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SEWARD’S
All-qWeatkec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Seward
Territorial Library "T 9
Record
Vol. VI No. G
SEWARD. ALASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Turn In Your
Assessment
Forms How
City Assessor Mrs. Carl Ling re
ported Friday morning that returns
on assessment forms are still very
low in coming in. Only half to two
thirds of the total number have
been turned in to this date.
The amount of money the city
saves by using this type of assess
ment may not be worth the great
amount of work and worry the city
administration will have to go
through to get the tax money roll
ing into the city coffers.
The system of mailing assess
ment forms for the taxpayers to
fill out was innovated this year
under the authority of Territorial
law.
Low Assessments
It was also made known this
week that many of the assessments
turned in this year show a value
far below that of last year. While
the assessor may not change an
assessment, a recommendation can
be made to the city council for ac
tion in individual cases.
The city has authority to assess
property at the same valuation as
the preceding year unless the tax
payer appears and proves that his
property is actually worth less than
the year before.
Late Payday
The July 1 payroll was 19 days
late and could not have been paid
fit that late date if money from
the refund on business licenses had
not been forthcoming.
While the financial situation is
more than a litle embarrassing for
Seward at the present, it is ex
pected to smooth out as taxes do
start to come in.
, The school budget is the greatest
stumbling block to the city right
now, since there will be two addi
tional teachers, a larger building
to heat, and a number of other
items which will appear on the
budget only this year, such as fur
niture for the new addition.
NSLI TERM POLICIES
MUST BE RENEWED
Alaska veterans are reminded
that National Service Life Insur
ance policies must be renewed, or
converted to a permanent insur
ance plan.
The Veterans Administration is
now sending out notices of expira
1 tion to some veterans in the area.
Policies issued before January 1,
1946, expire eight years from date
• of issue. Those issued after that
date expire in five years.
All term policies may be re
newed for an additional five years,
as provided by law. Veterans must
fill out a renewal application form
and mail it to the VA before the
expiration of their policies. The j
first premium must also accompany
the application..
Premiums Slightly Higher
Premiums will be slightly higher
than on the previous policy since
they are based on the age of the
veteran at the time of renewal. No
physical examination is necessary
except in cases where the policy
has been lapsed for a longer period
than three months.
Veterans who wish to convert
their policies to permanent insur
ance will find six standard plans
available. They are: Ordinary life,
20-pay life, 30-pay life, 20-year en
dowment, endowment at age 60
and endowment at age 65.
Full information on insurance
benefits may be obtained at any
VA office.
Question of the Week:
Q. What must I do to get my
NSLI dividend payment at the
earliest possible moment?
A. Do not write the VA about
your NSLI dividend. To do so will
cause delay. Special application
blanks are now being prepared, and
are expected to be available in
August at every post ctffice, veter
ans service organization and VA
office. v
%
May Release Peninsula
Shoreline Sites
To Homesteaders
Reclassification of shoreline
areas on the Kenai Peninsula to
make more 1 a n cl available for
homesteaders will be completed
some time this summer. According
to old legislation, a great part of
the land along the shores of the
peninsula has been reserved by the
Government for anchorages.
Actually most of the shore line
reserved is useless for ship anch
orage and since a great many peo
ple have requested that certain
areas be reclassified, a survev w ill
be made of the whole peninsula
shoreline.
Several sizeable areas on the
peninsula have been set aside
pending the result of a soil survey.
One large area near Homer is ex
pected to be opened for veterans
and a good second, near the town
of Kenai, will be given to dis
placed persons from Europe.
The method of distributing land
to the DPs has not been made
known, but it is expected that
there will have to be some kind
of subsidy to enable these people
to make a go of homesteading.
Seward Gen. Hospitai
To Have New Roof
Mayor Eugene Lanier announced
Thursday that the Seward General
Hospital is to have a new roof as
soon as the Council will authorize
the letting of bids on the job.
The hospital, which is owned by
the city and operated by the Meth
odist Church, has been badly in
need of a new roof for some time,
but the city has been so short of
funds that it was impossible to
raise the necessary cash until this
week.
The City Council had gone on
record some time ago with a reso
lution to the effect that the repairs
would be made as soon as possible.
The original agreement the city
made with the hospital called for
maintenance of the exterior of the
building on the part of the city,
while the hospital was to take I
care of the interior.
The amount set aside for the ]
new roof is S1800. and if the roof
takes less than that amount, other
minor repairs will be made.
BEAR CHASES CARL LING
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
Mrs. Carl Ling reports that she
arrived at the Ling sawmill the
other day just in time to see her
husband running helter - skelter
down the mountain with a bear in
hot pursuit.
Carl had been Out without a gun
blazing trees he wanted cut down.
He was chopping away at a tree
when he heard a noise behind him.
It was the bear, whose cub had
climbed up the tree Carl was chop
ping. The mother bear came right
after him with blood in her eye.
Carl went back a few minutes
later to shoot the mother bear, and
as a post script he took the cub,
too.
