SEWARD’S
All-cWeatkec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Formerly The Seward Polaris £r Kenai Peninsula-A leu tian Chain News
Vol. V, No. 70
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Memorial To Be Presented
For Rehabilitation of
Seward-Portage Section ARR
The following letter was received
here Thursday by Mayor Eugene N.
Lanier from Governor Gruening’s
office in Juneau:
Hon. Eugene N. Lanier
Mayor of Seward,
Seward, Alaska.
Dear Mayor Lanier:
You will be interested to know
that in a conference initiated by
Representative Clarence Keating
and held in my office, attended by
Col. John P. Johnson and Col. I,.
A. Moore of the Alaska Railroad,
as well as Senators Rivers, Huntley
and McCutcheon of the Third Di
vision and Senators Nerland and
Barr of the Fourth Division, it was
resolved to do everything possible
to establish a policy of rehabili
tating the Alaska Railroad be
tween Seward and Portage and
maintaining the port of Seward as
one of the ocean termini of the
Alaska Railroad.
It was the consensus of opinion
that both railroad and highway
connections between the Kenai
peninsula and the interior were
necessary, both from the stand
point of national defense and from
the standpoint of development of
Alaska.
Mr. Kenneth Kadow, Chairman
of the Field Committee of the De
partment of the Interior, who at
tended the meeting, is leaving for
Washington to try and urge this
policy, and the legislators present
agreed to introduce a memorial
that would support such a policy
vigorously.
Cordially yours,
ERNEST GRUENING,
Governor of Alaska.
Information reaching here Friday
disclosed that Col. J. P. Johnson,
General Manager of The Alaska
Railroad, and his chief asistant, L.
A. Moore, were to be in Seward on
Friday and Saturday on a routine
business trip. Mayor Lanier, Mr.
Ross Mann and representatives of
the local newspaper and radio met
the train at Moose Pass and ac
companied the Railroad party to
Seward.
The impromptu visit upon Col.
Johnson and Mr. Moore was
made to obtain information con
cerning the proposed memorial and
the Sewardites found the Railroad
MR. and MRS. JACK COBLE
LEAVE FOR HAWAII
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Coble are
leaving Seward on Saturday to
make their future home in Hawaii.
Mr. Coble says that after living
twenty-five years in Alaska they
have decided that the cold is too
much for them, and they are going
to spend the Test of their lives
basking in the sun and bathing in
the blue waters of Hawaii. No
more frozen water pipes, coal and
ashes, stopped up oil stoves, frost
ed toes and canned food.
The Cobles were slightly injured
last Saturday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m.,
when their automobile was hit by
a southbound freight train at the
first crossing beyond the Lagoon.
Mr. Coble stated to Police Offi
cer Anderson that his windshield
wiper was not working and that
he was trying to adjust it and did
not see the train coming. The car
was badly damaged by the train
when it was struck by each freight
car in turn as it passed the cross
ing, practically demolishing the
front end of the car.
representatives cooperative to the
greatest extent.
Upon arrival in Seward, the train
was boarded by members of the
City Council, Mr. Hedley Davis
and Mr. Rav James. The Juneau
conference was discussed at length
and from that discussion questions
were formulated for an interview
which was recorded and will be
broadcast in detail over Station
KIBH Saturday evening. •
Col. Johnson stated that there
was a good representation of the
Third and Fourth Districts present
at the conference and that all are
sympathetic toward rehabilitation
of the Seward-Portage section of
The Alaska Railroad.
When asked if it were feasible
to rehabilitate the section and put
it on a self-supporting basis, Col.
Johnson assured the group that
although the cost would be great,
the section could be rehabilitated
to the extent that it would handle
equipment of the heavier type and
cut actual operating costs by han
dling freight in greater quantities
than is possible at present. How
ever.' it is not feasible to make the
section self-supporting, and in case
of rehabilitation it would be neces
sary to obtain government subsidy
on at least the commercial portion
of freight handled.
It was disclosed that the Army
is desirous of two all-year ports
as well as highway connections
from the Kenai Peninsula to the
Interior.
The present rate structure of the
railroad operation and the prob
lems faced by the management
were explained by Mr. Moore, who
enlarged upon the scope of the
proposed rehabilitation program
which would necessarily include
rebuilding of the entire railroad
installation at Seward.
It is of vital importance that the
City of Seward support the pro
posed memorial to the greatest ex
tent possible and a movement is
now under way to assure Gover
nor Gruening and Rep. Keating
that this port city is in full accord
and will cooperate in every way
possible or necessary to insure suc
cessful presentation of the pro
posed memorial.
