Don Carlos Brownell for the
purchase of his entire home
stead property met with Mr.
Brownell Tuesday night to dis
cuss the matter.
The proposal was made when
a petition was received'from the
Hospital Board to provide a
suitable location for the con
struction of a nurses home to
replace the quarters destroyed
by fire earlier in the year.
Application has been made
by the city for a 75 bed general
hospital building. The Women’s
Society for Christian Service
of the Methodist Church, a na
tional society, has OK’d the con
struction of the home as a first
unit, to be financed entirely by
the society. The hospital, how
ever, would be a municipal pro
ject.
The site agreed upon by the
City Council and Hospital Board
lies upon the Brownell home
stead east of First Avenue be
tween Madison and Monroe
Streets and abutting Marathon
Mountain. The cost of land for
the entire installation was tenta
tively set at S5000 for the block.
Mr Brownell stated to the
Council that he “feels the town
should own the entire property,
for it's own protection,” and
offered the property, with the
exception of his own home place,
for the sum of $12,000. to be
paid at the rate of $100 per|
month over a period of 10 years,!
without interest.
The Brownell Homestead ex
tends from and including First
Lake, up Marathon Mountain to
the tip of grassland (approxi
mately one-half mile) or a totai
of 200 acres, of which 40 acres
are within the present city
limits. A strip 13 feet wide ex
(Turn to Page 6)
Sewardifes Coming
And Going
A number of Sewardites are
vacationing Outside this winter,
or are traveling for business
or medical treatment. Others are
moving in to become part of
the Seward life.
Doris and Howard Smith are
vacationing. They will be back.
The Wagon Wheel is under tem
porary management.
Hank Dufresne is a patient
at the Marine Hospital in Seattle.
Dr. J. H. Shelton left by plane
last week for Texas. He will
meet the family and they plan
to return via Alaska Highway,
driving a new car.
ueorge Werner, Raymond Sef
erovich and the Neffs left this
week, driving in a caravan for
various destinations Outside.
Seferovich will join his family
in Seattle for an extended time.
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Bland and
children are leaving for Seattle
to visit Mrs. Bland’s parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Howard,
former Sewardites. Mrs. Bland
will undergo medical treatment.
Claude and Vivien Malcom
will leave Tuesday for an ex
tended vacation Stateside. They
will return after a few months.!
Jim Reed was called to the
States, leaving yesterday, on the
death of his father.
Pete Sather, Nuka Bay, paid
a visit , to Seward this week. He
reported high winds and rough
weather in Nuka Bay.
Mr. George Brown, former
Sewardite, returned Thursday to
make his home here once again.
(Turn to Page 5) i
Railroad Reports
Repairs on Loop;
Speedier Schedule
Col. J. P. Johnson, general
manager of The Alaska Rail
road, announced a new step-up
schedule which will slash an
hour and 15 minutes off the run
ning time between Anchorage
and Fairbanks.
According to the news release, I
“At'M.hc end of the month freight
and passenger trains will be zip
ping over the new Turnagain
Arm roadbed. Trains once held
to 25 miles an hour in this dis
trict can now clock off 45 miles
an hour, and ... by the end of
next year, trains will float over
the new 115-pound steel rails
from Portage. 50 miles south of
Anchorage, all the way to Fair
banks.”
The report also states that
part of the railroad between
Portage and Seward was getting
attention, too. Four bridges in
the ‘Loop’ district were strength
ened and orders placed for two
steel bridges. These sturdy spans
are earmarked for Mile 47.8 and
Mile 51.8—the front and back
doors of the Loop.”
The improved service is a
dividend to railroad stockhold
ers — the Alaskan taxpayers,”
Colonel Johnson said.
Shipping News . . .
The SS Victoria is due in port
at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Baranof
is discharging today. Work was
delayed due to the shortage of
longshoremen and dock facili
ties.
Mr. Walter Sipnrell, Seward
Agent for The Alaska Steamship
Company, stated that he is an
xious for the Baranof’s early re
turn to Seattle so that she can
depart there on schedule, which (
is 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, when
she again resumes service as a '
passenger ship.
The Denali is scheduled to
sail from Seattle at 5 p.m. today.
This is the first ship offering
passenger service since the SS
Alaska sailed Sept. 30. The
Denali is booked to about 50 per
cent capacity for passengers.
Coastwise Line’s King S.
Woolsey is discharging cargo
here today. She will take on
1100 tons of scrap iron.
The Pacificus left Seattle last!
night with 2500 tons for Seward
direct.