NAVY CONDUCTING SEARCH
FOR MISSING FISHING VESSEL
United States Naval authorities
from Kodiak have made tele
graphic inquiry this week regarding
the whereabouts of the 40-foot
troller diesel boat “Patricia” paint
ed white and trimmed in black, op
erated by two men by names of
Parsons and Daly. This vessel was
last heard of on April 12. This ves
sel may have changed name to
“Teddy.”
Anyone having any information
as to present location of this ves
sel or its operators is urged to con
tact immediately the local Deputy
U.S. Marshal’s office.
Bertie and Carla May Clark,
daughters of Carl Clark of Hope,
were in Seward this week'for a
one day visit with Mrs. Ray James.
Inspect School
Addition Work j
This Saturday
An inspection of construction :
work on the new five-room addi
tion to the Seward Public School '
is due to lake place Saturday. A
member of the staff from the office >
of Win. Manley, Anchorage archi- ;
tect, is due to arrive in Seward
late Friday for that purpose.
The Anchorage firm of archi- |
tects, who drew the original plans
tor the structure, have also as- j
sumed the responsibility of engin- i
eering supervision and inspection.
The framing work is well along
at the present time and the roof
is on the building. Workers are-!
preparing the walls now for the i
stucco finish and carpenters will
be putting in windows and inside i
finish. The interior walls are to be
plastered. Subfloors will be eov-1
ered with five-eighths inch ply
wood and asphalt tile over that.
Ray Beissner reported Friday
morning that more than two thou- j
sand feet of lumber had gone into 1
the structure in addition to that
called for by the specifications.
When the inspection is completed
this w e e k, Beissner said, any i
changes which the inspector calls
for will be made and the work will
continue as fast as possible.
Dr. Lowell Addresses
Doctors Assembly
Dr. Lawrence Lowell of the Sew
ard Sanatorium was to address an
assembly of Native Service doctors
at the Anchorage Health Center
Friday afternoon on tuberculosis
treatment.
The doctors are in Anchorage for
a two-week refresher course spon
sored by the American Medical As
sociation. the U.S. Air Force, and
the Alaska Native Service.
ALASKA GAME COMMISSION
TO SELL GUNS AT FAIRBANKS
Public notice was given this
week that the Fish and Wildlife ,
Service will sell at public auction, j
to the highest bidder, for cash, 55
lots of assorted guns, at 1:30 p.m.
on August 15, 1949, at Fairbanks,
Alaska.
Articles may be examined upon
applying to the Fish and Wildlife
Service office. Fairbanks, Alaska
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on
August 12 and from 8:00 a m. to 12
noon, August 15, 1949.
The Sty vice reserves the right to
withdraw any and all articles from
sale, and to segregate or combine
any two or more lots at the time
of sale. i
TORVANGERS RECEIVE
CITY BEAUTIFUL AWARD
Mr. and Mrs. A1 Torvanger, who
have been given honorable men
tion before, are the recipients of
this week’s City Beautiful prize
of five dollars in trade at Hamil
ton's Garage.
The Torvangers have done a
great deal of work about their pre
mises this year" and have a fine
flower garden. All brush about
their lot has been cleared and the
ground leveled.
A second place worthy of note
is the home of Gordon Black at
the airport. It was built of a quon
set, with the addition of a per
manent structure and is nicely
painted and neatly kept.
SISTER OF LEON LEWIS
VISITS IN SEWARD
Miss Ruth Lewis, sister of Leon
Lewis, arrived in Seward by plane
Friday, morning for an extended
visit. Her home is in Granite Falls,
Washington.
Mr. Lewis is expecting his broth
er Don to arrive here for a visit in
the near future. The brother is a
partner in a sawmill in the States.
Engineers Call Public
Meeting at
Kenai July 30
A public meeting has been sched
uled at Kenai on July 30 at 8:00
p.m. by the Alaska District, Corps i
of Engineers, as part of the survey j
of Cook Inlet.
While the hearing will be oral, it i
is requested that important points r
be submittted in writing and with
pictures if possible.
The hearing will be one of a ,
number of informal meetings to be j
held at points along the inlet.
The hearings are held to gather
information as to the number and
size of boats and ships at such !
points, w h a t economic benefit ;
would be gained by government ,
sponsored improvements, whether ■
the benefits would be for the com- '
munities generally or for a few in
dividuals.
The Corps of Engineers is inves- i
tigating such possibilities as navi- 1
gation improvements, flood control
and power development.
Ten Years Ago
In Seward . . .
What was news in Seward ten
years ago today may be seen in
the columns of the Seward Gate
way of July 22, 1939.
The salmon catch had been rath
er poor that season but there
were hopes it would improve be
fore the end of the season.
Leon Urbach, who had been mar
ried in San Francisco on July 11
of that year, was returning to
Seward with his bride, the former
Stella Greenburg of Rochester.
N.Y. John Salit's “Miracle Garden"
was reported to be thriving with
a wealth of tomato vines, cauli
flower, strawberries and cucumber.
