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SEWARD’S
All-eWeather
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Alaska Historical Library
and Museum 3.5[
Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VII, No. 11
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1950
Price 10 cents
14- Year-Old Boy Drowned At
Little Bear Lake Today
All Seward was shocked at
the news of the drowning of
young David Shea, 14, in Little
Bear Lake during the noon hour
today.
David and Jerry Zentmire had
gone to the lake with some
others, where Jerry was to teach
David how to swim. The water
there is sheltered from the wind
and somewhat warmer than the
other swimming holes nearer
town.
Mrs. Lawrence Whitmore and
Mrs. Joe Doyle arrived at the
picnic spot at about the same
time. It is not known here how
long the boy was in the water
when Mrs. Whitmore discovered
that he was in trouble and went
in after him. His sister Anne
was also trying to help, but the
soft bottom of the lake became
quickly roiled and they both
lost hold of the drowning lad.
In the meantime word was
carried a mile back to the Bear
Lake Lumber Mill and a phone
call to town soon took help to
the scene.
Mr. Alex Petrovich, manager
of Seward Water Supply, upon
hearing the word, went imme
diately to the lake and found
the body. Police and Ray Lee,
Volunteer Fire Department, took
the respirator from the lire hall,
but the boy had been in the
water at least 35 minutes before
their arrival, and could not be
revived even after a long at
tempt.
David was a member of the
Seward Boy Scouts and a patrol
leader. He carried the Anchor
age Times for two years, was
polite, cheerful, and gentleman
ly, a general favorite. He was
the son of C. E.' “Jack'’ and
Anna Shea. He was born in
Seward and was to enter hign
school this year.
Incidentally, Alex Petrovich
stated that Little Bear Lake is
a very dangerous place for
young swimmers, contrary to
popular belief, because of the
very deep holes in the upper
end of the lake. The sides are
treacherously slippery with mud
that easily becomes roiled. Chil
dren should never be allowed
to swim there without an ex
perienced swimmer in attend
ance.
SLIGHT EARTHQUAKE
LAST NIGHT
Sewardites were reminded of
the heavy earth shock of about
this time last year when the
ground quivered slightly to the
sound of a deep rumble at about
11:30 last night.
FIREMEN PRACTICE ON
SCHOOL BUILDING
The regular weekly fire drill
Monday night was practice on
the school building. A timed
drill put a hose line from the
last salt water hydrant at Fourth
and Church Street, and a hose
line on the beach with a pump.
Time recorded was 11 minutes
for the whole procedure.
Sewardites Enjoy
Elks' Hospitality
The center of attraction at
the Elks picnic in Moose Pass
Sunday was a bear cub, penned
back of the Racine night club.
The little fellow was very fond
of ice cream cones and went
through all his antics to gain
attention.
Ice cream, pop and coffee
were furnished by the Elks to
picnicers. Many - Seward people
drove to Moose Pass and busses
took the children. Intermittant
rain showers dampened the fes
tivities somewhat, but several
parties avoided the showers by
traveling further out the high
way where the weather was
good.
At about 6 o'clock a gorgeous
rainbow was the subject of a
number of photographers who
stopped along the way to catch
the sight on color film.
O. M. EEAVER OFFICE
MOVED TO BANK BLDG.
Mr. O. M. Beaver. Certified
Public Accountant, whose office
in Seward was formerly man
aged by Mr. J. R. Jackson, re
cently moved his office to newly
renovated quarters over the
Bank of Seward,
i Last week Mr. Beaver formed
1 a partnership with A. Van Sev
enter, who is also a C.P.A., and
! the new partnership will main
; tain the Seward office.
—
i VERA LOHMAN TO LEAVE
I FOR MARINE CORPS
I Vera Lohman, graduated from
Sew’ard High School in 1949.
plans to leave town on the SS
j Alaska for Seattle where she
! hopes to be accepted in the Wo
men’s Marine Corps.