DREDGING "NEXT YEAR"
The Munter Company, holding •
the contract for the dredging
of Seward shelter harbor along
with other projects along the
coast of Alaska has put off the
job till next year.
This is a familiar story to
Seward. The work was defi
nitely scheduled for mid summer
of 1950. Unexpected difficulties
have been encountered by the
dredging outfit, however, which
now places this harbor on the
agenda for next year.
i
FRANK SANDERS IN
DRAFT GROUP
Francis (Frank) Sanders is one
of the group of five local boys
leaving for induction next week.
In the last issue this paper gave
a brief sketch of each of the
inductees, but at the time could
not contact Frank or his family.
for information.
Frank, one of a large family j
of black-eyed stalwarts, has the [
family talent for music. He has j
attended school here and work- j
ed on the dock, on boats and for
the railroad. He was born in |
Smithtown Branch, New York.!
The family came to Alaska about •
five years ago, living the first j
year in Moose Pass.
Frank is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. A. P. Sanders.
City Council
Impatient’
With Utility
During the course o£ a lively
meeting of the City Council
Monday night, which was at-!
tended by approximately 25 j
townspeople, the Utility Board j
and Jack Jordan were criticized
for delay in at least two in-1
stances.
At the September 18, meeting,!
authorization was given for the
purchase of additional cable to j
activate the air raid siren. '
Carpenters were paid to build'
the housing and install the siren, |
but Jack Jordan, manager of j
Seward Electric System speak- j
ing for the Utility Board, agreed!
to string the cable synchroniz-1
ing the siren with that on the J
Fire Hall. The siren is intended
for use as an auxiliary fire sig-,
nal in windy weather, as well as \
an air raid siren. No further;
work has been reported.
Chief Kielcheski complained
that the electric pump for the I
dockside salt-water pumps has
not been installed or put into
use because of delay by Jordan '
in getting a line into that area, j
“I am not so much interested j
in the siren”, said Kielcheski.
“I can’t fight fires with a siren, 1
what I want is a pump". Jordan |
stated some time ago that en-j
gineering is necessary before
poles can be set along Railroad j
Avenue to the pump house. At j
that time he was also waiting'
for poles. “They have been here
for some time, I don’t know
what he is waiting for now, un
less it’s because the ground is:
frozen and they can t dig holes,” |
the Fire Chief complained.
(Turn to Page 6)
School Mandatory
For Food Handlers
City and Territorial health
authorities announce a Food
Handlers school for next Mon
day and Tuesday, in the Federal
Court rooms. Attendance is
mandatory for representatives
of each grocery, restaurant and
bar in the city. There will be
two sessions, afternoon and eve
ning Monday, with a repeat on
Tuesday to accomodate those
who cannot attend the first day.
Everybody interested in com
munity and individual health
and welfare is invited to attend.
The program will include a
discussion of bacteria and micro
organisms, showing living bac
teria and cultures. A demonstra
tion of the method of testing
for water contamination, and
good films will be shown by
Mr. Deering.
The classes and discussion
will be informal but informa
tive, very interesting and edu
cational.
CITY IS REQUIRED TO
MAINTAIN LIGHT |
ON BREAKWATER
Coast Guard authorities have
ordered the city to maintain a
light on the end of the break
water at the small boat shelter
harbor. This light was placed
when the breakwater was built,
but during the years since the
war it has been allowed to go,
into disrepair.
The light is an extension of j
the street lighting system, and
will have to be put back into i
condition and maintained by
that department.
Charles Lechner, Sr., left this j
morning by plane for Excelsior
Springs, Mo., to spend the
winter.
Two Months Work
Scheduled for
Dock Rehabilitation
Although the emergency work
on the Seward dock will be com-1
pleted in another few days, ships
are now unloading on a normal
schedule so far as the condition
of the dock is concerned. Dam
age sustained by the wind last
week has been repaired.
Two B&I3 crews, one and five, ]
will continue on the job with '
about 20 men for approximately ;
two months longer. Minor re-1
pairs are to be made, including j
new decking and piling. A new ,
approach to the dock along!
Fourth Avenue and new cross-;
over at the north end are con- j
templated, although authoriza
tion for this additional work has I
not yet been made.
These repairs are figured to,
put the dock in condition for j
the next two years, it was stated I
here today. i
PARTY FOR DRAFTEES BY I
LEGION AUXILIARY SUNDAY j
Ladies of the American Legion j
Auxiliary will give a party for j
the five local boys who will be |
leaving Seward for Army indue-j
tion Monday. The party is plan
ned for Sunday evening in the
Legion Club. Dancing, and re-1
freshments for the boys.
All Legionnaires and their (
guests are invited, as well as
parents of the boys.
