SEWARD’S
All-^Weather
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
A1{?ska Historical Libran
and Museum 3-5j
Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VII. No. 4
SEWARD. ALASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 14, 1950
Price 10 Cents
Governor Gruening Reassures
Construction Of Airport
Governor Ernest Gruening in
a public address Thursday night
to the people of Seward reassur
ed the city of the construction
of the Seward Airport as the
first project of the next building
season.
The Governor addressed the
representative group assembled
in the City Council Chambers,
and answered questions put to
him by individuals. His words
were received politely and with
out any pronounced enthusiasm.
“It was a good speech”, said one,
"But he didn't say anything
except to pat us on the back”.
Considerable gratification was
expressed, however that the
Governor was making a per
sonal visit to the city.
Tony Schwamm, questioned
more closely concerning the
delay on the airport gave sever
al reasons. One being that legal
entanglements on the property
to be acquired for the site have
been the chief reason for the
delay. As many as three ease
ments have been given on the
same land, all with the inten
tion of speeding up the work,
but only creating a hindrance,
the easements dating as far back
as 1935. when the first airfield
was proposed.
Another reason given was that
construction of the airports at
Dillingham and Ninilchik was
considered an emergency mea
sure because of the lack of other
means of transportation at those
points. Seward having a landing
field of sorts, and the other lo
calities having none, they were
given the priority.
A third reason advanced, was
that the Alaska participation
under the Federal Air Aid Act
requires considerable time for
processing which constitutes an
other time element.
Fourthly, Mr. Schwamm plead
the press of business in his
office. He has been required
to accompany Federal officers
on a tour of investigation about
the Territory, all of which rea
sons conspired to push Seward
from its position as third on the
priority list out of the picture
entirely for this year. Mr.
Schwamm, when pressed for a
definite or even an approximate
date for construction, could only
insist the Seward airport will
top the list for the next con
struction season.
PARKING TICKET FOR
THE MAYOR
The Mayor received a park
ing ticket for leaving his car
in the restricted zone in front
of the Fire Hall last night when
he took the Governor’s party to
the public meeting in the city
hall.
TINY FLOWER GIRL STILL
SCATTERING ROSE PETALS
Spectators say that tiny, three
year old Roberta Ann (Robin)
Shingleton, the flower girl at
the Reed-Daniels wedding last
week almost stole the show.
Dressed in a long gown of
pink organdie, with a coronet
and bracelet of pink rosebuds,
and carrying a basket of wild
rose petals, she solemnly and
thoroughly scattered the petals
before the bridal couple like
a little sprite just stepped out
of a fairy tale.
Mrs. Annie Yost, Selby Mont.,1
left Tuesday to return to her
home after visiting Mr. and Mrs.
George Yost of Seward. Mrs.
Yost made the trip to Alaskg
by plane which was not only
her first .visit to the Territory,
but also her first airplane ride.
Governor Guest
Of Lions Club
Governor and Mrs. Ernest
Gruening, accompanied by Mrs.
Armstrong, wife of General
Frank Armstrong. Jr., Ben Park
inson, executive vice president
of Coastwise Line, E. A. Gard
ner, Col. J. -P. Johnson, Col.
Secman, and Lt. General Wil
liam E. Kepner, Chief of the'
Alaska Com m a n d replacing j
General Nathan Twining, with,
his party, arrived in Seward
Thursday afternoon.
They were met by Mayor
Eugene Lanier and others, and
conducted to the American Le-j
gion Club for cocktails.- General
Kepner and the military party J
then made a tour of the city
facilities and army installations,
after which they entrained for
Anchorage.
i ne Governor s party wnn;
Mr. and Mrs. Lanier, Tony:
Schwamm, Mrs. Marjorie Meek i
and Mrs. Mildred Kirkpatrick
went on to the Leon Urbach
home for an hour. Mrs. Urbach
served hor d'ouerves and cock
tails. They were joined there by
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Erwin and
Mr. and Mrs. Eaird French. The
entire group then adjourned to
Gabe's for dinner, where they
were joined by Mr. Ben Parkin
son and E. A. Gardner, of the
Coastwise lines.
The Governor was guest of
honor at the Lions Club Lunch
eon today in the Methodist
Church dining hall, where he
again assured the people of
Seward that he can see nothing
but good ahead for the city. He
complimented the town upon its
attitude of progression under the
insecurity and uncertainty of
the railroad support.
Concerning the ARR and the
rumored pulling out of the
I Portage-Seward end, he said
that of course military, econ
omic and budgetary measures
must be considered, but, that
the chances look better than
ever before for the continuance
of operation of the southern
end. According to the Governor,
a recent substantial appropria
tion includes the Portage divi
sion for extensive repairs. It
seems highly improbable so
great an improvement, at such
cost, would ever be abandoned.