Several other girls have dal
lied with the idea of enlisting
in one of the women's branches
of military service, but Vera
is the only one who has gone
through with the idea. She has
communicated with the Marine
Corps recruiting station in Se
attle, and was informed that
she may enlist with her parent's
consent—which she has. Good
luck, Vera!
COMPLEXION BEAUTY AIDS
TO BE DEMONSTRATED
Instruction in the proper
make-up for various complex
ions will be free to all women
and girls at McMullen’s Store
this week. A skilled beautician
will give the instruction and
demonstrate the uses of differ
ent types of Helena Rubenstein
cosmetics.
This should prove an interest
ing class to all women who have
such difficulty in keeping a
fresh complexion in our Alaska
weather.
The class will be held from
2 until 4 o’clock on Thursday
and Friday afternoons.
Air Raid Siren Being
Installed For
North End of Town
An air raid siren is being
installed on the roof of Pat’s
Garage building by the Civilian
Defense Committee and Utili
ties Board.
Three members of the Com
mittee will set the siren in place
and it will be wired to synchro
nize with the fire siren on the
fire hall. Expense for the pur
chase of wire and setting up of
the siren was authorized by the
City Council last night. Cost of
labor will be assumed by the
Utilities Board.
The siren will be used as an
auxiliary signal for fires as well
as for air raid at times when
north winds ordinarily prevent
the down town signal from being
heard by firemen in the north
end of town.
The Council also authorized
the purchase of a slow starter
switch for the salt water pump,
which will assist fire fighting
in the down town area.
Other plans of the Defense
Commiitee are progressing rap
idly and will be made public
upon completion.
MASONIC BANQUET
A banquet to honor Mr. Gail
Huhn, the Most Worshipful
Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge F. & A. M. of Washington,
and Mr. Hervey C. Ileal, Most
Worshipful Brother, P.G.M., will
be held Friday evening at 6:00
o'clock in the Methodist Church
j dining room.
The Grand Lodge officials
: will visit the Seward Lodge
! August 11 and 12.
ANCHORAGE WOMAN GETS
30-DAY SENTENCE
Mrs. Helen A. Miller, from
Anchorage, was sentenced to
30 days in the federal jail yes
terday by the U. S. Commis
sioner. Mrs. Miller was charged
with disturbing the peace in
' a local hotel.
She has come to police notice
before, one time threatening to
throw herself off the dock. This
is, however, the first time that
she has been sentenced to a jail
term.
NEW MAGAZINE APPEARS
IN ALASKA
The Alaska Fisherman made
its appearance in July as the
first issue of a monthly maga
zine published in Cordova by
Marshall Selover, formerly of
Seward.
The magazine features the
fishing industry and sport with
all its contingencies. It is good
to see an all Alaska publication
on typically Alaskan problems.
This newspaper offers con
; gratulations and best wishes to
The Alaska Fisherman.
SMALL FIRE MONDAY
Seward Volunteer firemen
responded to an alarm early
Monday afternoon. A storage
shed on the beach west of the
Seward dock, containing ma
chinery and tackle was slightly
damaged. It is said that two
small boys set the fire while
playing around the shack.
Albert “Pack” Olsen Passes
Away After Suffering Stroke
T. B. Ass'n. Officials
Guest Speakers
Miss Agnes Gerding, National
Tuberculosis Association, and
Mrs. Wm. L. Paul, of the Alaska
T.B. Association, and treasurer
of the Alaska Federation of
W o m e n’s Clubs, were guest |
speakers at the tea held in
their honor by the Junior Wo-'
men’s Club and the Seward Wo-j
man’s Club last Saturday.
They stressed the need for
rehabilitation of patients after \
discharge from hospital treat-:
ment of the disease. Miss Gerd
ing stated that there are 50001
known cases of tuberculosis in!
Alaska and only “500 beds avail-i
able for patients suffering from i
the disease.
The ladies made a tour of the;
Seward Sanatorium and Jesse
Lee Home. They left at 4:30
to catch a plane for Anchorage,
; which unexpected departure
| caused several local ladies to
; miss seeing them, as the tea
i was scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m.
| Lolita Havercamp from Jesse!
