VOLUME 5 ❖ INDEPENDENT * SEWAgD, ALASKA * WEDNESDAY. SEPT. 22, 1948 * UNITED PRESS SERVICE * PRICE TEN CENTS No. 23
Firemen Make Progress
on Concrete Enginehouse!
The building activities of the
Fire Department slowed down to
a decided standstill after the first
■of September when moose season
opened although up to that time
some good progress had been
made. The cement floor has been
completed and doors and windows
are on hand and will be installed
as soon as possible. Fred Keilches
ki, fire chief, is on vacation at the
present time and it looks like the
winter season will be here all too
quickly as electric and heating
facilities have yet to be installed.
A new fire hall was approved
three or four years ago but the
city lacked the necessary finances;
^ therefore the Fire Department
members took the bull by the
horns and have been building one
in spare time, evenings, Sundays,
etc. The first step was falling trees
and getting them to the mill for 1
lumber. Next step was getting a
footing in and poured. The job was
really too big for just spare time
so it was necessary to get carpen
ters on the job to get the forms up
for walls. The Fire Department
members then poured the cement
walls and the carpenters again
took over and put the roof on.
John Matich greatly assisted the
department in temporary financ
ing for the carpenter labor and the
Fire Department wishes to take
this opportunity to fully express
| heir appreciation. Ray James’ and
Jim Cameron’s efforts, and recent
ly Logan Varnall, all come in for
* tbeir share of thanks from the Fire
^Department. It is impossible for
any group of men to put up as
fine a building as the new fire
hall will be without securing ex
pert advice and help from some
one in the building game, and the
efforts of the above men have
been greatly appreciated.
wnen xne ounaing is iimsnea
the City will have a modern, prac
tically fire proof, fire hall at little
or no cost to the taxpayers. The
new building will be at least a
thirty to forty thousand dollar as
set and is so constructed that an
additional story could be installed
it any time. The new building and
the recent purchase of the two
fire trucks by the firemen has pre
sented financial difficulties of
mountainous proportions. A Ford
Super DeLuxe sedan is being raf
fled off, the drawing to be at the
, ennual Hallowe’en Ball, October
i 30. Many other door prizes are be
will be the grand finale as far as
prizes are concerned. It will take at
least another thousand dollars to
pet the Fire Department even with
the board on the new building.
Not enough tickets have been sold
yet to fully pay for the car, but it
Is hoped that by October 30, the
r-'d ink can be scratched off the
Fire Department’s books. A $1500
general fund and a $1500 accident
fund of the Fire Department were
both put towards purchase of the
Iwo fire trucks rather than see
them thrown on the surplus mark
et and disposed of elsewhere.
< The Department was caught
just a little behind the eight ball
the other night in regard to the
salt water system; however no
planned but the car drawing
alibies are offered. We only hope j
that after our building is com- j
pleted and the fire trucks moved
in that we can put that much more
time to maintenance and drilling,
and instead of taking a little long
er than expected to get salt water
in the main that we can get it
there quicker than ever before.)
More time was needed in the
construction of the building than
contemplated. Therefore, the De
partment is behind schedule for
the activities of the children. Skat
ing seems to be the most desired
activity, judging from communi
cations and conversations with the
various other organizations in'
town. The Fire Department wishes
to get skating started just as soon
as possible, but it will probably
take some help and time and
money from all the other organi
zations in town to get the skating
underway in a satisfactory man
ner. Last winter passed without
the children getting any skating.
With the combined efforts of ev
eryone interested there should be
no difficulty getting the sport un
derway by the time cold weather
sets in.
There will be a firemens meet
ing Wednesday evening, Sept. 22.
at 8 o’clock.
Muil,. Trev^han Sec. Treas.
MOTOR SHIP TO
COME NORTH
The Motor Ship Square Sinnett
scheduled to start north from Se
attle October 21, according to word
received yesterday at the local of
fice of the Alaska Steamship Co.
The ship is carrying general car
go destined for Nome. Galvin, St.
Michael's, and Unalakleet which
are its only ports of call.
P. T. A. MEETING
WEDNESDAY EVENING
The Parent-Teacher Ass'n is to
meet September 24, in the study
hall at the school building, with j
Mrs. Thos. Bie, public health nurse. !
as guest speaker.
Teachers for the current school
year will be introduced at the
meeting and a good attendance is
requested.
FIRE AT MANTHEY HOME
MONDAY MORNING
The fire alarm Monday morning
at 10:30 brought the Army-City
and dock fire trucks to the Man
they home bn 2nd Ave., within
two minutes of the time the alarm
was given. An overheated smoke
stack was the cause of the furor
and no damage was reported.
NOME BUSINESSMAN
VISITS IN SEWARD
Mr. Vincent J. Moder, prominent
restaurant owner of Nome, Alaska,
is visiting his daughter, Terry Ann
and mother, Mrs. Park, in Seward.
Mr. Moder, accompanied by his
daughter, left Tuesday by PNA
for San Francisco to visit his wife
who has been ill outside for the
past six months.
Mrs. Sam Griese, cook at Moody’s
Lunch, has been ill for the past
week at her home.
Christian Amondt, 87,
Pioneer, Dies Here
Christian Amondt, well known
Alaska pioneer, passed away Sun
day, September 19, at the Seward
General Hospital where he had
been confined for several days.
Mr. Amondt was born November
23. 1861, at Hurrman, Norway, and
was nearly 87 years of age at the
time of his death. He came to the
Territory in 1898, first to Knik Sta
tion. then to Susitna Station where
he operated the store for several
years. He was one of the main
prospectors in Sunrise and Lynx
Creek areas and was one of the
original founders of the settlement
at Sunrise, where he made his
home for 20 years until in 1947
when he moved to the Ocean View
Home at Seward.
