*.v SEWARD’S
Al,l-cWeatKec
cSEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Seward
Territorial Library
ort Record
Vol. V, No. 90
SEWARD, ALASKA. FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1949
Price 10 Cents
$35,000 Co-op
Building Plans
Approved
At the annual stockholders’ meet
ing of the Kenai Cooperative Trad
ing Company the members voted
to continue construction of the new
store building for occupancy by
October of this year.
The basement of the building, di- ,
agonally across the street from the
post office, was completed a year |
ago last fall. Only the section of j
the building facing on Fifth Ave- 1
nue will be completed. The re- j
mainder will be covered with a
concrete floor so the entire base
ment may be used for storage.
Stock Value Up
At the meeting it was decided to
furnish an annual financial report:
to stockholders. In view of the ex- ;
pense of erecting the new store
building the members voted to
withhold a distribution of dividends
and apply the amount to the new |
building.
Assets of the cooperative have
increased to the extent that the ■
original hundred dollar shares are
worth nearly an additional 50 per
cent.
__
Radio-’Phone Station at
A.S.C. Nome Agency
The Alaska Steamship Company
is optimistic of a much improved
Bering Sea operation this year be
cause of word received from the
Federal Communications Commis
sion, authorizing a radio telephone
station at the company's Nome
agency, Admiral F. A. Zeusler, ex
ecutive assistant to the president
of the line, stated recently.
This is a further step in the re
cently inaugurated company pro
gram of improving communica
tions. Already eleven line vessels
have been equipped with radio
telephones and installations on the ;
balance of the fleet are progressing '
rapidly. All vessels in the Bering ;
Sea service will be equipped before 1
they sail this season.
In addition to the Nome radio
telephone station, the company has
procured special “walkie-talkie” |
equipment for use at other loca- i
tions in the Bering Sea and Kotze- .
bue Sound areas where supple- j
mental shore service is essential, j
Authority to operate this equip
ment is expected momentarily.
That will afford the same direct1
ship-shore communications wher
ever the company operates through
the Arctic.
HUGHES FUNERAL TO BE
HELD SUNDAY. MAY 15
Funeral services will be held
Sunday, May 15, at 2:00 p.m. in
the Seward Memorial Church for
George Hughes who died May 10.
Hughes, who has been a resident
of Seward since his boyhood, was
found unconscious in a small row
boat on the beach at the foot of
Second Avenue at 5:30 p.m. last
Tuesday and taken to the hospital
by the police. His death was the
result of exposure and malnutri
tion.
New Babies . . .
A son was born to Mr. and Mrs.
Larry Hume of Anchorage at the
Seward General Hospital, Tuesday,
May 10. Randall Lee weighed six
pounds twelve ounces and is doing
well. Mrs. Hume is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Black of
Seward.
Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Myhill from
Homer, Alaska, are parents of a
boy born in Seward General Hos
pital, May 6. Young Leon Gilbert
Myhill weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and all
the family are doing well.
Fine Response Shown
In Seward's City
Beautiful Campaign
Public response to Clean-Up
Month in Seward has been more
than satisfactory so far, it was
learned Friday.
Many people have made extra
ordinary efforts to improve the ap
pearance of their property, and so
many vacant lots and yards have
been cleaned up that it is hard to
keep track of them.
One clean-up job worthy of note
is the job done by Del Zentmire
on the*'Vacant lot beside his house.
The Alaska Railroad has removed
or burned all the debris washed up
along the beach by the city dock.
The weekly prize of five dollars
in merchandise, this week at
Doyle’s, was awarded to Mr. and
Mrs. Ralph Neff for showing the
most improvement in the appear
ance of their home.
The lot at the corner of Fifth
Avenue and Madison Street was
littered with trash that made it an
eyesore. Within the past year the
Neffs have moved an Army build
ing onto the lot and made it into
an attractive home. A new gabled
storm entrance and a few minor
changes in the line of the roof, to
gether with a coat of paint, have
improved the entire neighborhood.
Children Get Tickets
Four children: Judy Gerwer, Alex
Petrovich, Carla Petrovich, and
Jerry Zentmire, undertook clean-up
jobs, and will be given theater
tickets as soon as they report to
Mrs. Ray James for final inspec
tion. A number of other children
have chosen clean-up projects to
work on.
Business men of Seward have
pledged enough prizes so that one
may be given each week until
August 26.
Halibut Boats Still Find
Gulf Weather Rough
Halibut fishermen report that
weather on the Gulf of Alaska is
the worst in 15 years as far as
fishing is concerned. It has been
very cold, and at times the gear
has been covered with ice. Some
boats have lost part of their gear
and a couple have had to put in
for repairs.
Captain Gordon Jensen of the
Symphonie out of Petersburg Said
he had to come in with a small
load of only 25,000 pounds of fish.
Jensen remarked that he couldn't
understand how Seward could have
a $28,000,000 industry right at its
front door and not make a more
serious effort to capture the busi
ness.