Lee furnished music at the tea. I
Cookies, tea and coffee were
served.
Jesse Lee News
• • •
Miss Gladys Bollinger, grad
i uate from Starritt College in
: Nashville, Tennessee, will arrive
on the SS Alaska to join the
staff of Jesse Lee. She will be
in charge of the small girls.
Sherian Johnson is back from
Kenai this week. She has been
fishing with her parents during
the past season, but has returned
to attend school at Jesse Lee.
Ruth Watson returned to the
Home this week after a trip
Outside with her mother, who
is a nurse at Bethel. Her brother
i Kenneth came with her to live
at Jesse Lee this winter and at
tend school. The Watsons’ visit
to the Outside was a first trip
for the youngsters and was made
possible through the Nenana Ice
Pool.
SS ALASKA DELAYED
24 HOURS
The Steamship Alaska, due
i in Seward today, w’ill arrive at
approximately 2:00 a.m. tomor
row and depart tomorrow night.
It was delayed 24 hours by the
Cooks and Steward Union in
Seattle over the security check
by U. S .Coast Guard now set
on all vessels leaving Seattle.
' The SS Baranof will dock as
; per schedule Friday.
MV POMARE TO CARRY
MAIL WESTWARD
The Motor Vessel Pomare is
scheduled to leave Seward Aug.
16 with mail for the Westward.
The mail schedule was inter
rupted by difficulties over the
contract, and the little ship
is a month late in taking up its
contract.
Albert P. Olsen died at 1:00
a m. Sunday in Seward General
Hospital at the age of 83. Fun
eral services were held in the
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Tuesday morning, interment in
Seward Cemetery.
Very few friends knew Mr.
Olsen's first name. He was com
monly and affectionately known
as “Pack.” Little is known of
his early life. He was born in
Redwing, Minnesota, in 1867
and came to Alaska about 1896.
He did some prospecting and
mining, also tie-cutting, but was
better known as a packer with
dog team.
Pack came to Seward in the
early ’20s, where he has lived
ever since. He had a cabin at
Mile I6V2 which was the stop
over for many friends and ac
quaintances travelling between
Seward and Moose Pass. The
American flag was always fly
ing from a tall pole atop the
cabin, and a cherished Alaska
flag graced every special day.
Pack never married, and so
far as is known here there are
no relatives. He did, however,
have countless friends in Sew
ard and on the Peninsula. Dur
ing the coldest part of last win
ter he was persuaded to move
into town, but after a few days
he returned to his cabin by the
side of the road.
He was found lying on the
ground beside his house at about
10 o'clock on the night of July
23, suffering from a stroke. Mr.
and Mrs. Chas. Gilliland hap
pened to stop in for a chat and
found him there. They brought
him to Seward General Hospital
where he died last Sunday.
There is a story told of how
he came by his name of “Pack.”
It seems that one time while
crossing the mountain trail from
nope, rus norse gave uui 101
some reason and he took the
load upon his back, thus making
himself a pack horse. It may
be another one of his own tall
tales, but the fact remains that
until his death almost no one
knew his right name.
Pack has joined the legion of
the pioneers who opened Alas
ka, and who in the past year
have gone to their rest, leaving
the work they began to be car
ried on by younger men.
TELEPHONE EXCHANGE
BUILDING UNDERWAY
The new telephone exchange
building of Alaska Telephone
Engineering Corporation on 4th
Avenue at Jefferson is well un
derway. Footings are in for the
foundation and the cement floor
will be poured this week.
BOY'S JACKET FOUND
ON USS MAHOPAC
Officers of the USS Mahopac,
which was in port over the 4th
of July, have returned a boy’s
new jacket to the newspaper
hoping to find its owner.
The jacket was found on the
ship after it left the harbor.
Anyone who left a coat aboard
can claim it at this office.
STOP - LOOK - LISTEN
Montana Stampede at the Kenai Lounge
MONTANANS and FRIENDS
Dutch Lunch at Midnight!
Thursday, August 10
8:00 p.m. until ?