FINDS SEWARD IS A
"FRIENDLY TOWN"
Mr. H. B. Crewson of Tacoma,
Washington, a representative of
The Carson Packing Company,
and Blake, Moffet & Towne, paper
mills, is recuperating in Seward
General Hospital from an emer
gency appendectomy.
Mr. Crewson became ill last
week while enroute to the terri
tory aboard the SS Baranof. He
was met at the dock by an ambu
lance and taken to the hospital
where the operation was immedi
ately performed.
Many people of Seward know
Mr. Crewson because he has been
traveling through the City for the
past 23 years, and he says that
he has had as many visitors as
he would have had at home. Sew
ard is a very friendly town, ac
cording to him, and he should
know.
Mr. Walter Blue was honored
last Tuesday by a party on the oc
casion of his birthdey. The dinner
included a birthdey cake with can
dles.
Alaska Natives Have
Little Cash,
Survey Shows
Most Arctic and Interior Alaska
Natives see very little or no cash
money according to Bob Druxman,
Juneau public relations counsel,
who has just made an inspection
of northern villages for the Alaska
Native Service.
He explained that Eskimos and
Interior Interior exchange their
furs, fish or other native products
for merchandise at their local trad
ing post or cooperative store. In
some case*, where there are large
white settlements, nearby canner
ies or government projects, they
do earn cash money in various la
boring capacities but this is not
widespread.
Point Barrow, he said, might be
used as an example of where the
Natives get mostly cash because
they are employed on the nearby
U. S. Navy oil exploration project.
Point Hope, he declared, would be
an example of the other extreme
as, with one or two exceptions,
there is no opportunity at that vil
lage to earn cash money.
Werners Celebrate
Double Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Werner cele
brated their 10th wedding anniver
sary Thursday. March 3, and the
8th anniversary of the opening of
Werner’s Market in Seward.
Werner’s opened the market in
March of 1941 in the building
where Gus Manthey had his meat
market. Since that time they
moved the market to its present
location, and in the meantime the
building has housed Bert Walker’s
cold storage plant and the Walker
and Shea Plumbing Shop.
Some time ago Mr. Werner took
over the building and is installing
300 new steel cold storage lockers
in the building;. It is expected that
the lockers will be available to the
public in the near future, but no
opening date has been announced.
Before coming to Seward, Werner
; worked at the same business in
Everett, Washington, and in Ket
chikan, Juneau, Fairbanks, and
Anchorage. He also managed the
store of the N.C. Conjpany in
Bethel.
TEXTILE PAINTING ON JUNIOR
WOMEN'S PROGRAM TUESDAY
! The March 1 business meeting of
. the Junior Women’s Club was at
! the home of Mrs. Lawrence Whit
more, with Mrs. Clyde Gordon also
a hostess. Doris Doyle presided at
the meeting in the absence of
President Peggy Penrose.
The members of the club were
instructed in the art of textile
painting, and each member had a
choice of painting either a hand
kerchief or a towel.
The next social meeting will be
a potluck supper with Mrs. Leon
ard Clark, Mrs. Arnold Apted and
Mrs. Clyde Gordon on the commit
tee. Entertainment for the evening
will include pinochle and other
games.
JoAnn Hoy was nominated for
chairman of the business program
committee. Kay Ling will give a
demonstration on poster painting
at the next business meeting.
/
LUTHERAN SERVICES
MONDAY EVENING
Lutheran services wlil be held at
8 o’clock Monday evening at the
Seward Lutheran Church, Rever
end Odegaard officiating.
The Lutheran Ladies’ Aid will
meet at the home of Mrs. Johanna
Horton on Tuesday, March 8, at
2:30 p.m.
Small Boat Harbor
To Be Dredged
This Summer
United States Army Engineers
will dredge the Seward small boat
harbor this summer. The city has
received notice to this effect, but
date on which work will commence
has not been set.
It is also planned to dredge a
number of small boat harbors in
the Territory, including Anchorage,
Valdez, Ketchikan, Seldovia, Ju
neau and Sitka.
The city will be receiving bids on
construction of the float in the
small boat harbor until 8 p.m.,
March 14, 1949. The contract is to
be let to a local contractor only,
and the city reserves the right to
reject any and all bids.
The construction of the float
must be completed by July 30, 1949.
and the successful bidder will be
required to post a $1500 perform
ance bond.
—
THREE NEW ENGINEERS FOR
PUBLIC ROADS ADM.