From other sources, a state
ment was made that $1,700,000
has been allocated for rebuild
ing and repairing the Portage
Seward end of the line.
TEA HONORING MRS.
GRUENING
From 2:00 to 4:00 pm, a tea
was held by the American Leg
ion Auxiliary in the Legion
Club honoring Mrs. Gruening.
Mrs. Elwyn Swetmann and Mrs.
Wm. Erwin poured during the
first hour. Mrs. Harry Smith,
incoming president of the Aux
iliary, and Mrs. Eugene Lanier
did the 'honors the last hour.
Mrs. Margaret Webb, Mrs.
May Metcalf, Mrs. Louise Lar
sen, Mrs. Marjorie Painter, and
Mrs. Alice Brownell, Seward
Democratic Club-women, served
as reception committee.
Mrs. Gruening, charmingly
dressed in blue summer wool,
with small gray hat trimmed in
matching blue, charmed the
ladies with her gracious manner.
She strongly urged the organi
zation of the Women’s League
of Voters here. It will unite
all women in a bi-partisan effort
to create better government,
locally, territorially, nationally
and promote a better under
standing of- i-the international
conditions, she said,
Coastwise Executive
Lauds Governor
B. H. Parkinson, executive
vice president, Coastwise Line,
who was in Seward coincident
ally with the Governor’s visit,
attended the Lions Club lun
cheon. He stated to the inter
viewer that Governor Gruening
is to be complimented lor his
untiring efforts to develop and
promote the affairs of Alaska,
and particularly his efforts to
maintain the Seward end of the
railroad, to provide better air
port facilities, and to open the
highway. These three modes of
transportation with shipping as
the fourth are paramount to the
development of Alaska. No one
of the four is adequate in itself,
and all four are interdependent.
Governor Gruening, having the
interest of Alaska at heart, has
worked unceasingly for the pro
motion of transportation in all
modes.
Census Supervisor
Commends Assistants
The biggest census taking job
ever conducted in the Territory
of Alaska has been completed.
One year ago the Territorial
office of the Census Bureau was
opened in Juneau. A complete
census of all retail, wholesale,
and service businesses was the
first project undertaken. Figures
on gross sales have been recent
ly published by the bureau
showing the tremendous gains
in all businesses during the past
nine years in the Territory. A
complete breakdown will be
available within the next few
months.
The second project was the
taking of the decennial census
of population, housing, and agri
culture. Preliminary figures
have been published indicating
the gains in population during
the past ten years in all areas.
Clarence P. Keating, Territor
ial Supervisor, Bureau of the
Census, has publically expressed
| his gratitude for the excellant
cooperation given to the census
program in Alaska. To the enu
i merators, crew leaders, clerks,
: and divisional supervisors whose
, combined efforts put us over
‘ the top. Alaskans can feel proud
of their efforts.
Mr. Keating expresses thanks,
also, to all federal, territorial
and municipal agencies whose
voluntary assistance was “be
yond narrative description:” to
; the newspapers and radio sta
tions in the territory for their
i assistance in keeping the public
i informed of all phases of the
! program. “The final results of
the census, the speed in which
it was completed, and the re
sponse by the public were, in
the main, the result of the press
and radio participation,” Keat
ing stated.
During the past tour weeks
Mr. Keating has been assigned
to the Washington, D. C. office
making the experience gained
during this census available for
future bureau activity in the
Territory. He was unsuccessful
in an attempt to have the bureau
establish a permanent office in
Alaska, however, being advised
that such a development could
not be hoped for until statehood
is granted to Alaska.
The final preliminary figures
as submitted to the Washington
office show the population by
judicial division as follows:
First Division, 31,600: Second
Division, 12,567; Third Division,
58,300; Fourth Division, 28,632;
making a grand total of 131,099.
As several hundred individual
reports have been turned in to
the Washington office for per
sons enumerated in the States,!
the final official total should
be approximately 132,000. Thisi
total will then be within 3,000
of- the- estimate made several
months ago. I
Civilian Defense Committee Is
Being Organized In Seward
Letters to the Mayor:
The following letters were re
ceived by Mayor Eugene Lanier,
| which will be of interest to the
! people of Seward:
July 8, 1950
Dear Mr. Mayor:
On behalf of the men of the'
Fourth Infantry and myself, I
would like to express my deep-;
est appreciation and thanks to
the very friendly City of Seward
and you for the very wonderful
time we all spent there.
Sincerely,
Charles J. Thabet
300 E. Garfield i
Del Rio, Texas I
Dear Sir:
In our Boy Scout work we'
are studying about Alaska. We|
w ould like to know about the;
Indians and Eskimoes of Alaska, j
Would it be possible for you;
to send us a small totem pole,
and explain what it means. We
also would like a small doll
1 dressed like an Eskimo and a j
doll dressed like the Indians of;
Alaska dress. And we would ;
like to have a small mastadon;
ivory elephant or some small i
article made out of ir^istadon
ivory.