Local residents remember the
time when the local cold storage
plant could handle 3,000,000 pounds
of halibut in a season. That was
prior to the war.
FEDERAL COURT AGAIN
POSTPONED
The special session of the Feder
al Court has again been postponed.
No date has been set, but the list
of voters has been requested for a
date later in the month. Members
of the jury are chosen from the list
,of voters.
BIRTHDAY CLUB HONORS
MRS. CARL LEE
On Thursday, May 12, the Neigh
borhood Birthday Club had a
birthday party for Mrs. Carl Lee
at the home of Mrs. Oscar Wats
jold. There are 17 members of this
jolly birthday club who find at
least one birthday each month
among them to give cause for a
celebration. In this way they are
never lacking for entertainment.
Curtains for the windows of one
ward and sun porch have been re
ceived at the Seward Sanatorium.
These curtains were made and pre
sented by the Juneau Chapter of
American Red Cross and were
shipped to Seward by courtesy of
the Alaska Steamship Company.
FHA Approves
Home Loans j
For Seward
E. L. Graves, contractor from
j Moose Pass, appeared before the
Seward Chamber of Commerce
Thursday evening to explain the
method whereby new homes in
Seward may be built through the
FHA.
Graves explained that he had
no official status and that he rep
resented no one but himself as a
. contractor. He brought out the
; fact that Seward is one of the very
j few towns in Alaska approved by
, the FHA, under which it is possible
to borrow money at 4 per cent for
I a 20-year period. The maximum
amount would be $10,800. of which
the builder must put up 20 per
cent.
Chamber of Commerce Approves
After hearing Graves’ talk, the
Chamber of Commerce passed a
resolution to sponsor an educa
tional plan through publicity to
| help prospective home builders to
j acquire the proper information and
' advice.
A series of questions and an
swers will be published in this
newspaper so people will know
what steps to take in acquiring |
an FHA loan. The first step is to
establish eligibility, which means
to prove your ability to pay back
the loan.
The next step is to prepare plans.
While these plans need not be
architects drawings, they must be
good working drawings showing
wiring, plumbing, heating, and
such features. _
The third step is to submit the
application, which is normally ap
proved in ten days, according to
Graves.
Graves said that it is his belief
that a house twenty and a half
feet by thirty feet can be built
; for $6,000. The house, he said,
I would have two bedrooms, have
radiant heat and be well insulated.
C. of C. Hears Capt. R.
Jacobsen of Mailboat
Captain R. Jacobsen of the Mail
boat,Garland was one of the visit
ing speakers at the Chamber of
Commerce meeting Thursday eve
ning.
Jacobsen recalled his two and a
half years residence in Seward be
fore World War II, during which
time he had become quite well ac
quainted with most of the people
in Seward.
He reminded the Chamber of
Commerce members that they had
been very anxious for mailboat
service to the Westward, and that
he hoped he could count on their
cooperation.
His expenses run above $15,700
per month, while the mail contract
brings only $16,066 per month. The
remained of his expenses must be
made up in transport of freight
and passengers. So far he has had
practically no freight to haul. Other
coast towns, he said, are asking for
his business.
He reported that he had brought
a number of fairly large orders to
Seward business houses, and that
he expects to bring a lot more busi
ness if he receives cooperation of
local business men.
P-TA MEETS FRIDAY EVENING
TO ELECT OFFICERS
i
The Parent-Teacher Association I
will meet Friday evening, May 13, 1
at 8 o’clock in the high school aud
itorium. At this meeting there will
be an election of officers.
Little Sharon Fay Stanton,
daughter of 'Mr. and Mrs, Bob
Stanton, is celebrating her third
birthday with a party at her home
today. Eighteen neighborhood
children will enjoy surprise favors
and ice cream besides the big
i birthday cake.
Old Timer Seeks News
Of Friends of
Early Mining Days
Seeking the trail of half-century
old friendships has brought Pete
Ogle back to Seward.
Ogle who first came to Alaska
in '96, is trying to find traces of
a Mr. and Mrs. James Wallace and
their son, William Wallace, whom
he knew when he was at Bertha
Creek about 1901. The father of
Mr. Wallace was with them.
At that time the Wallaces were
expecting a baby and they sent to
Seattle for the mother of Mrs.
James Wallace. Pete Ogle met the
mother when she arrived at Sun
rise that summer and traveled 16
miles by horseback to Bertha
Creek. Mrs. Wallace's mother was
rather a large woman and that
was her first horseback trip but she
stood the trip well according to Mr.
Ode.
Ogle said he used to take his
meals with the Wallaces. One
morning when He came for break
fast Mrs. Wallace’s mother told him
to hurry with his breakfast and get
out. When he returned for lunch
they had a new baby to show him.
Mr. Ogle has requested that any
one who knows the present address
of the Wallaces give him their ad
dress. His address is GOG Third St.
Northeast, Puallup, Wash.