Graveside Services
For Otdrimers
Rev. Kent Spaulding will con
duct services at the graveside
for two old Alaskans who have
passed away within the past two
weeks in Seward General Hos
pital. Services will be held at
2 p.m. Sunday.
Henry Olson, who died Oct.
30, at the age of 81, came to
Seward from Homer a few days
before his death. Nothing is
known of family or relatives,
and no information of any kind
has come to light concerning his
life, except that he was light
house keeper in Cook Inlet many
years ago, and had a homestead
near Homer which he sold.
Oscar Thormundson died
Tuesday, Nov. 7. also in the hos
pital here. By his papers he was
born in Bergen, Norway in 1877.
No clue as to friends, family or
relatives was found. He had ap
parently been in Alaska since
1916, as discharge papers from
a ship were found among his ef
fects. Neither of the oldtimers
had been naturalized as citizens
of the United States, and were
not on record as pensioners of
Alaska.
SCHOOL GYM OPEN FOR
TOWN LEAGUERS SUNDAY
Coach Dahlberg invites all
men interested in playing bas
ketball, and those wishing to
form a town league, to work
out on the school gym floor
Sunday afternoon between 1 and
4 o'clock.
A meeting was held to form
a league last Monday night, but
several interested men were not
able to meet because of work on
the dock. Anyone who still fails
to make contact Sunday after
noon, but still wishing to take
part in the league basketball
may get in touch with Mr.
Dahlberg either at school or his
home.
RAINBOW GIRLS TO HOLD
MAJORITY SERVICE
The Rainbow Girls are having
a Majority Service on Saturday.
November 11, at 8:00 p.m. at
the Masonic Hall.
Refreshments will be served
for the guests and members.
There will be dancing and card
playing for the enjoyment of all.
Navy Captain
Visits Here
To See Why
Captain P. S. Reynolds, USN,
Chief of Staff for Logistics for
the Commander of Alaska Sea
Frontier, visited Seward for
several hours Thursday as the
guest of Commander McDonald
and the City.
Ostensibly Captain Reynolds’
visit was to inspect the set up in
the Naval Control- of Shipping
Office, under the command of
commander McDonald. The real
reason for his visit, however,
was revealed by his determina
tion to see for himself why Lt.
Howard Jones and his crew on
the SS Mahopac are so “crazy
about the place.”
Captain Reynolds discovered
the reason for Seward’s reputa
tion with Navy men when he
met with businessmen at an in
formal reception held in the
American Legion Club just be
fore noon.
The mayor, councilmen, Rev.
Paul Irwin and about a dozen
businessmen met with Com
mander McDonald, Lt. Glenn H.
Easton, Jr.. Lt. Stanley F. June
man. and three Naval enlisted
men, to receive Captain Rey
nolds and Lt. S. B. Jenson, pilot
of the PBY which landed at
10:00 o’clock on the airfield
as easily as the little passenger
plane that just preceded it.
Coffee was served to the
party in the Legion Club by
Mrs. Grace Merrill and Mrs.
Ted Lesko, Legion Auxiliary.
The officers had been told by
a mutual friend of early days
about a ball game played here
between the ship's crew and
local men, of whom Gus Man
thev was the only name he could
remember. Mr. Manthey was
present, and this led the con
versation into reminiscence. Don
Carlos Brownell and Leon Ur
bach both recalled the days
(Turn to Page 6)
Residents Request
Rat Elimination
Residents of Seward Housing
Area appealed to Councilman
Kirkpatrick, the Commissioner
of Public Welfare, for some sort
of rat control or elimination
program. They will present a
petition to the City Council at
the next regular meeting.
Consultation with Wm. Deer
ing, Department of Health Sani
tation officer brought out the
following facts.
Rats are here to stay , said
Mr. Deering. Every coastal city
in the world has the same prob
lem, control of which is not
entirely a municipal responsi
bility. Rats can be eliminated
and controlled only by concert
ed effort and cooperation of
the residents in infected areas.
Although the city dump is
within a quarter mile of the
housing area, “rats do not leave
the dump,” Mr. Deering said.
“They have a place to eat and
a place to breed right there, and
they do not leave it. The rats in
town areas live and breed just
where they are being found.”
He gave as reasons—uncover
ed garbage cans and garbage
not in cans, but strewn on the
ground. Junk piles and rubbish;
open spaces under houses; emp
ty houses and unused buildings
and lumber piles.
“I think the prime responsi
bility lies with the people them
selves”, Mr. Deering states.
Every tenant must CLEAN UP,
seal openings in houses, make
(Turn to Page 6)