The Public Roads Administration
ofliee in Seward announced this
week that three new1 engineers
have arrived to take up their du
ties in Alaska.
The three new arrivals are Ed
ward H. Cowan, construction en
gineer; Virgil Cave, resident engin
eer; and Robert M. Preshaw, high
way engineer. All three of the new
engineers have brought their fam
ilies with them.
Cowan, who comes to Seward
from Denver, will work in the
Sccue!' office. ’ Cave, OChb came
here from Ogden, Utah, will be
employed on highway work in ihe
interior.
PUCKETT GIVES WARNING
ON RAILROAD CROSSINGS
George Pucket, who is highway
patrolman for this area, gives
| warning this week to all motor
ists that the Territorial law against
^crossing any railroad without com
ing to a full stop will be enforced.
i ___
I United States Marshal Irwin
Metcalf reports that Bert Reamy,
fugitive from justice and charged
with contributing to the delin
quency of a local girl, was appre
hended in Seattle February 17 and
j will be brought to Anchorage for
i trial.
William Green, who had his feet
frozen when he walked 21 miles in
37 below zero weather to get help
for a party of people marooned on
the road to Kenai when his auto
mobile broke down, has been dis
; missed from the local hospital and
i is expected to suffer no permanent
ill effects.
The management of the Seaport
Record! reoeosto that all advertise
ments and announcements be in
the office by Uie 2:00 p.m. deadline
on the day before publication. This
puts the deadline at 2:00 p.m. on'
Mondays and Thursdays.
The Seward Volunteer Fire De
partment answered a call to Joe
Doyle’s Hardware Store Wednes
day, March 2, at about 1:00 p.m.
The cause of the alarm was a
slight explosion due to a badly ad
justed draft control. No damage
was reported, although the build
ing was filled with smoke.
Mrs. Hazel Lanier, wife of Mayor
Gene Lanier, was admitted to the
Seward General Hospital this
week. She was reported to be ser
iously iM, but making good im
pnver- '-ro. Mrs. Lanier is the Sew
r , f~,r the Territorial Wel
■ —>r.pt
Health Course
By II of A Ext.
Here in March
A health education course offer
ing university credit will be of
fered in Seward beginning March
14, approved by both the Univer
sity of Alaska and the Alaska De
partment of Health, public health
nurse Mrs. LaPreal Bie, annonuced
tUis week.
[ The course will be given by Eliz
abeth Moxley, who will arrive in
Seward March 10 and remain here
for the entire five weeks of the
course.
The course is being offerd in the
principal cities of the Territory by
instructors affiliated with the De
partment of Health and approved
by the university. It will cover a
full semester’s work and the class
room time per credit will be equiv
alent to time spent per credit at
the university.
Upon completion of the course a
supervised examination will be
given by the instructor, and stu
dents receiving passing grades will
' be granted two university semes
l ter credits.
If this program proves satisfac
tory, it may be extended through
the coming years. All public school
teachers are eligible to take ad
vantage of this opportunity for ap
proved instruction.
Former Sewordife
Is Honor Student
j Allen Guest, former Seward re
! sident and Air Force hero in World
War II, has been named an honor
student at John B. Stetson Univer
sity at Deland, Florida.
It will be remembered here that
Guest was awarded The Distin
' guished Flying Cross, and three
, times received The Purple Heart,
i He was the leader of a squadron
! that operated from England,and
| later while his unit was based in
I France he was shot down and suf
. fered the loss of a leg.
I His wife and year-old baby are
' with him at the university, and he
| he has a sister, Edith Guest, in
Seward. He is the son of Robert
Guest of Seward.
Guest has been reticent about
himself, but it is well known that
he has excelled in his studies
where ever he has been, and that
he was on the Dean's List when he
kattended Syracuse University.
Persian Royalty
Visits Seward
Afrasiab Assad Bakhtiari, Prince
of Bakhtiari, Persia, is a week-end
visitor in Seward, having come
from Anchorage with Col. J. P.
Johnson, General Manager of The
Alaska Railroad, whom he is visit
ing in Anchorage.
The two became acquainted at
the time Col. Johnson was building
railroads in Persia and hired the
prince as an interpreter. Col. John
son did not learn of the prince’s
royalty and was quite surprised to
find out about it months later
when the railroad project neared
tHe Prince’s home section of the
country.
The Prince is well educated, hav
ing attended the American College
in Persia, Kansas State College,
arid New York University. He
speaks seven languages fluently.
He has been in Alaska for two
months and is very enthusiastic
about the Territory and its beauti
ful scenery.