The N^rfh Star, famous Arctic
exploring ship which even now
calls frequently at Seward, was
being prepared to make the long
voyage to the Antarctic.
The Eddie Manthey home was
cheered by the presence of Mrs.
Manthey with the added joy of
another baby, Naomi Lee. Charlie
Mathison, who had traveled over
his 50-mile trapline in a snow
mobile. brought in 64 wolves and
1 wolverine.
The mission yacht. Nika Nah,
was completely destroyed when it
burst into flame during the short
trip from the shelter harbor to the
San Juan dock. After the clergy
men left the little ship because of
danger of exploding fuel tanks,
C. A. Sheldon took over the job
of towing it to the beach, where
the Volunteer Fire Department
finally extinguished the fire with
a hose line.
Bishop Peter Trimble, Episcopal
Bishop of Alaska, was in Seward.
There was a reception for him and
he confirmed 11 graduates.
On that day A1 Soller, old timer
from Moose Pass was admitted to
the Seward General Hospital and
Donald Cook left the hospital for
Moose Pass.
GUNNER'S MATE TRESSLER
TO SPEND WEEK IN ITALY
Budd C. Tressler, gunner’s mate,
third class, USN, son of Mrs. Isabel
Tressler of Seward, is scheduled to
arrive in Venice, Italy, July 25, as
a crew member aboard the de
stroyer USS Vesole for a week-long
visit.
Arrangements have been made
for visits to the world-renowned
Cathedral of St. Mark and its ad
joining square. A tour by gondola
will afford a picturesque vista of
the sights of the ancient seaport,
built on hundreds of tiny islands
at the head of the Adriatic Sea.
Liberty in Venice will follow
strenuous fleet exercises with the
Sixth Task Fleet in the Mediter
ranean.
Bob Trotter said he saw nine
Moose along the Cooper's Landing
road one evening this week. One
was the smallest moose calf he had
ever seen, he said. The calf ap
peared to be not much larger than
a dog.
Federal Court
Rules Applied
To Territory
The House of Representatives has
passed a Senate bill which would
extend to the District Court for
Alaska rules formulated by the Su
preme Court governing pleading,
practice and procedure now effec
tive in the district courts of the
United States.
The bill will go back to the Sen
ate for further action in consider
ation of a technical amendment
made by the House, and it is be
lieved no difficulty will be en
countered in reaching agreement.
In 1934 a law was passed author
izing the Supreme Court to pre
scribe rules of procedure for the
district courts of the United States
and the District of Columbia courts.
In a later court case it was held
not to include the district courts
in the territories and insular pos
sessions. The legislation was made
applicable to the Hawaii courts in
1939 and to Puerto Rico in 1940.
“The Federal Rules of Civil Pro
cedure,” the House report on the
bill stated, “have worked with
great success to improve the ad
ministration of justice in the dis
trict courts of the United States
and in the Territory of Hawaii and
in Puerto Rico. They have been
adopted in substance by the state
courts in a number of states. There
seems no doubt that their applica
tion by the courts in Alaska will
be to the advantage of lawyers,
litigants and the general public.”
Naptowne, Alaska Is
'Up-and-Coming'
Naptowne, the new town on the
map of Kenai Peninsula, has been
granted a contract as a U. S, post
office, with Mrs. Alex Petrovich
as postmistress.
28 homesteaders in the vicinity
signed a petition for a postoffice,
which was granted upon the per
sonal recommendation of Del. E. L.
Bartlett. The mail is brought in
once a week by carrier Frank
Pampell from the Cooper Landing
postoffice.
Naptowne, which was named in
fond recollection of the nickname
for Indianapolis, Indiana, the for
mer home of the Petroviches, is
located on a high plateau 85 miles
from Seward and 26 miles from
Kenai and Kasilof, on the new
Kenai road. It itf being developed
by the Petrovich brothers, Alex
and George, and this year has
sit own rapid progress. About 200
acres have been cleared. Carved
at trpmpnflniic pnct nf nnarmr «-v »-* /-I
hard work out of the heavily
wooded area which burned in the
forest fire of 1947, the towmsite
now has been laid out in streets—
one of which bears the sign "2nd
Avenue.” An air strip is under con
struction and a power plant will
be completed before winter.
Naptowne Postoffice and Store
is right on the highway. Gas and
oil, maps of {he Territory, good
well water and a comfort station,
are a welcome break in the rugged
112-mile trip from Seward to
Kenai. Mr. Petrovich welcomes all
visitors with a cup of hot coffee
day or night.
Hunting, especially bears and
fowl, is good in that part of the
country, and since the townsite
is only a quarter-mile from Kenai
River and one mile from Moose
River, there is plenty of fishing.
Mr. Petrovich is a man with a
vision and unlimited enthusiasm.
He is planning, among other acti
vities, a boys’ camp for the near
future. It seems quite likely that
Naptowne will grow to ronsfder
able consequence as the Kenai
Peninsula develops^ and settlers
move into the new area made eas
ily accessible by the new roads.