Ogle said that in ’96 no one was
permitted to board ship for Alaska
unless he had a thousand pounds of
food and equipment with him. At
that time he paid $20 for his own
fare, including the one thousand
po'unds of freight, from Seattle to
Portage Bay, the present site of
Whittier.
The only house on Resurrection
Bay at that time belonged to a
man named Lowell. Ogle saiu i’ne
log house is now occupied bv A1
Peel. Ogle carried the first mail
from Seward to Sunrise and made
the trip when his were the only
snow shoe tracks in the country.
Masonic Banquet Enjoyed
By Over 200 People
Over 200 persons were served at
the banquet given by the Seward
Masons for their members and
friends last Saturday, May 7.
The huge crowd was served in
the dodge room and banquet room
•of the temple by the committee
with the aid of Rainbow Girls as
waitressess, who found it necessary
to reset some of the tables in order
to accommodate late guests.
The menu from shrimp cocktail
and garden salad through roast
ham with new peas and potatoes
spiced apricots, ice cream and cake
won wide acclaim.
An hour of music after the ban
quet was provided by Rev. and
Mrs. Paul Irwin, Mrs. Hazel Graves,
Miss Mary Clements, Miss Shirley
Calnan, Mrs. Katherine Baker, all
well known musicians and Arlee
Hayne popular on the radio for
his folk songs.
CHECK PASSER BOUND
OVER TO GRAND JURY
Patricia Moses of this city was
bound over to the grand jury at a
hearing in the United Stales Com
missioner's Court Thursday morn
ing on a charge of passing bad
checks.
The complaint was signed by a
local business owner, and Patricia
Moses was picked up by the au
thorities in Fairbanks. She was re
turned to Seward this week. Pend
ing the arrangements for $1,000
bond, she is being held in the Fed
eral jail.
MAJOR J. H. ROSNESS
VISITS IN SEWARD
Major Joseph Henry Rosness ar
rived in Seward Tuesday for a two
week visit with relatives. Now on
leave from Fort Crook, Neb., Major
Rosness is a native of Seward, hav
ing attended Seward schools before
going to the University of Alaska
and West Point.
Court Action
Puts S.L.P. In
Receivership
word has been received in Sew
ard that the court action placing
the Seward Light and Power Com
pany in the hands of a receiver
came as the result of an ownership
dispute and not as a result of
bankruptcy.
1 The court has appointed L. L.
Glascoe of Fairbanks as receiver.
His duty will be to maintain and
operate the plant to the best of
his ability. But he forms no policy.
It is his duty to see that no equip
ment is bought or sold until the
court makes its final decision.
It was learned that the company
itself is financially solvent. It was
placed in receivership not because
of bankruptcy, but because of legal
action on the part of the'owners.
Improve Phone Service
The telephone system, which is
owned by the Seward Light and
Power Company, will be improved
and modernized to maintain ser
vice at a desireable level.
it is hot known how long the
receivership will continue, '.since
the final outcome depends on’ the
decision of the courts.
Glascoe is on leave from the
| CAA at Fairbanks, with which he
. has been associated for a number
| of years.
Development Board Has
1 Folder Available
I
i
JUNEAU—To answer a flood of
^how tget tc Aias.-c*
' and what to see and do in Ameri
I ca’s Land of the Midnight Sun, the
' Alaska Development Board has
1 prepared a special travel publica
| tion, Seeing Alaska. Copies are
now available for distribution.
| 1'he folder is packed tvith de
' scriptive material and pictures
from all parts of the Territory. It
j tells how to get to Alaska by
I steamer, airplane and automobile.
Brief descriptions of the Territory’s
25 principal municipalities as well
as national parks and monuments
are given.
In addition, the folder contains a
I map of Alaska showing access
' roads leading from the United
States to the Alaska Highway as
j well as tae entire highway network
j within the Territory. It also con
tains a highway guide showing
the location of hotels, cabins, fill
; ing stations, stores and meal points
along the highway. *
The Development Board has re
ceived orders for several thousand
folders from all parts of the world.
In addition to going to individuals,
copies will be sent to travel agen
cies, transportation companies and
otiiers interested in promoting tra
vel to Alaska.
WOMENS CLUB TO HAVE
LUNCHEON THURSDAY
! The Seward Women’s Club will
give the annual luncheon for mem
bers and friends next Thursday,
May 19, in the Seward Memorial
Church recreation hall.
The purpose of the luncheon is
to end the club's work for the year
and to install the officers electe
for the ensuing year. Lunch will
be served at noon, to be followed
by a program. All Seward ladies
interested in club work are cor
dially invited to attend.
Shipping News . . .
The SS Alaska is expected to ar
rive at 8:45 Friday evening, May 13.
The Coastwise Line freigthter
James "W. Cannon, the Alaska
Steamship Company’s Lucidor and
Harold Whitehead were unloading
cargo here May 13, and the Coastal
Rambler is expected to arrive at
Seward early next week.
The Abigil Adams is scheduled
to sail from Seattle May 18 for
Valdez, Whittier and Seward.