We live right on the Mexican j
border and our troop will be \
glad to send you something from
Mexico in exchange. We want
to make a small exhibit of Al
aska for our Scout house.
We know that you are busy
but if you can help us we will
be grateful.
Sincerely,
Lome Robertson
SHIPPING NEWS
The SS Baranof is in port
with a full load of summer
passengers. She will make a
special stop at Petersburg on
this southbound trip. The
freighter Sailor's Splice is due
in Seward midnight Saturday.
KETCHIKAN POWER RATES
LOWEST IN TERRITORY
Alaska Development Board—
; Ketchikan enjoys the lowest
[ residential electricity rates in
Alaska and for some classes
and quantities of service offers
lower rates than many cities in
the United States, according to
a report just issued by the Fed
eral Power Commission,
j Juneau rates are slightly low
I er than those of Ketchikan for
commercial power service and at
some load levels for commercial
light service, it is revealed in
the report entitled “Alaska Pow
er Market Survey.”
Ketchikan rates are shown
by the report to be more reason
able in many categories than
those of Farmingdale, New
York: Freeport, Texas: Colum
bus, Nebraska; American Fork,
Utah; Eureka and Fort Bragg,
California; and Raymond, Wash
ington, among the 15 United
States communities selected by
the Federal Power Commission
for purposes of comparison.
For 250 k.w.h. of residential
service the typical net monthly
electricity bill in various Alaska
communities would be as fol
lows: Ketchikan. $7; Petersburg,
$8.25: Juneau. $8.57: Wrangell,
$11.05: Kodiak, $12.25; Skag
way, $13: Anchorage, $14.33;
Cordova, SI5: Seward (city sys
tem) $16.50, (private company)
$17.10; Sitka, $17.50: Fairbanks,
$18; Valdez, $22.75; and Nome,
$37.50. I
A committee for Civilian De
fense is in process of forming.
Blueprints for complete organi
zation and control are still to
be received from the Territorial
committee, but the local group
has begun preliminary plans.
The fire siren Wednesday eve
ning was a call for ali Volunteer
Firemen to congregate at the
fire hall to discuss the plans.
This was considered an emer
gency call, but any other calls
of like kind, and drills includ
ing the sound of tne lire siren
will probably be preceded by a
notice to the public.
Alter complete organization
of the committee and the instal
lation of air raid signals, the
town must get used to unexpect
ed alerts. In the meantime, how
ever, Sevvardites are asked to
avoid becoming alarmed, as
there seems no reason for jitters
at this time.
The most important point is
to avoid calling the telephone
operator or using the phone un
necessarily until at least 10
minutes after the fire alarm,
as the operator is busy locating
firemen for that period ol time.
VAN GILDER HOTEL UNDER
NEW MANAGEMENT
Mrs. Emma Renwald has
taken over the management o£
the Van Gilder Hotel, formerly
operated by Burt Lewis.
Mrs. Renwald took over the
business July 11. She is begin
ning the redecorating of the
lobby and lighting improve
ments immediately, - with the
assistance of Mrs. Fay Culver
son, assistant manager.
Northern Cab will have the
taxi stand in the lobby formerly
occupied by City Cab Company,
retaining their old number.
LUTHERAN MINISTER
ARRIVES IN SEWARD
Reverand Kent Spaulding,
first pastor of the Seward
Lutheran Church arrived today
by train, with his wife and
■ family. The Spauldings have
two little children.
They drove over the Alaska
Highway, and were met by Rev.
Odegaard at Edmonton from
which place the two cars contin
ued together to Anchorage.
! Rev. Spaulding will not be
installed as pastor until July 30.
He will however assume his
pastoral duties immediately, con
ducting Sunday School and
worship service this Sunday,
July 16.
MRS. W. A. DANIELS
TO LEAVE ON BARANOF
Mrs. W. A. Daniels, Tacoma,
Washington, will leave Seward
tonight on the Baranof for her
home. Mrs. Daniels came to Al
aska by plane three weeks ago,
landing in Anchorage and tak
ing the train over to Seward,
so that she would see as much
of the country as possible on
her first trip.
Mrs. Daniels made the long
journey to Seward to attend the
wedding of her son. George H.,
and Miss Jacquelyn Reed last
week. She stayed at her son’s
home where she was honored
by a tea with the Nimble Thim
ble Club as guests. She is much
impressed with life in Alaska,
and especially enjoyed the cool
weather as she likes the rain.
Mrs. Margaret Webb returned
last Saturday from a three week
visit Outside. She attended the
Rebekah and Odd Fellow Assem
bly of Washington at Spokane
as Deputy for Seward Rebekah
Lodge No. 6-A. Mrs. Webb says
the weather in Spokane was
“sizzling.”