Funeral services will be held
Thursday morning, September 23.
at 10 o’clock at the Lutheran
Church. Interment in the pioneers'
plat in the Seward cemetery.
PERSONALS
Jack Erwin, son of Mr. and Mrs.
W. C. Erwin, left via Northwest
Airlines Monday to return to his
studies at the University of Wash
ington. He has been visiting his
parents for the past month.
Ward Whipple is visiting his
parents Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Whip
ple. Ward is on vacation from the
University of Washington and will
leave soon, to resume 4iis..studies
on the 29th of September.
Miss Barbara Gardiner is a fresh
man at the University of Alaska.
Other Sewardites attending are
Baisy Sheward, Margie Malcolm,
Audrey Woods, Lila Thorsen.
Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Weber had a
long-distance phone call from their
son, Earl, his wife and two chil
dren who live in Seattle where
Earl is attending the University
of Washington.
A pinochle and bridge party
was held at the home of Mrs. Dow
Peterson Saturday afternoon and
refreshments served. Those At
tending were Mrs. Jerry Petry, Mrs
Mary Gilbert, Mrs. Don Wilson,
Mrs. Ida Gomvich and Mrs. L. H.
Millerman.
Sgt. Ben Bast will receive his
discharge from the United States
Army Thursday morning and will
leave immediately by air for the
States. He has served 30 months
in ’he Territory.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Mann are
leaving for Charlotte, S.C., via the
Alaska Highway, in a new Dodge
pickup. They expect to visit in
Rochester, N. Y., and then go on
to the home of a daughter at
Charlotte.
Betty and Arne Sundby flrove in
to Seward on a shopping tour from
Coopers Landing Monday. Mrs.
Pat Gwin came along with them
to take her little dog to the' vet
erinary.
Mr. and Mrs. Murrel Johannsen
Sunday evening returned . from
their honeymoon and will make
their home in Seward. Mr. Johann
sen is an employee of the Alaska
Railroad.
Rate Revision to Greatly
Lower Future Insurance
W. I. Hayslip, surveyor for the
Pacific Fire Rating Bureau, has
been in Seward since Wednesday
and expects to leave Thursda)/
morning.
Mr. Hayslip operates directly
(hrough Frank Boyle, insurance
commissioner for the Territory,
who, according to the Pacific Fire
Rating Bureau office, is well qual
ified for the position and is doing
a fine job.
Hayslip is principally checking
fire insurance rates which are be
ing put under new schedules
which have not applied formerly
in the Territory and which will
I give the individual risk some pref
erence as to hazards involved over
the old method of rating. This
i should develop some reductions in
round figures of approximately 10
to 20 per cent over town; however,
some risks may receive slight in
creases.
After four days of inspection.
Hayslip find the town to be very
clean in regard to debris, etc., in
alleys and back yards. In other
words, Seward’s housekeeping is
"good”.
On the other hand. Hajslip
states he found many fuel oil
drums and tanks on wooden tow
ers and in a few cases on roofs,
which eonsitutes (Hi extreme- fire
hazard. It is understood that a
new city ordinance will be en
forced immediately which will
take care of this particular haz
ard.
Sunday evening the fire alarm
sounded a call to Chuck’s Cafe. A
check on times showed—from time '
to call to siren, 20 seconds, one !
piece of equipment was at the
door in less than five minutes.
From the time of the call until
water was forthcoming from the
salt water pumps—27 minutes.
Mr. Hayslip offers the suggestion
that a remote control switch be (
installed with the siren switch so
the electric salt water pump can 1
be turned on at the same time as
the siren in order that no time be
lost in getting pressure into the
salt water mains. The cost of run
ning the pump unnecessarily
would be small as compared to the
loss that might occur in case pres
sure was a few minutes late in de
veloping—every minute counts, as
was demonstrated here when a
large hotel building burned com
pletely to the ground in 45 minutes
from the time the alarm was given.
Mr. Hayslip’s suggestions are of
fered. not in a fault-finding man
ner, ,bul rather as constructive
criticism.
In conclusion, Mr. Hayslip said
that he has received remarkable
cooperation, from local residents
in his w'ork here and wishes to
thank them for their considera
tion.
Small Boat Harbor
To Be Improved
Mr. W. H. Estes, city engineer
and superintendent of the small
boat harbor, reports that of the
$18,000 allotted the project by the
Territory, about $12,000 is to be
spent for materials for improve
ment of the small boat harbor.
All lumber and piling for floats
and walks needed for the job are to
be purchased locally on bid basis.
Main trouble encountered tp date
-ot*. the- project is the difficulty of
obtaining the necessary hardware.
The ship Quackenbush is becom
ing more of a hazard to the har
bor as it is causing deposit of mud
which is filling the area, and the
ship will have to be removed from
the scene within a very' short time.
SEWARD REPUBLICAN CLUB
MEETS FRIDAY EVENING
The Seward Republican Club
will hold a meeting Friday eve
ning at 8 o'clock at the Odd Fel
lows Hall.
Guests who are expected to at
tend are J. C. Morris of Anchorage,
Republican candidate for Terri
torial Senate, and Olaf Olson, also
of Anchorage. Republican candi
date for the Territorial House of
Representatives.
The public is invited to attend.
SCOTT'S SCRAP BOOK ByR.J.SCOTt
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Under Auspices Ladies' Altar
Society, Saciei Heart Church.
Prizes: Cash, Groceries, Fresh
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